CLEVELAND — For some, it was an email that arrived in their inbox at 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night.
Earlier this month, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) issued termination notices to at least a dozen different area nonprofits in Northeast Ohio for grants that the institution had previously awarded.
Those notices potentially impact more than $345,000 worth of grant funding to the area. Grants that were issued to help fund concerts, festivals, educational programming and art exhibitions.
News 5 obtained copies of the email, which stated that: "The NEA is updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities."
The following area nonprofits confirmed to News 5 that they received the termination notice from the National Endowment for the Arts:
- The Nightlight Cinema ($15,000)
- Apollo’s Fire Baroque ($40,000)
- Cleveland Classical Guitar Society ($30,000)
- Cleveland Modern Dance Association ($20,000)
- Contemporary Youth Orchestra ($15,000)
- Cuyahoga Community College Foundation ($25,000)*
- Cuyahoga Community College Foundation ($15,000)*
- Chagrin Documentary Film Festival ($15,000)
- National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron ($60,000)*^
- National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron ($30,000)*^
- The Sculpture Center ($40,000)
- Morgan Conservatory ($20,000)
- The Cleveland Orchestra ($20,000)
- Cleveland Play House ($15,000)
* = entity received more than one grant
^ = The National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron confirmed to News 5 that they received a termination notice; however, they had already been fully reimbursed for their grants.
"Without any other notice, it was just terminated," Morgan Crawford, executive director at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, said. "To get a grant is very exciting; We can plan. Unfortunately, we have to go back to the drawing board and really take a hard look at things."
At the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, the rescinded $15,000 grant was used to help connect students with films and filmmakers at the festival. Crawford told News 5 they had already spent most of the grant and were waiting to be reimbursed.
"Now, we’re looking at student programming we may have to cut due to this," Crawford added.
For grants like these, you don’t get a check in the mail that you can spend. Recipients are notified of the awarded amount and then get reimbursed as they spend the money.
Several nonprofits told News 5 they have already received reimbursements for part of their grants, but not the entire amount.
Many nonprofits told News 5 they have formally appealed the NEA's grant termination.
At The Sculpture Center in Cleveland, Executive Director Grace Chin told News 5 they had already been reimbursed for $34,000 of their $40,000 grant, which went toward an art exhibition featuring a Puerto Rican artist. That exhibition launched earlier this month. Chin said they have appealed the NEA's decision with the hope of recouping the remaining $6,000. However, she's thankful that a donor has already stepped up to make the difference.
The termination notice added that the NEA would now prioritize projects in the following areas that:
- Elevate the Nation’s HBCUs and Hispanic-Serving Institutions
- Celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence
- Foster AI competency
- Empower houses of worship to serve communities
- Assist with disaster recovery
- Foster skilled trade jobs
- Make America healthy again
- Support the military and veterans
- Support Tribal communities
- Make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful,
- Support the economic development of Asian American communities
News 5 confirmed that many, but not all, of the National Endowment for the Arts grant recipients in Northeast Ohio received a termination notice.
To see a full list of Ohio entities that were originally awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2024-2025, CLICK HERE.
Last year, the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society received a $30,000 grant for the school year to help fund the free guitar lessons it offers to children in Cleveland, with a focus on youth from local underserved communities.
"Not all kids get equal opportunities," executive director Erik Mann at the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society explained. "We want to make sure all kids have an opportunity to study an instrument and become exceptional in it."
They, too, received the notice and are appealing the decision, trying to recoup the money that was already spent.
"We didn’t fit their priorities anymore in serving inner city youth," Mann added.
Mann told News 5 that, based on conversations with the National Endowment for the Arts, he cautiously believes the nonprofit will be able to file a final payment request for the remaining reimbursement.
It’s not clear when those appeals will be processed and decided. Grants are slated to be fully terminated at the end of this week.
Additionally, nearly every recipient we spoke with expressed concern that they can no longer count on receiving future grants from the NEA. Many had already applied for a grant in 2026.
President Trump’s proposed budget calls for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, which provides hundreds of millions of dollars annually to individuals and institutions nationwide.
Last week, Sen. Bernie Moreno told News 5 that the end goal of these kinds of cuts was to shrink the size of the federal government.
"What's happened is the government has continued to grow, skyrocketed almost 2.5 million federal employees, $2 trillion a year deficits, $37 trillion in debt," he said. "We had to make the government more efficient, more effective, deliver better services for less money. It's something taxpayers have been demanding for decades."
The National Endowment for the Arts did not respond to News 5 for this story.
Clay LePard is a special projects reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on Twitter @ClayLePard, on Facebook Clay LePard News 5 or email him at Clay.LePard@WEWS.com.
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