The NEA Big Read is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest which supports community shared reading programs. Their goals are to build connections through meaningful conversations and a celebration of local creativty in the United States and its territories.
Awards of $5,000 – $20,000 are available with a required 1:1 match. Intent to Apply forms are due by January 23, 2025 and full applications are due by January 30, 2025.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Divisions of U.S. state, local, and tribal government
Tax exempt public libraries
School districts
Arts and culture organizations
Museums
Institutions of higher education
Allowable Expenses
Grant funds may be used for:
Project staff salaries
Purchasing books
Supplies
Promotions
Speaker and artist fees
Venue rentals
Theme
The theme for the 2025-26 Big Read is OUR NATURE: How Our Physical Environment Can Lead Us to Seek Hope, Courage, and Connection. Applicants will choose one of the 22 books in the NEA Big Read Library and facilitate discussions, writing workshops, and creative activies that explore the theme and celebrate how it relates to their community.
Grants of $5,000 – $75,000 are available for 1-3 year periods. There is no matching requirement for requests up to $25,000. Larger requests must provide a 1:1 match of non-federal funds. Applications are due by November 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations
Local government entities
State government entities
Tribal government entities
Applicants must also be:
Located in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, or Palau
Either a museum or a nonprofit organization that operates a museum
The GRAMMY Museum Grants Program supports research projects and the archiving and preservation of the music and recorded sound heritage of North America.
Letters of Inquiry are due by August 23, 2024. If invited to submit, full applications will be due November 1st. Grants for Scientific Research or Preservation Implementation are available for up to $20,000. Grants for Assistance, Assessment, and/or Consultation are available for up to $5,000.
Eligibility
This grant is open to individuals and organizations in the United States and Canada. 501(c)6 organizations are excluded.
Grant Types
Scientific Research Projects
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Research projects should focus on the impact of music on human condition. Examples include:
The effects on cognition, healing, and mood
The well being of musicians
The creative process
Priority consideration will be given to proposals with innovative questions, based on strong methodology.
Preservation Projects
Assistance, Assessment, and/or Consultation
Assistance grants are for the planning phase of a preservation or archiving project by a small to mid-sized organization. This may involve the expertise of the applicant organization as well as consultation from outside experts. Planning activities may include:
Identifying and prioritizing materials
Inventorying and cataloging
Obtaining permission from owners
Identifying long-term storage
Preservation Implementation
Projects that have completed the planning phase may apply for an implementation grant to carry out their plan. Large organizations with an annual budget of $1 million or more and/or organizations such as a library or museum with archiving, preservation, cataloguing and other related experts must apply for this grant category. Any required planning activities should be incorporated into the project plan and budget.
Funding Limitations
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Newbery Award winning author and illustrator Lois Lenski established The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation in 1967 to assist organizations helping kids develop literacy skills and a love of reading.
The Bookmobile Grant Program awards funds of $500 – $3,000 to groups in the United States that operate bookmobile programs for disadvantaged youth. Applications must be submitted each year by September 1st.
Eligibility
This grant is available to organizations in the United States, including its territories and commonwealths, such as:
Schools
Public libraries
Other 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Allowable Expenses
All grant funds are to be spent on fiction or nonfiction books suitable for children in preschool through 8th grade.
All applications must be submitted as a hard copy with one photo of the exterior and one of the interior of the bookmobile. Electronic submissions will not be accepted.
NEH expects to awards approximately 6 grants of up to $150,000 each. Applications are due by September 25, 2024. Optional rough drafts are due by July 15, 2024.
Eligibility
Organization
This grant is open to:
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Accredited public or nonprofit institutions of higher education
State and local governments
Federally recognized Native American Tribal governments
Project Director
The Project Director must be a scholar with a PhD or equivalent in a humanities field or related social science subfield
Projects may focus on questions in ancient studies, archaeology, art history, classical studies, epigraphy, regional studies, and related disciplines.
Ethnography
Ethnographic methods may include:
Participant observation
Interviews
Long-term site visits
Oral history
Projects may focus on questions in anthropology, ethnolinguistics, ethnomusicology, performance studies, folklore studies, sociology, and related disciplines.
Labor, specialists, translators, and other local vendors
Salary or salary replacement costs for the project director and compensation for collaborating scholars
Funds may not be used for manuscript and publishing costs. Data analysis and processing is allowed, but should not exceed 50% of the budget. Up to $5,000 per 12 month period may be used for conservation and preservation activities.
Areas of Interest
NEH has a particular interest in projects that fall within these programs.
American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future
NEH has partnered with the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative to increase public understanding of the Federal Indian boarding school system through which thousands of Indigenous children were separated from their families and often abused.
The National Endowment for the HumanitiesPublic Humanities Projects funds programs that bring the humanities to the general public. Although they must engage with humanities scholarship, they are intended to reach a broad audience outside the classroom setting. Project topics can focus on international, national, regional, or local issues, but the project must take place in the United States. Local issues should also make connections to wider historical events or themes.
Applications are due by August 14, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET or January 8, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. Applicants have the option of submitting a draft for review by July 5 or December 5, 2024. No cost match is required unless matching funds are requested.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Accredited institutions of higher education
State or local government entities
Federally recognized Tribes.
Organizations may submit more than one application, but they must be for distinctly separate projects.
Grant Types
Planning
Planning grants are available for up to $60,000. These funds are for projects in the beginning stages that require more development. This might include research, preliminary designs, or meetings with scholars, experts, and stakeholders. Planning grants may have a performance period of up to 24 months.
Implementation
Implementation grants range from $50,000 to $400,000, depending on the program category, with performance periods of 12-48 months. The funds are for projects in the final stages of preparation before their public debut. Grant activities may include final research, design, and installation.
The applicant organization is not required to complete a Planning grant before applying for an Implementation grant.
Program Categories
Exhibitions
Three types of exhibitions are supported in this category.
Permanent exhibits that will be on display in one location for at least three years. The maximum award is $400,000. An additional $50,000 in matching funds may also be requested.
Temporary exhibits that will be on display in one location for at least two months. The maximum award is $100,000.
Traveling exhibits that will be on display in at least two locations in the United States. The maximum award is $400,000. An additional $50,000 in matching funds may also be requested.
Exhibitions in all three categories must be open to the public admission-free for at least twenty hours a month during the performance period.
Historic Places
Funds in this category are for historic sites, houses, and districts hosting a program for at least three years. Such programs can include exhibits, guided tours, living history presentations, or a combination. The maximum award is $400,000; an additional $50,000 in matching funds may also be requested.
Humanities Discussions
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Humanities Discussions may be in-person, virtual, or hybrid and can include programs such as live performances, lectures, symposia, or reading/discussion programs. The goal of the program should be to engage the audience with the humanities topic and inspire discussion and analysis.
Humanities Discussions are not eligible for Planning grants.
Small
Up to $100,000 is available for Small Humanities Discussions, which are series of at least 15 public events held over a period of three months to two years.
Large
Up to $400,000 is available for Large Humanities Discussions, which are series of at least 50 public events in at least 20 states over a period of three months to two years.
Eligible Expenses
Grant funds may be used for:
Research, including travel expenses
Exhibition design and production
Supplementary materials design and production (brochures, discussion guides, etc.)
Project specific training for docents and other project personnel
Publicity
Evaluation of program impact
Additional Opportunities
Implementation grant applicants are also eligible for the following.
Chair’s Special Award
Projects that explore the humanities in innovative ways and expect to reach a wide, national audience, may apply for a Chair’s Special Award of up to $1 million. This award is rare, however, with only one recipient in a typical year. Winning projects usually feature collaboration between multiple partners and the use of an array of different formats.
Positions in Public Humanities
Funding is also available for a full time Humanities scholar to work on your project and at least three other public programs. This must be a new, full time, entry level position for a recent Masters or PhD graduate. You may request up to $50,000 for a one year position or up to $100,000 for two years.
Interested applicants may submit an inquiry at any time. If Foundation staff believe the proposed project is a good fit for their priorities, they will invite you to submit a full proposal. Do not submit to more than one core area.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
501(c)3 nonprofit organizations in the United States
International organizations with their country’s equivalent designation.
Colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education (Higher Learning)
For-profit organizations or international organizations without a charitable designation at the Foundation’s discretion
Grant Types
Grants may be subject to matching requirements.
Spendable Grants – For a specific project, to be spent in accordance with the timeline and budget in the application
Endowment Grants – Establishes institutional funds with spending limits per the application, grant agreement, and any state laws
General Operating Grants – Supports the grantee’s core operations and overall mission
Core Areas
Arts and Culture
Strategy One – Supporting visionary artists and practitioners and the participatory roles they play across institutions and communities.
Strategy Two – Supporting exceptional organizations and artists that have been historically under-resourced, including the creation, conservation, and preservation of their artwork, histories, collections, and traditions.
Strategy Three – Creating scaffolding for experiments with new economic paradigms and institutional models that center equity and justice and creative problem-solving in arts and culture.
The Foundation works with individual artists, scholars, arts organizations, and conservators to cultivate innovative works of art. They seek to ground the arts in the community as a part of a thriving society and create change by making the arts more equitable.
Higher Learning
Strategy One – Elevating the knowledge that informs more complete and accurate narratives of the human experience and lays the foundation for more just and equitable futures.
Strategy Two – Accelerating the demographic transformation of US academic faculties and institutional leadership to better reflect the population and center humanities expertise.
Strategy Three – Creating equitable broader access to humanities higher learning opportunities.
Colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher education interested in pursuing one or more of these strategies may apply.
Humanities in Place
Strategy One – Keep and Shape Our Places
Strategy Two – Evolve Our Institutions
Strategy Three – Promote Greater Engagement and Understanding
Organizations such as history museums, heritage areas, and the media may apply for funding to promote a more diverse, nuanced view of American life and history. The Foundation is looking for novel approaches that challenge the traditional narrative and tell a more inclusive story about the American experience.
Public Knowledge
Strategy One – Preserving original source materials in all formats, including web-based content, with focus on materials from historically underrepresented cultures and populations.
Strategy Two – Supporting the innovative maintenance and sustainability of technology, tools, and infrastructure for content related to the Foundation’s social justice orientation.
Strategy Three – Creating and strengthening networks for the interdependent sharing of resources, services, and collections.
The Public Knowledge program focuses on the conservation of knowledge through preserving physical and digital records. They seek to increase both access to these resources and the amount of documentation representing marginalized communities. This program is an ideal fit for libraries, archives, and presses.
Development grants are available for up to $75,000 over 6-12 months. Production grants are available for up to $700,000 over 1-3 years. There is no matching requirement. Applications are due through Grants.gov by January 10, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. An optional draft may be submitted by November 29, 2023.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
501(c) nonprofit organizations
Public or nonprofit institutions of higher education
State and local governments
Federally recognized Native American Tribal governments
Requirments
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All projects must:
Be grounded in humanities scholarship
Deepen public understanding of the topic(s)
Present a variety of perspectives
Involve humanities scholars at all stages
Involve media professionals
Be created for national or regional distribution
Grant Categories
Development
Development awards are intended for projects in the early stages and must generate a script or detailed treatment. Funds may be used for:
Meeting with scholars
Preliminary interviews
Production of a work-in-progress or trailer
Creation of partnerships for outreach and public engagement
Scholarly research
Production
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Production awards must generate and distribute a finished media product such as a documentary film, podcast, television show, or radio broadcast. Products may be stand alone films/episodes or a series of programs.
Grant funds may be used for:
Additional script development
Meeting with scholars
Purchasing rights to material
Filming, recording, and editing
Distribution
Development of supplemental materials such as websites and curricula
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program from the Institute of Museum and Library Services supports the training, education, and professional development of current and future library professionals. They offer grants in five categories: Planning, Forum, Implementation, Early Career Research Development, and Applied Research.
Preliminary proposals are due through Grants.gov by September 20, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET. Full proposals are by invitation only and will be due March 20, 2024. Award amounts and performance periods vary by grant category, but the IMLS anticipates having a total of $8.5 million to award to approximately 31 grantees.
Eligibility
This grant is open to the following types of organizations in the United States, including the District of Columbia and all US territories:
Nonprofit organizations
Units of city government
Units of state government
Units of Tribal government
Eligible applicants must also be a library or parent organization (school district, municipality, state agency, or academic institution) responsible for administration of a library.
Goal 1 – Recruit, train, develop, and retain a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals.
Goal 2 – Develop faculty, library, and archives leaders by increasing the institutional capacity of libraries, archives, and graduate programs related to library and information science.
Goal 3 – Enhance the training and professional development of the library and archival workforce to meet the needs of their communities.
Grant Categories
Project Type
Performance Period
Funding
Cost Share
Planning
1-2 years
$50,000 – $150,000
None
Forum
1-2 years
$50,000 – $150,000
None
Implementation
1-3 years
$50,000 – $1 million
Requests of more than $249,999 in IMLS funds require at least 1:1 cost share from non-federal sources.
Planning Projects – These grants are intended for exploratory activities in preparation for future projects. This might include analyzing needs, feasibility studies, creating prototypes, or pilot studies.
Forum Projects – Forum grants fund bringing together subject matter experts and key stakeholders to discuss needs for education and professional development in the library and archives field. Reports of the results should be prepared for wide distribution.
Implementation Projects – Implementation grants support professional development to increase the knowledge of and retain library and archives professionals. New tools for the field may be developed or existing resources may be improved upon.
Early Career Research Development – This grant category is exclusively for research by untenured, tenure-track faculty with a PhD. Researchers must also have teaching responsibilities.
Applied Research – Applied research projects may be undertaken by anyone in the library and archives field. Research should focus on key questions within the field or building on the work of others.
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.
