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Project Grants Guidelines
Project Grants are available to support projects that have as their primary purpose the public presentation of insights gained from the humanities. Project formats include exhibits, symposia and public forums, extra-curricular school programs, lecture and discussion programs, cultural presentations, web sites, and radio documentaries. School programs are not required to be open to the public. Humanities Washington will consider proposals for cultural preservation programs that are not public in nature, but are essential to preserving the diversity of Washington State (for example, tribal language preservation). Project Grants are usually awarded twice a year through a competitive grant process. In recent years, Humanities Washington has awarded Project Grants ranging from $1,500 to $10,000. The Project Grant award amount is typically around $5,000.

Who May Apply

Any public agency or not-for-profit group in the United States is eligible to apply for a grant. Applicants need not be incorporated or have tax-exempt status, but they must be constituted for nonprofit purposes. While the applicant organization need not be located in Washington State, the project must take place in the state or, in the case of radio projects, be made available to state residents. Organizations may receive only one Project Grant in a program year (November 1 - October 31). University departments count as one organization. Unsuccessful grant applications may only be resubmitted the following grant round by invitation. Also, starting in 2008, Humanities Washington will not fund a project more than three years in a five year period.

2008 Project Grant Application Deadlines

	SPRING ROUND	FALL ROUND
Letter of Intent due	February 15	June 13
Full Application due	March 14	July 11
Grants Awarded	June 13	October 10
Funded Work May Begin as of	June 20	October 17

Grant Writing Assistance

Humanities Washington staff is available to consult with applicants on draft proposals by telephone or in person by appointment prior to any application deadline (a minimum of four weeks before the deadline is advised). Humanities Washington staff is the liaison to the Grant Review Committee and can provide general guidance on structuring your proposal and preparing your budget. Humanities Washington staff will contact all applicants who submit an intent-to-apply letter to discuss the proposed project.

Matching Funding Requirement

Applicants must at least match the amount granted by Humanities Washington for a project. Put another way, Humanities Washington funds may pay for no more than 50 percent of the total project cost. The types of funding that may be applied to the applicant's matching requirement include cash (applicant's own and other gifts and/or grants) and third-party in-kind contributions of goods or services used to support the project. Examples of in-kind contributions include volunteer time, donated equipment, and donated printing services. The figures submitted for in-kind cost share must be documented and calculated at fair market prices. Other NEH or humanities council grants may not be applied to the matching requirement.

The following expenses are not allowable to meet the matching requirement:

Food costs such as audience refreshments and receptions (meals as a necessary expense of staff or project consultants on travel status are an allowable expense).
Entertainment or costs related to entertainment.
News coverage (newspaper, TV, or radio) and air time for public service announcements (paid advertising is allowable as cost-share).
Any contributions that cannot be assigned a fair market value for comparable services.
Cost of grant-writing by staff or consultants.

What We Fund

Humanities Washington funds may be requested to cover any allowable expense in a public humanities project. Examples of allowable expenses include salaries and consultant fees, project-related travel and per diem, printing and publicity costs, telephone, equipment and facilities rental, and office supplies. Expenses for which Humanities Washington cannot pay include food, beverages and entertainment for the audience, permanent equipment, overseas travel, lobbying, and expenses incurred before the grant has been awarded.

Websites and Radio Documentaries: Radio and website projects are eligible for Project Grant funding. Humanities Washington will consider grant requests for research and content-development expenses for websites that are designed to present humanities content to the general public in an interactive format. Websites for marketing and promotional or commercial purposes are not eligible for funding. For radio documentaries, Humanities Washington will consider grant proposals for research and script-writing expenses for projects with a strong emphasis on humanities content.

Film and Video Projects: Humanities Washington will consider projects in which the film or video is a component of a larger public humanities program. Examples include film or video aspects of museum exhibitions or historic society interpretations with strong humanities content.

What We Do Not Fund

Multi-year awards. Humanities Washington does not provide multiple year funding. Organizations may apply annually for funding for the same project; however, applications will be considered in competition with other proposals received at the same deadline. Also, starting in 2008, Humanities Washington will not fund a project more than three years in a five year period.
Creative and performing arts. Humanities Washington will consider projects that utilize the creative and performing arts or other interpretive endeavors as a catalyst for discussion. However, the humanities must be clearly central to the activity or portion of the program for which Humanities Washington support is being sought.
Research (except for radio documentaries and web sites as noted above).
Development of humanities resource materials.
Publications.
CD-Roms.
Academic or professional conferences. Humanities Washington will consider grant requests for public programs associated with an academic or professional conference only if the majority of the audience for the public program will be comprised of the general public, not conference attendees.
Fellowships, scholarships, or prizes.
Regular course offerings. Courses which offer academic credit or which provide professional development or skills-based training are not eligible for funding.
"How To" workshops and training programs.
Travel to professional meetings.
Construction, preservation, or renovation projects.
Purchase of equipment.
Management and cataloguing of museum or archival holdings.
Museum, historical society, or library acquisitions.
Programs not open to the public (with the exception of school programs).
Lobbying and fundraising activities.

How to Apply:

Download 2008 Guidelines and Application PDF | Word

For more information, please contact .

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