Baltimore County Commission on Arts and Sciences
Deadline: September 13, 2018 by 4 p.m.
Award Range: Up to 15% of an organization’s total operating budget.
Match Required: None.
Operating Grants provide general operating support for organizations that offer public arts, science and historic programs, performances, exhibitions and lectures that benefit Baltimore County citizens. Organizations located in Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Harford Counties are eligible to apply for funding for arts activities that will take place in their jurisdictions, thereby serving Baltimore County residents.
Deadline: Annually in March. Exact 2019 date TBA.
Award Range: Up to 15% of the cost of the proposed arts activities, not to exceed $7,500.
Match Required: None.
Arts and Sciences Project Grants funded by Baltimore County government will help community-based organizations produce and present arts, science, history and humanities programs and activities in local communities in Baltimore County. Project Grants provide funding support for specific projects, such as performances, exhibits, lectures, classes and workshops. Community-based, not-for-profit organizations in Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Howard and Harford Counties are eligible to apply for funding for arts activities that serve Baltimore County residents.
Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts
Deadline: Annually in March. Exact 2019 date TBA.
Award Range: Up to $10,000.
Match Required: None.
The Creative Baltimore Fund provides support to artists and organizations through two grants. The Mayor’s Individual Artist Award provides project support of $5,000 for programs that promote public access and encourage the breadth of arts and/or cultural programming in the community. General Operating Support provides core support for established arts or cultural organizations that benefit the public and are artistically or culturally vibrant. Organizations can receive up to $10,000 for general operating support.
Baltimore National Heritage Area
Deadline: May 9, 2018.
Award Range: Up to $15,000 for non-capital programmatic support. Up to $10,000 for general operating support.
Match Required: 1:1 (cash only).
Heritage Investment Grants supports non-capital cultural heritage tourism projects and organizations within the boundaries of the Baltimore National Heritage Area. Eligible activities include planning, interpretation, programming and operating expenses that align with the 2013 Baltimore National Heritage Area Comprehensive Management Plan.
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Activating Community Opportunities Using Museums/Libraries as Assets
Deadline: May 14, 2018.
Award Range: Up to $150,000.
Match Required: 1:1.
This special call for proposals invites projects that will help library, archive, and museum (LAM) fields and their communities learn together how to build upon the unique abilities of LAMs to achieve positive change. Successful projects will exemplify how LAMs can provide trusted spaces for ongoing community dialog and exploration of the intersections between individual narratives. In addition, successful projects will demonstrate the viability of using and adapting existing approaches gleaned from the collective impact, social well-being, and community development arenas.
Deadline: Annually in September (pre-proposal); Annually in February (full proposal, invitation only). Exact 2018 and 2019 dates TBA.
Award Range: Planning Grants: up to $50,000 (up to one year). National Forum Grants: up to $100,000 (up to one year). Research Grants: up to $500,000 (up to three years). Project Grants: $50,000–$1,000,000 (up to three years).
Match Required: None for requests up to $250,000; 1:1 match (non-federal sources) for requests above $250,000.
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21) supports professional development, graduate education, and continuing education to help libraries and archives develop a diverse workforce of librarians to better meet the changing learning and information needs of the American public. Projects must designate one of the following project categories: (1) Community Anchors; (2) National Digital Platform; or (3) Curating Collections.
Deadline: Annually in December. Exact 2018 date TBA.
Award Range: $5,000-$500,000 (up to 3 years).
Match Required: None (for requests up to $25,000) ; 1:1 (for requests over $25,000).
Museums for America supports projects that strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its public. Project categories include: (1) Learning Experiences: projects that position museums as teaching and inquiry-focused institutions within today’s formal and informal learning ecosystem; (2) Community Anchors: projects that strengthen museums’ capacities for civic engagement; and (3) Collections Stewardship: projects that help the museum field address state-of-the-art collections care and collections-information management, curation, preventive conservation, conservation treatments, database creation and enhancement, digitization, and the use of digital tools to facilitate discovery and deepen engagement with museum collections.
Museums Empowered: Professional Development and Capacity Building Opportunities for Museums
Deadline: Annually in March. Exact 2019 date TBA.
Award Range: $5,000-$250,000 (up to three years).
Match Required: None for requests up to $25,000; 1:1 match for requests above $25,000.
To support and empower museums of all sizes and disciplines in responding to the evolving needs of the museum profession and changes in their communities, this MFA special initiative has four areas of focus for professional development and capacity building: (1) Digital Technology: training and professional development learning opportunities for museum staff to fully explore, understand and optimize the use of digital technology in museums; (2) Diversity and Inclusion: staff professional development and museum capacity building projects that explore proactive and inclusive ways to invite, connect, engage and strengthen ties with diverse communities; (3) Evaluation: training and professional development opportunities in audience research and evaluation for museum staff to help a museum expand its evaluation capacity; and (4) Organizational Management: training and professional development opportunities for museum staff to learn best practices in organizational management, strategic thinking, embracing innovation and managing change in order to foster continued growth, relevancy and vitality.
Potential projects will address one of these four priority areas and help strengthen the capability of an individual museum to better serve its public.
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
Deadline: Annually in September (pre-proposal); Annually in January (full proposal, invitation only). Exact 2018 and 2019 dates TBA.
Award Range: Sparks Grants: up to $25,000 (up to one year). Planning Grants: up to $50,000 (up to one year). National Forum Grants: up to $100,000 (up to one year). Project and Research Grants: up to $2,000,000 (up to three years).
Match Required: None for requests up to $250,000; 1:1 match for higher asks (non-federal sources).
National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG) support projects that address significant challenges and opportunities facing the library and archive fields and that have the potential to advance theory and practice. Successful proposals will generate results such as new tools, research findings, models, services, practices, or alliances that will be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend the benefits of federal investment. Projects must designate one of the following project categories: (1) Community Anchors; (2) National Digital Platform; or (3) Curating Collections.
Deadline: Annually in December. Exact 2018 date TBA.
Award Range: $5,000-$1,000,000 (up to 3 years).
Match Required: 1:1 (non-federal sources).
National Leadership Grants for Museums support projects that address critical needs of the museum field and that have the potential to advance practice in the profession so that museums can improve services for the American public. Project categories include: (1) Learning Experiences: projects that position museums as teaching and inquiry-focused institutions within today’s formal and informal learning ecosystem; (2) Community Anchors: projects that strengthen museums’ capacities for civic engagement; and (3) Collections Stewardship: projects that help the museum field address state-of-the-art collections care and collections-information management, curation, preventive conservation, conservation treatments, database creation and enhancement, digitization, and the use of digital tools to facilitate discovery and deepen engagement with museum collections (includes cross-collaboration with libraries).
Deadline: Annually in October. Exact 2018 date TBA.
Award Range: n/a
Match Required: n/a
The National Medals are designed to recognize outstanding libraries and museums that contribute significantly to the wellbeing of their communities. For 2018, IMLS was particularly interested in museum and library programs that build community cohesion and serve as a catalyst for positive community change, including programs that provide services for veterans and military families, at-risk children and families, the un- and under-employed, and youth confronting barriers to STEM-related employment.
Selected institutions demonstrate extraordinary approaches to serving their constituents; they exceed expected levels of community outreach. These organizations have established themselves as community anchor institutions.
Maryland Historical Trust
Non-Capital Historic Preservation Grants
Deadline: July 9 (Intent to Apply); September 10 (completed applications).
Award Range: Up to $75,000.
Match Required: None.
Non-Capital grants provide support for a wide variety of research, survey, planning, and educational activities involving architectural, archaeological, or cultural resources.
Maryland Humanities
Deadline: March 1 and September 1 (annually).
Award Range: Up to $10,000.
Match Required: 1:1 (cash or in-kind).
Major Grants support programs in many forms, including lectures, new media projects, reading and discussion programs, creative writing and poetry, seminars, interpretive exhibits, local and living histories, spoken word programs, and interpreting oral histories.
Deadline: Annually on March 1, July 1, and September 1.
Award Range: Up to $1,200.
Match Required: 1:1 (cash or in-kind).
The Mini Grants Program invites nonprofit organizations and schools to apply for funding in support of public humanities projects, documentary film, and civic education initiatives.
Maryland State Arts Council
Deadline: Annually in September (new applicants only). Exact 2018 deadline TBA. Annually in December (organizations currently designated on 3-year application cycle). Exact 2018 deadline TBA..
Award Range: $1,000 (minimum request).
Match Required: 3:1 (cash, non-state sources).
Provides general operating and arts programming support. General Operating Grants support nonprofit organizations whose purpose is producing or presenting the arts through public programs or services. Arts Program Grants provide operating support to nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is other than producing or presenting the arts, but who provide ongoing public arts activities through public programs or services. Applicants are reviewed based on artistic merit, organizational effectiveness, and service to the community.
National Endowment for the Arts
Deadline: July 12, 2018 (SF-424 form to Grants.gov); July 24, 2018 (full application).
Award Range: $10,000-$100,000. Average grant award is less than $25,000.
Match Required: 1:1 (non-federal).
ART WORKS: Museums provides support for exhibitions, care of collections, conservation, commissions, public art works, community engagement, education activities, and other museum work.
Deadline: Annually in April. Exact 2019 dates TBA.
Award Range: $10,000-$100,000. Average grant award is less than $25,000.
Match Required: 1:1 (non-federal sources)
The Challenge America category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations — those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Project types include: Guest Artist, Cultural Tourism, and Public Art.
Deadline: August 9, 2018 (SF-424 form to Grants.gov); August 21, 2018 (full application).
Award Range: $25,000, $50,000, $75,000 or $100,000 (up to two years).
Match Required: 1:1 (non-federal).
Our Town is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grants program. Through project-based funding in this area of Our Town, we support projects that build and disseminate knowledge about how to leverage arts, culture, and design as mechanisms for strengthening communities. Ultimately, these projects are intended to introduce creative placemaking knowledge and strategies to national or regional professional networks with work that impacts local communities across a variety of sectors (such as arts and culture, agriculture and food, economic development, education and youth, environment and energy, health, housing, public safety, transportation, and workforce development). Projects should lay the groundwork for systemic changes that sustain the integration of arts, culture, and design into strategies for strengthening communities. We are especially interested in projects where the dissemination of creative placemaking strategies and tools ultimately empowers local residents.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Deadline: May 31, 2018.
Award Range: Up to $12,000 (up to 18 months).
Match Required: None.
Common Heritage grants support both the digitization of cultural heritage materials and the organization of public programming at community events that explore these materials as a window on a community’s history and culture.
Deadline: October 24, 2018.
Award Range: Up to $100,000 (for up to 2 years).
Match Required: None.
The National Endowment for the Humanities offers the Dialogues on the Experience of War program as part of its current initiative, Standing Together: The Humanities and the Experience of War. The program supports the study and discussion of important humanities sources about war, in the belief that these sources can help U.S. military veterans and others think more deeply about the issues raised by war and military service. Although the program is primarily designed to reach military veterans, men and women in active service, military families, and interested members of the public may also participate.
Deadline: June 6, 2018.
Award Range: Discovery Grant: up to $30,000; Prototyping Grant: up to $100,000; Production Grant: up to $400,000.
Match Required: None.
Digital Projects for the Public supports digital projects designed to enhance the public’s interactions with the humanities. This program offers three levels of support: Discovery, Prototyping and Production.
Deadline: May 2, 2018.
Award Range: $50,000 or $100,000, evenly divided over two years.
Match Required: 1:1.
Humanities Access grants help support capacity building for humanities programs that benefit one or more of the following groups: youth, communities of color, and economically disadvantaged populations. These grants establish or augment term endowments (i.e., endowments whose funds are entirely expended over the course of a set time period) to provide funding for existing programs at institutions such as public libraries, local and regional museums, historical societies, community colleges, HBCUs and tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, archival repositories, and other cultural organizations. Humanities Access grants are intended to seed longer-term endowment-building efforts.
Landmarks of American History and Culture: Workshops for School Teachers
Deadline: September 18, 2018.
Award Range: Up to $170,000 for 15 months.
Match Required: None unless the grant is awarded as a federal match.
The Landmarks of American History and Culture program supports a series of one-week workshops for a national audience of K-12 educators that enhance and strengthen humanities teaching at the K-12 level.
Deadline: August 8, 2018.
Award Range: Planning grants ($40,000 to $75,000 for 12 months); Implementation grants (up to $460,000 for 12 to 36 months).
Match Required: None.
Public Humanities Projects grants support projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life for general audiences. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to illuminate significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art, or to address challenging issues in contemporary life. NEH encourages projects that involve members of the public in collaboration with humanities scholars or that invite contributions from the community in the development and delivery of humanities programming. Applications should follow the parameters set for one of the following three formats: (1) Community Conversations: supports one- to three-year-long series of community-wide public discussions in which diverse residents creatively address community challenges, guided by the perspectives of the humanities; (2) Exhibitions: supports permanent exhibitions that will be on view for at least three years, or travelling exhibitions that will be available to public audiences in at least two venues in the United States (including the originating location); and (3) Historic Places: supports the interpretation of historic sites, houses, neighborhoods, and regions, which might include living history presentations, guided tours, exhibitions, and public programs.
Deadline: February 6, 2019.
Award Range: $50,400 (maximum for a 12-month period; $4,200 per full-time month)
Match Required: None.
The Public Scholar Program supports well-researched books in the humanities intended to reach a broad readership. This program aims to encourage scholarship that will be of broad interest and have lasting impact. Such scholarship might present a narrative history, tell the stories of important individuals, analyze significant texts, provide a synthesis of ideas, revive interest in a neglected subject, or examine the latest thinking on a topic.The program is open to both individuals affiliated with scholarly institutions and independent scholars or researchers. Projects may be at any stage of development.
Summer Seminars and Institutes
Deadline: February 14, 2019.
Award Range: Seminars ($50,000-$135,000; up to 12 months). Institutes ($60,000-$225,000; up to 15 months).
Match Required: None.
NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes support professional development programs in the humanities for school teachers and for college and university faculty. These initiatives may be as short as one week or as long as four weeks. NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes: (1) provide models of excellent teaching; (2) provide models of excellent scholarship; (3) broaden and deepen understanding of the humanities; (4) focus on the study and teaching of significant topics, texts, and other sources; (5) contribute to the intellectual vitality of participants; and (6) build communities of inquiry. An NEH Summer Seminar or Institute may be hosted by a college, university, learned society, center for advanced study, library or other repository, cultural or professional organization, or school or school system. These programs are designed for a national audience of participants.
National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Deadline: Annually in December. Exact 2018 date TBA.
Award Range: Up to $250,000 (for three years).
Match Required: Limited to indirect costs.
First funded in 2008, the Archives Leadership Institute seeks to bring to tomorrow’s leaders the insights and understanding necessary for increasing public use and appreciation of archives.
Deadline: Annually in October. Exact 2018 date TBA.
Award Range: $50,000 to $150,000 (up to 3 years).
Match Required: 50% of total direct project costs.
Public Engagement with Historical Records grants support create models and technologies that other institutions can freely adopt. Projects might create and develop programs to engage people in the study and use of historical records for institutional, educational or personal reasons. For example, an applicant can: (1) Enlist volunteer “citizen archivists” in projects to accelerate access to historical records, especially those online. This may include, but is not limited to, efforts to identify, tag, transcribe, annotate, or otherwise enhance digitized historical records; and (2) Develop educational programs for K-16 students or community members that encourage them to engage with historical records already in repositories or that are collected as part of the project.
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Cultural Heritage Action Fund Grants
Deadline: Annually in January. Exact 2019 date TBA.
Award Range: $50,000 – $150,000.
Match Required: None; however, projects that leverage additional investments are strongly preferred.
Grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund are designed to advance ongoing preservation activities for historic places such as sites, museums, and landscapes representing African American cultural heritage. The fund supports Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, and Programming and Interpretation.
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors
Deadline: Annually in March. Exact 2019 date TBA.
Award Range: $2,500-$10,000 for 1 year.
Match Required: 1:1 (cash only).
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors is intended to assist in the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of historic interiors. Eligible activities include: obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, planning, paint analysis, archaeology, or graphic design; hiring a preservation architect to create an interior restoration plan; hiring a consultant to develop a conservation plan for an interior’s textiles; producing a historic furnishings plan; and sponsoring a workshop on the preservation of historic interiors.
Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation
Deadline: Annually in March. Exact 2019 date TBA.
Award Range: $2,500-$10,000 for 1 year.
Match Required: 1:1 (cash only).
Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation is intended to save historic environments in order to foster an appreciation of our nation’s diverse cultural heritage and to preserve and revitalize the livability of the nation’s communities. Eligible activities include: obtaining the services of consultants with expertise in areas such as architecture, planning, economics, archaeology, fundraising, media relations, education or graphic design; obtaining professional advice to strengthen management capabilities; designing, producing and marketing print and video communications materials; sponsoring preservation conferences and workshops; and designing and implementing innovative preservation and education programs.
National Trust Preservation Funds
Deadline: Three annual deadlines-February 1, June 1, and October 1.
Award Range: $2,500-$5,000 for 1 year.
Match Required: 1:1 (cash only).
National Trust Preservation Funds are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for particular projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector. Preservation priorities include building sustainable communities; re-imagining historic sites; promoting diversity and place; and protecting historic places on public lands.