Grants: Small and Major Overview

Small Grants

Small Grants: up to $1,500. The Humanities Council awards small grants up to two times a year. These grants may be used for small projects or for planning a larger project. Planning grants may be used to support preliminary work in designing a major humanities project that warrants detailed planning because of its length, scope, or cost. Grant funds may be used to pay for the services of hiring a humanities consultant and other costs involved in the preparation of a project plan.

Major Grants

Major Grants: up to $1,501 to $5,000. The Humanities Council considers major grant proposals up to two times a year. Projects funded by a major grant must meet all of the requirements listed below.

DCCHP Grants

DC Community Heritage Project Grants: up to $2000. DCCHP is a partnership between the Humanities Council and the DC Historic Preservation Office. It is designed to provide funding and support to community leaders interested in preserving the history, architecture, and collective memory of their neighborhoods. The DCCHP is local history at a grassroots level, placing control of the narrative in the hands of those who create it. Click here to read more about the DC Community Heritage Project on our blog.

Before you apply for one of our Small, Major, or DCCHP grants check the following to see if you qualify for a grant from the Humanities Council:

Is your organization or your sponsoring organization a 501 c 3?

The Humanities Council awards grants only to non-profit organizations, not to individuals or to for-profit organizations. Individuals or organizations without 501 c 3 status who would like to apply for funding for their programs will need a non-profit sponsoring organization for their application. The sponsoring organization will be responsible for receiving and disbursing funds, should your application be successful.

Is your project humanities based?

The Humanities Council's mission is to bring humanities programming to the citizens of Washington, D.C The core of a successful applicant's program will be rooted in the Humanities. Please check the NEH's Overview Page to see if your project falls under the wide array of disciplines covered by the Humanities.

Is your project a benefit to the people of the District of Columbia?

As the Humanities Council for the District of Columbia our goal is to bring quality humanities programming to the citizens of the District. Does your project have a strong DC focus?

Are all previous Humanities Council grants held by you or your sponsoring organization closed satisfactorily?

If you or your sponsoring organization have received funds from the Humanities Council in the past you will need to be sure that your previous grants are closed satisfactorily.

A successfully closed grant means:

- you have submitted your final report

- it has been fully revised by the Grants Director

- it has been approved

- it has been closed out and your final check has been released

In order to apply for a subsequent major or small grant, you must have closed out your previous grant satisfactorily by the "close-out deadline" which is thirty days prior to the deadline for preliminary major grant applications. If your final report requires revising, we recommend submitting your report before the "close-out deadline" because if revisions are still necessary at that point, you will not be eligible to apply.

Will your program fall within the term of the grant cycle?

Decisions on grant funding are made at the board meeting following the application deadlines. The term of the grants begins on the first of the month following the board meeting, as follow:

The Cycle I grant term begins May 1st and ends April 30th of the following year. (Begins March 1st and ends February 29th beginning with the 2011 Cycle I)
Cycle II grant term begins November 1st and ends October 31st of the following year.

We cannot fund programs that occur prior to the start of the grant term.

If your organization and project meet the above qualifications, please continue to the Forms and Logos page for instructions on how to apply.

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