Grant Program Guidelines

Community Humanities Grants - 1st Quarter

Humanities grants are offered to nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations to support projects that explore topics in literature, ethics, and/or culture.  

The goal of an event or experience should be to help the audience understand and discuss things like values, history, and social context. The experience or event must be accompanied by some form of facilitated learning in order to give the audience something to think about in addition to something to learn.  Formats include, but are not limited to, interpretive exhibitions, community conversations, town halls, panel discussion, presentations, book discussions and films.

Project topics may be international, national, regional or local in focus but should be locally relevant drawing connections to broad themes or historical questions. Program formats include, but are not limited to, interpretive exhibitions, community conversations, town halls, panel discussions, presentations, book discussions, short films or full-length films.  Creativity and innovation are encouraged.  The project should not involve advocacy for a particular viewpoint and should be free of bias.  A balance of viewpoints should be present.

Grant funds should only be used for direct costs, i.e., exhibition fees, speaker fees and speaker travel, and resources needed to facilitate learning. Cost share may include: staff or volunteer time devoted to the project, donated use of office space, venue facilities, equipment, supplies, refreshments or other contributions.