Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities?
The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) is the Louisiana affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The LEH is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that receives funds from the NEH, the State of Louisiana, and corporate and individual donors. The LEH administers a regrant program that sponsors humanities programming throughout the state of Louisiana, publishes the quarterly magazine Louisiana Cultural Vistas, conducts RELIC programs (adult library reading programs) across the state, and stimulates family literacy through PRIME TIME Family Reading Time®.

What are the humanities?
As defined by the U.S. Congress when creating the NEH, the humanities include the disciplines of history, philosophy, literature, foreign languages (both classical and modern), linguistics, comparative religion, ethics, archaeology, jurisprudence, art history, theory, and criticism, and philosophical approaches to the social sciences.

These fields are differentiated from the quantitative social sciences and the arts (visual, performing, or creative). However, even the social sciences and the arts, at times, interface with the humanities in terms of method or content. For example, cultural anthropology and political theory are considered humanities disciplines. Folklore and certain interdisciplinary fields such as American, Ethnic, and Women's Studies are also considered humanities disciplines.

How do I apply for a grant?
STEP 1: Secure the appropriate form and a copy of the guidelines, which contains comprehensive information on the LEH grants program. Each type of grant has a different application form. Click here to go to the Grants section of the website

STEP 2: Without a preliminary application, there are maximum request limitations on all LEH grants. Preliminary applications are due four weeks prior to the deadline for which an applicant intends to apply. Too many projects are rejected or receive reduced funding because they contain errors or guideline violations which can be avoided. For more information on the LEH’s Preliminary Application Policy, click here.

Who should I contact for more information?
Look at our staff directory on-line for the appropriate person. If you're still not sure, feel free to call our general number and our receptionist will direct your call as needed.

What projects can be funded by LEH grants?
The LEH has several different grant programs, but all grants awarded by the LEH have some things in common:

• A humanities focus – the project must involve one or more humanities disciplines as a major part of the project
• A public component – the project must involve the general, adult, out-of-school public of Louisiana. Some eligible formats include panel discussions, lectures, books, symposia, conferences, reading & discussion series, museum exhibits, documentary films, and interactive electronic media projects.
• A participating humanities scholar – the project must have at least one professional humanities scholar who is substantially involved in the project.
• An independent evaluator – the project must be evaluated by a professional humanities scholar who is not affiliated with the project or the sponsoring organization.

When is the next grant deadline?
Grant deadlines depend on the type of grant.

• Public Humanities grants are due on the 1st of May and the 1st of October annually.
• Documentary Film & Radio grants are due one week before Public Humanities grants, April 25 annually.
• Outreach Grants are due on the 1st of March, June, September and December.
• Louisiana Publishing Initiative grants are due on February 15th annually.
• Teacher Institute for Advanced Study grants are due on the 1st of October each year.

All LEH deadlines are subject to the following rules: Grants must be received in the LEH offices by 5 pm on the date specified. If the deadline date falls on a holiday or weekend, applications must be received in the LEH offices in New Orleans by 5 pm on the Monday following the deadline.

Where can I download the LEH logo?
In the Downloads section. Click here.