New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA)

Founded in 1976, NEFA is one of six regional arts organizations established with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts to strengthen the national arts infrastructure by cultivating the arts on a regional level. Today, NEFA’s programs are regional, national, and international in scope, and support artists and communities through grants and other opportunities in creating, presenting, and touring new work across a variety of performing arts disciplines and public art.

Each program and project that is brought to life at NEFA is created with the underlying goal of building a stronger and more dynamic infrastructure for the arts. Convenings, network building, and online tools are essential complements to NEFA’s grantmaking.

NEFA is a grantmaker, program initiator, aggregator of resources, and builder of creative partnerships among artists, arts organizations and funders. Our work is generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England state arts agencies, foundations, corporations, and individual donors. 

Mission

NEFA invests in artists and communities and fosters equitable access to the arts, enriching the cultural landscape in New England and the nation.

Vision

NEFA contributes to a nation where artists flourish and communities celebrate art as essential to a thriving, equitable society.