Partnership Agreements: From the Chairman

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts - both new and established - bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. For nearly four decades, the Arts Endowment has encouraged creativity through support of performances, exhibitions, festivals, artist residencies, and educational programs throughout the country.

The National Endowment for the Arts is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts. In FY 2003, the Arts Endowment awarded nearly 2,000 grants totaling more than $100 million to arts organizations and artists in all 50 states and the six U.S. jurisdictions. The Arts Endowment has played a transformative and sustaining role in the development of regional theater, opera, dance, orchestras, museums, and other arts - both contemporary and traditional - that Americans now enjoy.

State arts agencies and regional arts organizations are our primary partners in serving the American people through the arts. These agencies are vital to the health of the arts in America for several reasons.

• They are a major source of funding for the arts with aggregate state arts appropriations of more than $250 million annually.
• They foster excellence through their support of arts organizations and artists.
• Through support of community programs, artist residencies, touring, and other activities, state arts agencies make arts programs available to Americans in every corner of the nation.
• State arts agencies work with thousands of organizations and school districts to help all children experience the magic of artistic creation.
• Through initiatives administered by regional arts organizations, they support multi-state touring programs that give our citizens greater access to excellence in the arts.

State arts agencies and regional arts organizations greatly extend the reach and impact of the National Endowment for the Arts into thousands of communities. These guidelines are intended to provide support and leadership that will help them do even more to advance our agency's goals and respond to the needs of their citizens.

The National Endowment for the Arts pledges to provide accurate, timely, and clear information about our policies and procedures. We will also strive to respond to inquiries in a courteous and efficient manner. By supporting exceptional programs, the Arts Endowment helps to ensure that America is a nation in which artistic excellence is celebrated, supported, and available to all.

Dana Gioia
Chairman

National Endowment for the Arts
webmgr@arts.endow.gov