New England States Touring Grant

New England States Touring (NEST) funds performances, readings, and screenings of work by regional, national, and international artists presented by New England-based nonprofit organizations.

The NEST program continues to respond to the current state of arts presenting. Potential applicants should review guidelines and eligibility carefully prior to applying. Applicants are also highly encouraged to contact NEFA staff to confirm that their project fits the program guidelines.

There are three distinct grant opportunities for New England nonprofit organizations: NEST 1, NEST 2, and NEST 3. Proposed activities may begin three months after the application deadline. Organizations serving rural communities and/or deeply engaging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are encouraged to apply.

NEST 1
Funds the public presentation and engagement of a New England artist presented by a New England nonprofit organization.

• The nonprofit organization must be located in a different New England state from the artist’s home state.
• Typically, there are three application deadlines each year. They are the first business days of August, December, and March. Please note the changes above for FY23.
• Grants provide up to 60% of the artist fee and range from $500 to a maximum of $5,000. Applications with artist fees under $2,000 may request the full artist fee.
• The artist must be listed as NEST-Eligible on the CreativeGround directory.

NEST 2
Funds the public presentation and community engagement activities of a New England artist presented by two New England nonprofit organizations. Tours must include one presenting organization based inside of the artist’s home state and one other organization from outside of the artist’s home state.

• Both presenting organizations must submit their own application and both applications must be submitted at the same deadline.
• Typically, there are three application deadlines each year. They are the first business days of August, December, and March. Please note the changes above for FY23.
• Grants provide up to 60% of the artist fee and range from $500 to a maximum of $5,000. Applications with artist fees under $2,000 may request the full artist fee.
• The artist must be listed as NEST-Eligible on the CreativeGround directory.

NEST 3
Funds tours, including public presentation and community engagement activities, of regional, national, or international artists presented by New England nonprofit organizations. Tours must include a minimum of three New England organizations in different communities presenting the same artist. The organizations applying must be from at least two different New England states.

• Each organization is responsible for reviewing the program goals and criteria, negotiating the terms of the engagement with the artist, and completing a NEST 3 application.
• Organizations may submit up to three NEST 3 applications.
• The annual deadline is the first business day of March.
• Grants provide up to 60% of the artist fee to a maximum of $10,000. Applications with artist fees under $2,000 may request the full artist fee.
• New England artists must be listed as NEST-eligible on CreativeGround.
• For non-New England artists, an artist work sample must be submitted by one of the touring partners.
• Grant period: Touring projects must occur between June 1, 2023 and August 31, 2024.

New England organizations are highly encouraged to attend NEFA’s annual Idea Swap to learn more about potential NEST 3 tours and identify tour partners.

NEST grants are awarded through a competitive selection process, and the amount of funding awarded is based on the extent to which the project meets the funding criteria.

Requirements

Eligibility
To be eligible for NEST funding, applicants must:

• Be a 501©3 nonprofit organization, school, federally recognized Indian tribal government, or unit of state or local government. (Nonprofit organizations do not have to be arts organizations. Organizations that do not have a federal tax identification number may apply if part of an official government agency). Fiscal agents cannot be funded through NEST.
• Be based in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).
• The federal government requires that all NEFA organizational grant recipients supported by federal funds register for a SAM.gov UEI (Unique Entity ID). Previously a DUNS number was required. DUNS numbers are in the process of being phased out. Getting a UEI is a free process and can be done by visiting SAM.gov. Read our blog post with more details.
  
• Applicants must be able to provide documentation of their compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Please visit our Arts & Accessibility page for details.
• Maintain an updated profile in the CreativeGround directory for their cultural nonprofit. (For assistance, see the CreativeGround profile tips page, and aim for a profile score of 16.) If the applicant nonprofit is not a cultural or arts-based organization, please contact Falyn Rose Elhard (they/them/theirs) to confirm your organization’s qualification for a CreativeGround profile.
• A public presentation for literary projects must include a public reading by the NEST-eligible artist.
• A public presentation for film projects must include a public film screening with the NEST-eligible artist/filmmaker.

NEST will not fund:

• Activities and programs which take place exclusively in schools during class time.
• Events that are not open to the public and advertised accordingly.
• Fundraisers.
• Events outside of the six New England states.
• Performances in which the performers are primarily students.
• Self-produced presentations by artists/ensembles.
• Producing organizations inviting a guest artist (such as a conductor or soloist) to perform as part of a performance by the producing organization.
• Presentations of artistic work with funding available through the National Dance Project or National Theater Project.