NEA Names 71 Communities for 2026-27 Big Read Programs Tied to U.S. 250th Anniversary
The National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest announced grants June 11 to 71 nonprofit organizations for 2026-2027 NEA Big Read programs, creating a nationwide literary and public-history initiative linked to the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The awards represent a total NEA investment of $1,089,030. The selected organizations are located in 47 states and Puerto Rico, and 80 percent are receiving an NEA Big Read grant for the first time.
Each organization will receive a matching grant ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 through Arts Midwest. The projects will use selected books, public discussions, writing workshops and other creative activities to examine American culture, history and resilience.
Local organizations will shape the programs
The Big Read grants are designed to give nonprofit organizations a framework for bringing residents together around literature while allowing programming to reflect local communities. Groups will develop their activities with local partners, combining reading and discussion with writing or other forms of creative work.
That approach connects the 2026-2027 cycle to the country’s 250th-anniversary observances without requiring every participating community to follow an identical program. A selected book can serve as the starting point for conversations about history, culture and the experiences that have shaped the United States.
The reach of the awards is one of the program’s defining features. Recipients span nearly every state, along with Puerto Rico, and the large share of first-time grantees expands the number of nonprofit organizations participating in the national network.
The NEA announcement does not set one nationwide start or end date for all 71 projects. Individual organizations will organize their activities with community partners during the 2026-2027 cycle, so local schedules and formats may differ.
A program with a long national record
The new awards build on a program that the NEA says has funded more than 1,800 Big Read programs since 2006. Those programs have drawn more than 6 million attendees and received more than $25 million in NEA support over the program’s history.
The NEA also reports that the initiative has generated more than $57 million in local funding, involved more than 100,000 local volunteers and worked with more than 40,000 community-organization partners.
Those figures show how the Big Read has operated beyond the initial federal grants. Local organizations and their partners have used the program to build events around books and extend them into discussions, workshops and other community activities.
For the 2026-2027 cycle, the federal investment provides support for dozens of projects at a time when communities are preparing to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. The combination of literary programming and local history gives participating groups a way to connect a national milestone with place-based events and conversations.
What happens next
The 71 selected organizations will carry out their projects using the grants and matching support provided through Arts Midwest. Their programming may include book discussions, writing workshops and creative activities developed with local partners.
Organizations interested in a later Big Read cycle are expected to have another opportunity to apply after the NEA publishes future application guidelines. The agency says those guidelines are expected in fall 2026.
Sources
- Announcing the 2026-2027 National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Communities, National Endowment for the Arts
- Grants, National Endowment for the Arts
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