Grants for State governments - Humanities

This funding opportunity supports organizations in facilitating public discussions and reflections on the experiences of war and military service through the humanities, aimed at veterans and their communities.

The Virginia250 grants, offered by Virginia Humanities, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and Virginia Tourism, aim to support localities in developing arts experiences, events, programs, and content in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. This initiative aligns with the broader mission of these organizations to promote cultural understanding, heritage, and tourism within Virginia. The grant program seeks to leverage the historical significance of the 250th commemoration as a backdrop for artistic expression and community engagement across the state. The target beneficiaries of this grant program are diverse, including non-profits established as 501(c)(3) organizations, 501(c)(3) institutions of higher education, other IRS-designated not-for-profit organizations, tribal nations recognized by Virginia and/or the U.S. federal government, and local committees and partners of local VA250 Committees. The program prioritizes inclusive participation, ensuring that tribal nations not recognized by the state or federal government can still apply through an eligible fiscal sponsor. This broad eligibility criteria reflects a strategic priority to engage a wide array of community stakeholders in the commemoration efforts. The primary focus of the grants is to fund projects that offer arts experiences, events, programs, and content directly tied to the 250th commemoration. Applicants can apply for up to $10,000, with a required 1:1 match, indicating an emphasis on shared investment and community partnership. The funding, managed as subawards through the University of Virginia and paid on a reimbursable basis, suggests a commitment to accountability and careful financial stewardship. The project period from August 1, 2024, to August 1, 2025, provides a clear timeline for implementation and impact. The expected outcomes include the successful development and execution of arts-focused commemorative activities across Virginia. Measurable results would likely encompass the number of arts projects funded, the number of localities engaged, the reach of these events (e.g., attendance figures), and the types of artistic content created. The underlying theory of change is that by supporting local arts initiatives tied to a significant historical event, the grants will foster a deeper appreciation for Virginia's heritage, stimulate cultural tourism, and strengthen community bonds through shared experiences. This approach aims to create lasting cultural and economic benefits throughout the state.

This grant provides funding for workshops that help K-12 educators and higher education faculty enhance their teaching of American history and culture through direct engagement with historical sites and resources.

The National Leadership Grants for Museums program, administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, supports projects that address significant and pressing needs within the museum sector, with the goal of advancing professional practice and strengthening museum services. The program funds innovative, impactful projects that can be scaled, adapted, or replicated to benefit museums broadly. The 2025 opportunity emphasizes projects that align with IMLS goals: lifelong learning, community engagement, and collections stewardship and access. Projects are expected to demonstrate collaboration, address challenges faced by the field, and generate models, tools, or research findings with wide applicability. The program supports two types of projects: non-research projects and research projects. Non-research projects focus on practical solutions, tools, or models to address critical needs in the museum sector, while research projects aim to investigate questions relevant to museum practice using rigorous data collection and analysis methods. Non-research projects require a one-to-one cost share, while research projects do not require cost sharing. Applicants must clearly articulate their project’s goals, work plans, and results to demonstrate impact and sustainability. IMLS anticipates awarding approximately $5,800,000 in total funding, with an estimated 15 grants to be awarded. Individual awards range from $50,000 to $750,000, with an average award size of $453,106. The period of performance spans one to three years, beginning no earlier than September 1, 2025. Applicants must submit proposals electronically via Grants.gov by November 15, 2024, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Late submissions will not be considered. Successful applicants will be notified by August 2025. Eligible applicants include museums, institutions of higher education, museum service organizations, tribal organizations, and nonprofit organizations that advance the museum profession. Museums must meet IMLS criteria, including professional staffing, regular public exhibitions, and an educational or cultural mission. Museums operating as discrete units within larger organizations may apply independently if they meet specific eligibility criteria, including budgetary and operational autonomy. Partnerships and collaborations are encouraged to maximize the scope and impact of proposed projects. Applications must include a project narrative addressing three key areas: project justification, work plan, and intended results. The narrative must describe the need or challenge being addressed, identify key activities and milestones, and outline the expected outcomes and plans for broad dissemination. Supporting documents, including budget forms, a performance measurement plan, resumes of key staff, and a data management and sharing plan for research projects, are also required. Applicants must ensure their project aligns with one of the program’s goals: advancing experiential and cross-disciplinary learning, addressing community needs through partnerships, or improving collections care and access. IMLS evaluates applications through a peer review process, considering factors such as the project’s alignment with program goals, clarity and feasibility of the work plan, and potential impact and sustainability. Successful projects will demonstrate the ability to create innovative tools, research findings, or practices that address field-wide challenges and improve museum services. Proposals must include plans for broad dissemination of results to ensure benefits extend beyond the participating institutions. Awardees are required to submit interim and final financial and performance reports and comply with all federal regulations and IMLS award conditions. IMLS provides additional resources, including webinars and technical assistance, to support applicants in developing competitive proposals. Further details about the program, including sample applications and contact information for program staff, are available on the IMLS website.

With this solicitation, BJA seeks to fund state, local, and tribal governments to enhance or implement evidence-based activities or services to improve reentry and reduce recidivism by expanding and/or increasing access to housing for people who are currently or formerly involved in the criminal justice system. Prior to the release of incarceration, individuals will be screened, assessed, and identified for program participation. The program will help jurisdictions assess their reentry systems, identify strengths and gaps, and then build capacity for improved housing options for adults released from prison or jail.

This funding opportunity supports projects that strengthen U.S.-U.K. relations through public diplomacy initiatives, targeting a range of organizations and individuals focused on democracy, global challenges, and cultural exchange.

This grant provides funding to support projects that help communities, especially those disadvantaged, preserve their cultural heritage and resilience in response to climate change and COVID-19 through initiatives like collecting cultural resources and recording oral histories.

This grant provides a $6,000 honorarium to a Kentucky writer selected as poet laureate, supporting their efforts to promote the literary arts in the state over a two-year term.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies for the digitization and preservation of historically significant American newspapers, ensuring free public access to these vital resources.

This program supports projects that develop and implement educational programs for professionals who preserve and provide access to humanities collections. Such materials include but are not limited to paper-based, photographic, archaeological, ethnographic, artistic, audiovisual, digitized, and born-digital collections. Advancing long-term access to these materials for scholars, students, and the public requires skilled professionals from varied backgrounds and communities working in organizations large and small. NEH makes awards in this program to organizations that offer national, regional, or statewide education and training programs across the pedagogical landscape for current or emerging professionals. Projects may be at any stage, from early curriculum development to advanced implementation, and projects may include partnerships with academic or non-academic institutions.

This fellowship provides a prestigious opportunity for aspiring journalists with less than five years of experience to work alongside The Wall Street Journal's editorial team, enhancing their skills and contributing to impactful journalism.

This funding opportunity supports projects that create collaborative digital editions of historical documents, particularly those highlighting underrepresented communities in U.S. history, democracy, and culture.

This funding opportunity supports U.S. and Japanese organizations in creating innovative projects that strengthen U.S.-Japan relations through public engagement in areas like security, democracy, and entrepreneurship.

This funding opportunity supports U.S.-based nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government entities in creating media projects that promote public engagement with humanities topics, particularly those that enhance understanding of American culture and democratic values.

The U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce that funding is available through its Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program. This is an Annual Program Statement, outlining our funding priorities, the strategic themes we focus on, and the procedures for submitting requests for funding. PAS Kuala Lumpur invites proposals for programs that strengthen ties between the U.S. and Malaysia through cultural and exchange programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. All programs must include an American cultural element, or connection with American expert/s, organization/s, or institution/s in a specific field that will promote increased understanding of U.S. policy and perspectives.

This grant provides funding to libraries, archives, and related organizations in the U.S. to improve workforce development, education, and training for library and information science professionals.

The Sid W. Richardson Foundation provides grants to support the missions of non-profit organizations serving the people of Texas, with a focus on educational, health, human service, and cultural programs and projects. Established in 1947 by Sid W. Richardson, the Foundation began distributing major grants in 1962, following the availability of substantial income from assets from Richardson's estate. Despite Richardson's global interests, his primary concern remained with the people of his home state of Texas. The Foundation, through its Board of Directors and staff, continues to fulfill his vision by prioritizing grants that directly benefit clients or target audiences, particularly in smaller communities and rural areas. Grants are not available to individuals but are made primarily to organizations within Texas, especially those in the Fort Worth area for human services and cultural organizations. Grant renewed every year. Annual Fall deadline: September 15th.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks applications for funding. OJP is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety, protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community. With this solicitation, BJA seeks to increase access to treatment through the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program (RSAT) to individuals with substance use or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders during detention or incarceration and to improve continuity of care during and after reentry by delivering community-based treatment and other broad-based aftercare services. This program furthers the DOJs mission to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.

This grant provides funding for DC-based individuals, community groups, and nonprofit organizations to create innovative public programs that showcase existing oral history collections and engage the local community.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations and educational institutions in creating accessible scholarly editions and translations of important humanities texts through collaborative projects.