Launched in December, 2010 by United States Artists, USA Projects is a dynamic new creative community at www.unitedstatesartists.org that connects people with great artists and helps them to make tax-deductible contributions to projects in the performing, visual, media, and literary arts. United States Artists is a public charity dedicated to investing in America's finest artists and illuminating their value to society. Through the USA Fellows program, it has put $15 million directly in the hands of living artists since 2005. Now, United States Artists has created USA Projects to foster direct connections between artists and the public, catalyze new funding for artists, bring creative projects to life, and build community around the most accomplished artists in America.

USA Projects spotlights new creative efforts by accomplished artists across the country in the visual arts, architecture and design, media, music, dance, literature, theater arts, and crafts and traditional arts. Among funded projects, Philadelphia photographer Zoe Strauss raised over $5,000 for On the Beach, a photo series documenting the people and places affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. Los Angeles furniture designer Tanya Aguiñiga raised more than $8,000 to launch Artists Helping Artisans, a collaboration with artisans in Chiapas, Mexico, whose craft traditions are at risk. New York filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris raised $11,500 to complete his documentary connecting the Black civil rights movement with the gay and lesbian marriage equality movement.

Yes! All visitors are welcome to sign up, create profile pages, and find and follow projects and artists of interest to them. Visitors can also link to their own pages on Facebook and share projects and artist profiles with friends to help spread the word.

All donations to USA Projects are tax-deductible because they simultaneously support artists’ projects and the nonprofit mission and programs of United States Artists. The site is built on a joint fundraising model: 81% of every dollar pledged goes directly to the artist’s project, and 19% supports USA’s programs for artists and the site’s administration.  

Of the 19% that USA retains, approximately:

• 10% supports the administration of USA Projects, including training and support for participating artists
• 4% goes toward credit card processing fees
• 5% is re-invested in United States Artists' programs that support artists

USA Projects grew out of two years of research and development by United States Artists to create a sustainable way to use the Internet to fulfill their mission of investing in America’s finest artists and illuminating the value of artists to society. In May 2010, USA launched an alpha site with limited access under the name “Project Site” to pilot-test the initiative and gain feedback from the community. A newly designed and expanded public beta site for USA Projects debuted in December 2010.

As of June, 2011, over 200 artists have participated in USA Projects.   75% of projects are funded on average, with $140 average donation and well over $1 million raised.  United States Artists continues to add projects by nationally recognized artists to the site each week. A robust matching gift program is a key piece of USA Projects.   On average, 12% of each project's fundraising comes from matching funds, with more than $350,000 committed as of June, 2011.

USA Projects is a creative community focused on outstanding artists in America. It is the only online community where art lovers can learn about and make tax-deductible contributions directly to accomplished artists in all disciplines. It also features a robust major gifts program that encourages and maximizes contributions by offering direct and matching grant challenges from individual, corporation, and foundation donors. All artist projects are vetted and approved by experts. Artist members on the site are nationally recognized for the caliber and impact of their work and have been vetted and recognized by United States Artists and other esteemed organizations across the country.

All artist projects are vetted and approved by experts in each artistic discipline. They include United States Artists program staff, arts presenters, museum directors, curators, writers, academics, and arts program administrators. Experts review projects within their fields of expertise for viability, artistic quality, and appropriateness of the scale of the project. Reviewers serve anonymously and will rotate periodically.

The artists seeking funding on USA Projects are all nationally recognized for the caliber and impact of their work. Featured artists have been screened and are either USA Fellows or recipients of awards from a growing list of distinguished arts organizations across the country. Official partner organizations include: Creative Capital; National Performance Network (NPN); National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC); Penland School of Crafts; Pollack-Krasner Foundation; and California Community Foundation. A complete list of qualifying organizations, along with artist eligibility requirements and a brief application, are posted online.

An initiative of United States Artists, USA Projects has received generous underwriting support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.   Chaired by Susan Berresford, president of the Ford Foundation (1996–2008), the USA Board of Directors includes artists, arts leaders, and philanthropists. USA is led by Executive Director Katharine DeShaw, a national arts leader with three decades of fundraising and executive experience with cultural and health organizations nationwide. Amada Cruz, program director of USA, brings more than twenty years of experience as a museum director, curator, and arts administrator.

USA Projects is designed to stimulate support for creative projects and foster direct and ongoing interaction among artists and supporters. The site showcases original projects from national award-winning artists, each with its own fundraising goal and deadline, at www.unitedstatesartists.org. The public can browse, learn about artists and their past works, and donate to any active project that inspires them. Donors can give as little as $1 or as much as they would like and receive a tax deduction as well as reward perks offered by participating artists. All projects are vetted and approved by experts in each artistic discipline prior to being posted for public contributions. If a project reaches its fundraising goal by the deadline, it is funded. If it does not reach its goal, no pledges are processed, and the artist does not receive any funding.