The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is seeking applications for some new grants, and the federal agency is urging American Indian organizations to apply. The deadline for one of them, the Humanities Access Grants, is May 3.

“Humanities Access grants provide funding for existing programs at institutions such as public libraries, local and regional museums, historical societies, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, archival repositories, and other cultural organizations,” according to the guidelines on the NEH website. “Institutions that have never received an NEH grant, and small- to mid-sized institutions are especially encouraged to apply.”

“Any programming you do for preserving language, or anything you do that’s community based for those three categories would be ideal,” said NEH program officer La’Tasha Banks, noting that the goal is to “focus on all people of color and make sure they are aware of the grant opportunities. Because a lot of times if we do not actively pursue people they may not know about it.”

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The NEH wants to reach organizations and leaders who may not know they’re eligible. The focus is on families, youth from birth to age 18, and young adults age 18-30, Banks said. Elder-spotlight programs might also be eligible. Grants are from $50,000 to $100,000 divided evenly over the first two years of the three-year grant, she said. 

There are two grant programs in particular that Banks said could be right up a Native group’s alley. Besides the Humanities Access Grants, the Creating Humanities Communities Grant encourages partnerships, “so two or more organizations can come together, and they would be funded that way,” Banks said. The deadline for this year’s Communities grant has already passed, but Banks noted that it’s never too early to start planning for next year, and encouraged interested people to start talking with potential partners and in preparation for applying for next year’s grant.

Humanities Access Grants can be applied for until May 3. Banks or a colleague will read proposal drafts and give feedback before the deadline, she said. The draft deadline, as it’s called, has officially passed, but if applicants specify that they heard about the grant through ICMN, the NEH will waive that and help guide proposal writers.

Last year’s Humanities Access Grants program received 49 applications and made 34 awards, for a funding ratio of 69 percent, the NEH said. While applications are welcome from all quarters, special attention is being paid this year to underserved areas in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Rhode Island and the U.S. Territories.

Though the current focus is on the Humanities Access Grants because of the looming May 3 deadline, there are other opportunities year round as well, Banks said, such as the
Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities Grants.

“In the organization as a whole we have grants in other areas,” she said. “My goal is to easily distribute the funds. With these new grant guidelines that we’re introducing, we’re reaching out to the grassroots and adopting a top-down approach and making sure everyone receives funding.”

Larger organizations “know how to get the money already,” Banks said. “They’ve figured it out. So we’re just making sure that rural areas know how to receive funding. Not just rural, but anyone who has not received federal funding as much.”

Humanities Access Grants must be for an existing program that has gone through at least one cycle of operation. All information about sample projects, how to structure proposals and budgets, is on the website. And Banks encouraged anyone with questions about how to navigate the website and any other aspect of the grant application, to give her a call from the number listed at the bottom.

“If people do not apply, we cannot give them the money,” Banks said. “In so many places we had just one application. If anyone has any questions, no matter how small they think it may be, please contact us.”