Project Grant Guidelines

What We Fund

The Council funds projects that use the humanities to engage people in analyzing issues, and taking part in the meaningful exchange of ideas and opinions.

The goals of our public humanities grants are:

• To encourage informed public discourse in communities across New York State.
• To help New Yorkers deepen their understanding of the world around them.
• To actively engage New Yorkers with issues and ideas.

All projects supported by the Council must be intended for and open to a general public audience, with priority given to projects serving people for whom such opportunities are rare.

All projects should also involve a strong project team, including members with humanities expertise.

The Council does not fund: scholarly research projects or conferences; stand-alone books, catalogues, films or videos; capital projects; political action or advocacy programs.

Grants We Offer

Planning Grants of up to $1,500 support the preparation of humanities-based public programs, such as convening scholar-advisors, working with community members, and creating interpretive plans.
Click here to browse the form >

Project Grants of up to $3,000 support implementation of humanities-based public programs. You can include some planning costs within your request, however the majority of the request should be implementation costs.
Click here to browse the form >

2012-13 Directors’ Project Grants of up to $10,000 support the implementation of innovative humanities-based public programs that significantly further the Council’s goals of encouraging informed public discourse in communities across New York State and actively engaging New Yorkers with issues and ideas. These grants will be awarded only to projects where dialogue is integral to actively engaging the project’s target audience(s). A very limited number of these larger grants are available.

Special Initiatives are offered each year.
Click here to read about current initiatives>

Reading and Discussion Grants are available to sites that have previously hosted Reading Between the Lines, Together—Book Talk for Kids and Parents or Unidos—Charlas de libros para niños y padres.
Click here for more information >

Deadlines

Planning, Project, and Special Initiative grants are available on a rolling basis:

1. Applications must be submitted at least 3 months before your project starts.
2. Applicants are notified of the Council's decision 2 months after you submit your application (at least 1 month before the start of your project ).
3. All planning activities and/or project event dates must take place after the Council's notification.
4. Project Grants ONLY: If you received a Planning Grant for the same project, you must complete all final reporting for that Planning Grant before applying for a Project Grant for the same project.

Upcoming Directors' Project Grants deadlines cancelled

Due to budget constraints the Council has had to cancel the March 15 and July 15 Directors' Project Grant rounds. To learn more about this decision click here to read a letter from our Council's Executive Director >

Please feel free to contact our grants staff with questions and to discuss the other grant and program opportunities.

2012-13 Directors’ Project Grants deadlines are:

1. Applications are open and accepted starting one month before the deadline.
2. No late applications will be accepted.
3. Applicants are notified of the Council’s decision three months after the deadline.  All project event dates must take place after the notification date.

Who is Eligible for Funding

Funding is available to any tax-exempt organization located in New York State. Individuals are not eligible to receive Council grants.   Eligible organizations, or Sponsoring Organizations, may receive one of each of the grants we offer each calendar year. Please note, all Council grants are matching grants.

Sponsoring Organizations must submit three attachments: the Cultural Data Project Funder Report, IRS Letter of Determination, and at least one sample material as part of any application. ( Read more about required attachments here )

All project event dates and planning activities must take place after the notification deadline. Grantees must complete all final reporting for their Planning Grants before they are eligible to apply for a Project Grant for the same project.

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Glossary of Terms:

(in alpha order)

Actively Engaging
Many public programs offer a passive learning experience through such mediums as lectures, panels, exhibition text, and online content. Programs that actively engage participants provide opportunities for audience members to become participants in a learning experience (see Dialogue).

Authorizing Official
The person (such as the president, vice president, executive director, or chancellor) who is authorized to submit the grant application on behalf of the sponsoring organization, and certify their compliance with the Council's non-discrimination statues.

Cultural Data Project (CDP)
The Cultural Data Project allows organizations to publish organizational, programmatic, and financial information in one place and have it available to a wide range of funders and researchers for evaluation and case-making purposes. The data collected on the New York State Cultural Data Project’s website will be used for national and state-level case-making in support of cultural activities.

Dialogue
The Council values the exchange of ideas and opinions through any format that provides participants with the opportunity to respond to and engage with one another. Such formats could include (but are not limited to) facilitated conversations, moderated online discussion boards, and creative response to more formal presentations.

Fiscal Officer
The primary administer of this project's budget. They must be different from the project director, and either an employee or board member of the sponsoring organization. If the project is awarded, all payments will be mailed to their attention, unless otherwise noted.

General Public Audience
The Council defines a general public audience as a group of non-specialists who can benefit from the program without prior knowledge or information. Participation also must not be limited to only members of a particular group or organization.

Grant Request
Your request to the Council for expenses related to the planning and/or implementation of your public program(s). Council funds cannot be used for expenses incurred or paid out prior to the grant award.

Humanities
What are the Humanities? What does it mean to be human? The question has given rise to the fields known collectively as "the humanities," which look at what humans have created, debated, done and believed throughout the millennia. The skills and subject matters of the humanities--reading, analysis, discussion, critical thinking about: ideas, art, past events, and texts--help us be engaged members of our communities. 
( Read more about the NEH's definition of the humanities here )

Matching Funds/Grants
All Council grants are matching grants. Every dollar of the Grant Request must be equaled or exceeded by expenditures made by your organization in the form of Cash, In-Kind expenditures or a combination of the two. In other words, if you're requesting $1,000 then you must demonstrate at least $1,000 in matching funds.
( Read more about the budget form here )

Project Director
The person supervising the completion of this project. They do not have to be affiliated with the sponsoring organization.

Project Team
The Project Team is the key group of individuals, including members with demonstrable humanities expertise, contributing in either the planning or implementation phase of your project. In your application, be sure to identify the role of each team member as well as his or her relevant experience. The participation of all team members must be confirmed at the time of your application.

Serving People for Whom Such Opportunities Are Rare
The Council is aware that many New Yorkers do not have regular access to public humanities programs for a variety of reasons including geography, income, age, and ethnic background. For this reason, priority is given to programs that specifically target such audiences.

Sponsoring Organization
The New York State tax-exempt organization responsible for the project, and who will be the "Grantee" on all Council paperwork if the project is awarded.

For all grant forms, the sponsoring organization is responsible for preparing and submitting three attachments: the CDP Funder Report, IRS Letter of Determination, and at least one sample material. 
( Read more about required attachments here )

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