Program Coordinator:
Cassandra Mason, Cassandra.A.Mason@dncr.nh.gov, (603) 271-7926

Purpose
To strengthen the arts infrastructure throughout the state, strengthen the creative economy, improve the quality of life in communities through participation and local investment in the arts and help New Hampshire arts organizations and cultural facilities advance in their work.

Goals

• Recognize and support standards of excellence, programming and accessibility.
• Encourage and support diverse, inclusive arts programming that has the potential for statewide, regional, national, or international impact.
• Make the arts more accessible by increasing year-round, high quality arts programming in rural and under-served communities around the state.
• Encourage and support arts organizations and cultural facilities in their long-range planning efforts.
• Encourage the conservation of publicly owned cultural facilities, artworks or documents that contribute to New Hampshire's cultural heritage.
• Provide incentives for featuring New Hampshire artists in exhibitions, performances, and publications produced or presented by the state's cultural organizations.
• Increase opportunities for professional development and peer networking for boards of directors, arts administrators, and program staff.

This Program Serves

• New Hampshire nonprofit 501(c)(3) art organizations.
• Dedicated arts programs within not for profit parent organizations that have at least a 3-year history of arts programming.
• New Hampshire cultural facilities, operated by 501(c)(3) organizations, schools, or municipalities, where arts programs for the general public regularly take place.
• Government entities that manage historic cultural facilities, arts documents or art works that contribute to the state's cultural heritage.

Grants
The State Arts Council supports organizational goals with a range of grant opportunities. To learn more, click here.

Program Services
In addition to grants, the State Arts Council also provides the following services

• Consultation & Technical Assistance: The State Arts Council provides information on grant guidelines, consultation on project development and reviews drafts of grant proposals.
• Data Collection: The State Arts Council maintains a database that tracks information on grants funded in accordance with the National Information Standards Practices (NISP), which is used by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies in assessing impact of arts funding. 
• Technical Assistance Resources: The State Arts Council provides resource information for not-for-profit organizations on long-range planning, arts management, and cultural facility operation issues.

The following links provide valuable information of interest to New Hampshire's cultural organizations:

• NH Center for NonProfits
• NH Charitable Foundation
• Creative economy information
• CreativeGround

Last updated: March 9, 2021