Community Project Grants

Community Project Grants

Questions? Contact:

Grants Department
[email protected]

Florida Humanities’ Community Project Grants provide support to eligible nonprofit organizations to develop engaging public humanities programs and resources that promote a deeper understanding of Florida’s diverse cultures, histories, and ideas. We seek proposals that encourage collaboration, dialogue, critical thinking, and foster a sense of shared community.

Projects funded by Community Project Grants should be designed for broad and diverse public audiences. Organizations with proposals utilizing creative methods to engage new and/or underserved audiences are especially encouraged to apply. Programming may be presented in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid format.

Current Grantees

Looking for grantee forms and resources? Click here to access Event Listing Forms, Contract Change Request Forms, instructions on how to fill out the Final Report, and more!

Community Project Grants

Types of Projects We Support:

Community Project Grants support an array of public humanities programs and resources that encourage community engagement in the humanities. The “humanities” can be defined as the study of human culture through various academic disciplines. These disciplines include, but are not limited to: literature, history, philosophy, art history, musicology, anthropology, ethics, film studies, and cultural studies. Humanities projects bridge the gap between these academic disciplines and the public through the delivery of programming that contributes to the cultural enrichment of communities.

Examples of funded projects include: community conversations, interpretive exhibits (permanent or traveling, physical or digital), lecture series, community-wide reads, film and discussion programs, oral history and story collection projects, interpretive tours, and other types of site- or place-based humanities programming. Media projects such as radio and television productions as well as podcasts and other digital formats with humanities focused content may also be considered.

All Community Project Grants MUST

  • Be rooted in the humanities and humanities scholarship
  • Involve humanities scholar(s), community experts, and/or subject area experts in the development and delivery of the proposed project
  • Attract a broad general public audience or target new and/or underserved audiences
  • Be free, or not cost prohibitive for the public to attend

Funding Highlights and Key Dates:

Funding Amount: Up to $10,000
Cost Share: All cost share for the project must be recorded, but at least 1:1 cost share is required.
Contract Period: 1 year

2024 Deadlines (Updated December 2023):

April 3, 2024 at 12 PM EST

Grant Period:
June 1, 2024 –
June 1, 2025

Notification:
Week of May 27, 2024

Public events can start:
July 15, 2024

August 7, 2024 at 12 PM EST

Grant Period:
October 1, 2024 –
October 1, 2025

Notification:
Week of September 23, 2024

Public events can start:
November 15, 2024

December 4, 2024 at 12 PM EST

Grant Period:
February 1, 2025 –
February 1, 2026

Notification:
Week of January 27, 2025

Public events can start:
March 15, 2025

Eligibility:

Applications will be accepted from Florida-based nonprofits and public agencies (including libraries, museums, schools, and tribal governments) and other organizations constituted for nonprofit purposes. Individuals, for-profit organizations and foreign governments/organizations are not eligible to apply.

Special consideration may be given to:

All applicants must:

  • Have a Federal-ID number. All applicant organizations will be processed through GuideStar Charity Check with their Federal-ID to ensure they are in good fiscal standing.
  • Have a verifiable Unique Entity ID (SAM). Click Here for a Quick Start Guide to obtain a SAM.
  • Successfully close out a currently open Community Project Grant before submitting a new proposal

NEW! Eligibility Criteria for Colleges and Universities

Higher education departments (i.e. Department of History), humanities centers, institutes, and programs associated with Florida colleges and universities are eligible to apply for Community Project Grant funding. Colleges and universities may submit up to three applications from their institution per deadline, however, each application must come from a different department.

Although eligible to apply for Community Project Grants, colleges and universities are strongly encouraged to partner with and apply through a local nonprofit organization.

Additional information for college and university applicants can be found in the Grant Guidelines linked below.

Steps to Apply

Read the Guidelines

Before you apply, please review the Grant Guidelines to help you prepare your proposal. This document provides the critical information you will need on what is eligible for funding.

Guidelines for the 2024 calendar year will be posted at the end of January 2024.

Download Guidelines

Preview Application

Before you create an account in our Online Portal, please preview the application to better determine if your program is a fit for funding, and get a sense of what will be required to apply.

Preview Application

Seek Help

Grant proposals and projects can be a considerable challenge, particularly for first-time applicants. First-time applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to Florida Humanities’ staff at [email protected] to discuss project proposals and answer any questions regarding the application process. Please allow up to 3 business days to return your email and contact staff well in advance (no later than 2 weeks) of the posted application deadline.

Grant and Technical Questions:
[email protected]

Apply for Funding

Ready to apply for a grant? Sign in or create an account on our Online Application System to and submit your grant proposal. You must apply using the online application; we do not accept mailed or emailed applications. Remember, all deadline dates have a 12 pm (noon) cut-off time, and late proposals will not be accepted.

Apply for Funding

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Who can apply?

    Funding Eligibility

    Through a competitive process, these grants are awarded to nonprofits organizations, local municipalities, and cultural, civic, and educational entities. Although eligible for grants, colleges and universities are strongly encouraged to partner with and apply through local nonprofit organizations.

    Individuals and for-profit organizations are ineligible for Community Project Grants. Organizations with an open Community Project Grant from a previous cycle are ineligible to apply; all open grants must be closed before submitting a new proposal.

  • What are the humanities?

    Humanities is the process of pursuing an understanding of our shared human experience. Through exploration of the humanities, we learn how to think creatively and critically, to reason, and to ask questions. Humanities include the study of history, literature, culture, languages, law and political science, folklore, gender studies, religious studies, philosophy and sociology, art history, archeology and sociocultural anthropology, and civics.

  • What is public humanities programming?

    Public humanities programming involves actively engaging with the public and fostering constructive dialogues grounded in humanities disciplines (see “What are the humanities?”), typically in conversation or consultation with a humanities advisor.

  • Is my project social services (humanitarian) or public humanities programming?

    This is an important distinction, as Florida Humanities does not fund social service projects. Social service and humanitarian projects (i.e. education, medical care, and housing) aim to promote the welfare of others, typically for the benefit of a community. While similar in name and concept, public humanities programming is grounded in scholarship and analysis about a broader understanding of our shared human experiences.

  • Does Florida Humanities fund visual and performing arts?

    No, Florida Humanities does not directly fund the arts, including the creation of art (murals, paintings, sculptures), theatrical performances, or dance as a standalone program.

    Florida Humanities, however, would be able to support complementary public humanities programming for artistic works, such as panel discussions with humanities scholars following performances or community conversations and lectures around a humanities theme brought forth through an art exhibit.

  • What are the duties/expectations of a project director?

    The Project Director is the point of contact for the grant and should oversee its success, and to bring up any issues that arise. They will receive all communications related to the grant proposal, contract, payments, etc. and will be charged with writing the final report.

  • Who is a humanities scholar or expert?

    A Humanities scholar or expert is an individual with a high level of experience in a humanities discipline and/or is actively engaged in research or programming in that field. Scholars and experts may include:

    • Humanities Scholars: an individual who has an advanced degree in a discipline of the humanities. Having a humanities scholar participate in programming is strongly encouraged. (Example: Professor at a College or University)
    • Subject Area Experts: an individual who does not possess an advanced degree, but has a demonstrated record of working, teaching, and/or publishing in a humanities discipline. Such individuals are likely recognized by others as experts in their field. (Example: Director of a Nonprofit or published historical expert)
    • Community Experts: a community member with special knowledge of cultural traditions or local history, and/or who possess specialized skills or specific information related to the locality or target audience. (Example: Native American tribal elder or local historians)
  • How do I find a humanities scholar?

    Start by thinking about how a scholar could best contribute to your project.  What kind of expertise is needed for that role? Humanities advisors can likely be found right in your community or at universities and colleges. There is no limit to the number of qualified scholars you bring onto your project – in fact, the more the merrier. For inspiration, check out the Florida Humanities’ Florida Talks Speaker Directory. This is a great resource for any organization planning a Florida humanities event or  program.

  • We are collaborating with another nonprofit. How do we apply?

    Florida Humanities strongly encourages collaborations. For your application, one organization must be the Sponsoring Organization, taking responsibility for applying for the grant and managing grant funds. Make sure to identify any partnering organizations in your application, explaining their role in the project and their relationship with the Sponsoring Organization. You should also upload letters of commitment from your partner organizations.

  • What is cost share, and why do we need it?

    Cost share (also known as a “match”) is that portion of the project or program costs that are not paid by the funding agency (which would be Florida Humanities, if you are applying for our grants). Cost share includes all contributions, including cash and in-kind, that can be directly contributed to the project. A minimum 1-to-1 match is required for Community Project Grants.

  • I have a grant from Florida Humanities. When can I apply for another grant?

    If you have an open Community Project Grant, you cannot apply for another Community Project Grant until that grant is closed out (i.e. the Final Report has been submitted and the grant has been closed by Florida Humanities staff, which can take up to 30 days).  If you have an open grant or program other than Community Project Grants, you may apply for a Community Project Grant.

  • How do I apply?

    Head on over to our Online Application Portal and log-in with your organization’s information (create an account only if this is your organization’s first time applying). All applications must be submitted online through this portal.

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