State Humanities Councils
- Many state humanities councils award “mini-grants” or “resource grants” to support free admission public humanities programs of short duration. In most states, programs must involve a humanities scholar in order to qualify for a grant.
- Short-term grants usually cover only the direct costs of a humanities program, for example, honoraria and travel expenses for lecturers, film or video preparation and presentation, printing and postage for promotional items, and the purchase of books for discussion programs. Short-term grants do not in most cases cover the costs of food or beverages for receptions or other social events.
- Mini-grants and resource grants range from $100 to $1,500 or more, depending upon the state’s guidelines and the purpose of the grant. Matching funds or in-kind contributions are often required for state humanities council grants.
- Application deadlines for short-term grants vary from state to state. In general, state humanities councils ask that mini-grant applications be received from six to ten weeks before a program is to begin. Some states also award one-time grants of a few hundred dollars that can be applied for at any time.
- Contact your state humanities council for short-term grant guidelines and application requirements.
- Humanities council contact information for all states can be obtained:
National Endowment for the Humanities
www.neh.gov/about/state-humanities-councils
Federation of State Humanities Councils
http://www.statehumanities.org/
Past exhibit participants have reported receiving additional funding for programmatic activities from the following:
Nonprofit sources:
- Friends of the Library
- Science/History professional organizations
- University departments
- Local science and engineering groups
- State and local arts councils
- University administration (lecture series funds, events planning and coordination committees, dean of faculty, history department, African American studies department, humanities division, president’s/provost’s/chancellor’s funds)
- Community college cultural advisory board, educational foundation, contracts and grants department
- Local/regional/state family foundations
- County historical societies
- Centers for the Book
- Women’s business organizations
For profit sources:
- Credit unions
- Computer networks and computer stores
- Department stores
- Banks
- Auto dealerships
- Supermarkets
- Hardware stores
- Newspapers
- Utility companies