As part of the Project Grant Application Process applicants are required to submit a Letter of Intent online four weeks prior to the application deadline. Applications must be submitted online by the application deadline dates to be considered for funding. Deadlines for 2010 are as follows:

Step 1:  Letter of Intent
All applicants for Humanities Washington Project Grants are required to submit a Letter of Intent at least four weeks prior to the application deadline. The Letter of Intent should provide the following information:

• name of applicant organization
• name, address, and telephone number of contact person. (person who should be contacted with any questions regarding the project and the grant proposal)
• grant round at which final proposal will be submitted (spring or fall)
• project title
• project format
• project dates
• estimated Humanities Washington grant request
• estimated total project cost
• a brief description of the project, its humanities content, and which part of the project the Humanities Washington grant will support

Humanities Washington staff will review the proposed project for eligibility under Humanities Washington grant guidelines and contact you to discuss the project. If your project fits within the guidelines, you will be invited to submit a full application.

To access the online Letter of Intent tool, please click on the following link: https://www.grantinterface.com/humanities/Common/LogOn.aspx.

Step 2:  Submit a Full Application
Once Humanities Washington has invited you to submit a full application, please visit the Project Grant Application Tips for directions on completing your application. When working on your application, keep in mind that applying for a Humanities Washington grant is a competitive process and we generally receive more than 60 applications per grant round. All applications are evaluated by a review committee. Your project narrative is your opportunity to explain why you are committed to this project, why your project is distinct, what benefit it will provide to your community and why it deserves Humanities Washington funding. Whenever possible, balance specificity and thorough explanations of the project with brevity for maximum impact.

Remember that information you have shared via e-mail or telephone with Humanities Washington staff members will not necessarily be conveyed to members of the Grant Review Committee.

Step 3:  Application Review Process
Complete applications that are received on or before the grant deadline are evaluated by a review committee comprised of Humanities Washington board members and community representatives from diverse backgrounds. The committee pays particular attention to the following areas:

• Humanities Content. What are the humanities questions, issues, or ideas this project addresses? How are humanities disciplines or insights central to the project? Will it encourage a critical examination of ideas; provide a bridge between public issues and academic research; illuminate current social, cultural, or political concerns; and/or provide a balance of ideas, participants, and approaches?
• Project Plan. What do you intend to accomplish with the project (goals) and how (in what format, when, where, etc.)? How did you arrive at these goals and are the goals realistic and achievable? Is the plan well organized?
• Community Involvement/Marketing. What is the current core audience and/or prospective audiences for this program. Why is the project important and has the audience expressed a demand for it? How have appropriate community members been involved in project planning? Does the project involve a new or specifically targeted group? If so, is there a plan to ensure this group is reached? How will you publicize in order to draw an audience?
• Applicant Organization. How is this project consistent with the existing mission, goals, and objectives of your organization?
• Staff/Project Personnel. Who is planning and managing this project? Do they have qualifications and experience directly related to the proposed project? Has a humanities advisor (internal or external) been specifically identified and will they be involved in the development of the project plan as well as the implementation and evaluation of the project? In the case of external advisors, have they confirmed their participation in the project?
• Evaluation. How do you plan to evaluate the project? How will the humanities content be judged in relation to the project plan? How will the success of this project be determined (e.g., “This project will be successful if/when…”)?

After individual committee members independently review and evaluate the applications, the committee convenes to discuss the projects and prepare funding recommendations. These recommendations are then reviewed and voted upon by the full Humanities Washington board.

Step 4:  Notification of Awards
Once the Humanities Washington board has voted on the grant committee recommendations, Humanities Washington staff contact grant applicants to communicate grant decisions. The notification dates for 2010 are as follows:

Those organizations that have been awarded funding are contacted by phone or e-mail and then mailed an award packet. Organizations that do not receive funding are contacted by mail. If your project does not receive funding, you may receive feedback on your application by contacting the Humanities Washington office.