The Arts for Community Engagement (ACE) Project Grant is administered by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA) and is intended to support high-quality arts events and activities that enrich communities across New Hampshire. This grant program is designed to benefit public audiences and local communities by promoting access to the arts, especially for underserved or underrepresented populations. Projects funded under this grant should take place between December 1, 2025, and November 30, 2026, and focus on inclusive engagement, artistic quality, and collaboration between artists, communities, and organizations.

Funding for the ACE grant ranges from $1,000 to $8,000 per project. While matching funds are not required for the fiscal year July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026, applicants are encouraged to include in-kind and cash contributions to strengthen their proposals. Eligible project types span a wide range of disciplines and may include performances, workshops, exhibits, collaborative murals, and other community-driven art programming. Importantly, all proposed projects must be open to the public and demonstrate artistic integrity, accessibility, and meaningful community engagement.

Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations incorporated in New Hampshire, government agencies at all levels, and units of post-secondary educational institutions. Organizations in bordering states—Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts—may also be eligible if they meet specific conditions, such as being located within 50 miles of the New Hampshire border, serving a majority of New Hampshire residents, and having New Hampshire residents on their boards. All applicants must hold a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov, be in good standing with the New Hampshire Secretary of State and Attorney General’s offices, and have no overdue reports from previous NHSCA grants.

Applications must be submitted through the online Submittable platform by 11:59 PM EST on June 27, 2025. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the grant coordinator to discuss project ideas and may submit drafts for review up to two weeks before the deadline. Required submission materials include narrative answers, a completed budget, a project work plan, financial documentation, resumes of project leaders and artists, support letters, and artist work samples. Projects primarily focused on youth education should instead apply through specific youth grant categories.

Applications will be reviewed by a panel based on four main evaluation criteria: quality of arts programming, public engagement and benefit, administrative capacity, and project outcomes. Projects that promote accessibility, cross-sector collaboration, and the inclusion of New Hampshire artists are highly encouraged. Final funding decisions are subject to availability of state and federal funds and may take up to 10 weeks or longer post-deadline. If funded, grantees must comply with documentation and reporting requirements and submit final reports within 30 days of project completion, but no later than December 31, 2026.

Contact for questions about the grant should be directed to Lisa Burk-McCoy, Program Coordinator, at Lisa.M.Burk-McCoy@dncr.nh.gov or 603-271-0794. For accessibility-related inquiries, contact Emily Killinger, Accessibility Coordinator, at Emily.R.Killinger@dncr.nh.gov or 603-271-0790.