The Folk & Traditional Arts Community Projects grant is a funding opportunity designed to support community-based projects that engage folk and traditional artists, practitioners, and culture bearers. This grant is administered by Mid Atlantic Arts and provides financial support ranging from $1,000 to $7,000 to nonprofit organizations, government entities, and federally recognized tribal governments. The grant aims to foster the vitality of traditional arts and cultures in the Mid Atlantic Arts’ region, which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia, and Native nations that share this geography.

The primary objective of this grant program is to strengthen traditional arts by supporting projects such as performances, festivals, public art collaborations, workshops, training sessions, educational programs, exhibitions, and fieldwork/documentation projects. Projects must include a publicly accessible component, such as a public performance, festival, exhibit, Q&A session, radio or video broadcast, or archival collection. The program strongly encourages applications that engage underrepresented and underserved artists, practitioners, traditions, or communities while ensuring compliance with national civil rights laws and policies.

Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, units of state or local government, or federally recognized Indian tribal governments. Fiscal sponsorship is not permitted. Organizations must also be in good standing with Mid Atlantic Arts, without any overdue or outstanding required reports or grant documents. The program requires a 1:1 cash match, meaning that applicants must secure additional funding from non-federal sources equal to the requested grant amount. This match may include state or local grants, private donations, or revenue generated through ticket sales.

Applicants must submit an online application through the Mid Atlantic Arts SmartSimple portal. The application includes details about the applicant, project description, project budget, and work samples. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Folk & Traditional Arts staff for guidance on developing a strong proposal. Review criteria for the grant include the relevance and importance of the traditional art form, the experience and appropriateness of the project personnel, the degree of community collaboration, the project’s accessibility and inclusivity, and the presence of a clear evaluation plan.

The application process opens on November 18, 2024, with a submission deadline of March 10, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Funding decisions will be announced by June 20, 2025, and funded projects must take place between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Awarded grants will be disbursed 30–45 days before the project start date, provided all required documentation has been submitted and approved. Final reports, including project descriptions, financial documentation, and at least two photos, are due no later than July 30, 2026.

Work samples play a crucial role in the evaluation process, and applicants are advised to submit high-quality, concise, and relevant samples, such as audio recordings, videos, images, documents, or project plans. Work samples must be accessible online, and specific technical specifications are provided to ensure proper review. The Folk & Traditional Arts Community Projects grant is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.