The Climate Smart Humanities Organizations Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities supports strategic planning by humanities organizations to adapt to climate change and minimize their own impacts on the climate. Activities are divided into Mitigation and Adaptation, but applicants are encouraged to address both areas in their project.

The NEH anticipates awarding 20-30 grants of up to $300,000 each for a period of up to 24 months. Recipients are required to provide a 1:1 match in non-federal, third party funds, which must be raised by March 31, 2025. Applicants have the option to submit a draft by August 9, 2023; final versions are due by September 14, 2023 through Grants.gov.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

• 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
• State and local governments
• Federally recognized Tribal governments
• Institutions of higher education

The applicant or one of its subunits must work primarily in the humanities and support research, education, preservation, or public programming.

Two or more organizations may also apply as a consortium.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may be spent on:

• Salaries for key personnel and others
• Consultants
• Participant/trainee support costs
• Equipment
• Equipment or facility rental/user fees
• Materials and supplies
• Travel
• Publication costs
• Automated Data Processing (ADP)/Computer services

Grant Activities

Mitigation

Funded mitigation activities may include:

• Comprehensive energy audits
• Calculating the organization’s carbon footprint
• Testing HVAC, natural gas, water, and other systems to improve efficiency
• Installing equipment to measure consumption

Adaptation

Funded adaptation activities may include:

• Examining location specific risks such as sea level rise or wildfire
• Assessing building and grounds’ ability to withstand current and future climate events
• Data collection on weather, temperature, etc. to model future conditions
• Evaluating the impact of climate change on programs, i.e. location, time of year, etc.

Review Criteria

All applications will be reviewed based on:

• Humanities significance and impact
• Institutional commitment
• Quality of the plan
• Work plan and budget
• Quality of the project team
• Plan assessment, dissemination, and next steps