Grants

Rebirth Grants

LEH Rebirth Grants support programmatic initiatives focused on the humanities. Eligible projects include public humanities programs that involve audience participation and discussion; documentary photography, podcast, and radio projects; humanities-based festivals and exhibition development; digital humanities projects including websites and online documentation of Louisiana history and culture; speaker series; assistance with publication projects; and humanities-based educational initiatives. Eligible projects must include the participation of humanities scholar(s).

Application Timeline and Important Dates

Applications for 2026 Rebirth Grants are now closed.

 

Award Amounts

Grant awards range from $1,000 to $5,000. All Rebirth Grant applicants must demonstrate 1:1 matching cost share in cash or in kind. 

 The LEH will sometimes award partial amounts, i.e., less than the amount requested in the application. In these instances, the LEH will confirm with the applicant that the project is still viable with the reduced amount. 

 

Resources

Eligibility

Humanities-based organizations operating within the sixty-four parishes of Louisiana are eligible to apply. Organizations must be nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status; public-facing organizations operating within accredited institutions of higher learning; state and local government agencies; or state or federally recognized Native American tribal governments in Louisiana. LEH aims to reach all areas of the state and support organizations of all sizes and communities of benefit. 

Criteria and Supporting Documentation

All LEH Rebirth Grants are subject to the same review process, which begins with the staff evaluating proposals prior to submitting them to the Grant Review Committee, which is comprised of LEH board members and Louisiana scholars. The committee will assess the following:

  • Strength of humanities content;
  • Scholarship attached to project;
  • Outreach strategies;
  • Partnerships with other humanities organizations;
  • Overlap with LEH areas of focus, geographic parity and special audiences;
  • Realistic timeline and budget, including cash or in-kind cost share.
  • Letters of commitment and support from project scholars and partners are highly encouraged.

The following documentation is required from all successful applicants:

  • All applicants must submit their federal tax identification/EIN number.
  • All applicants must submit their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). For further information on this component, please visit gov UEI.
  • Nonprofits must submit copies of their form 990.
  • Nonprofits must submit copies of their IRS determination letter.

Rebirth Fundable Formats

Discussion

This category includes projects that enable humanities scholars to meet directly, whether in-person or virtually, with a public audience. Discussion projects may take the form of symposia, community forums, debates, conferences, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, lectures, or panel discussions.

Podcasts/Radio Documentaries

This category provides funds for the production of audio programs. All documentary projects must use one or more humanities disciplines to examine a topic(s) of Louisiana history and/or culture.

Digital Media

Accessible to the public through the internet, this format consists of interpretive virtual exhibits of local history and culture, folklore/folkways, and museum exhibits. The site developed may also be interactive and include teacher guidelines and curriculum materials.

Exhibition Development

Exhibitions using artifacts, documents, works of art, and/or other cultural objects to interpret ideas and concepts are eligible. Funds may be used to assist in interpreting the permanent collections or temporary exhibitions of museums, or to assemble permanent or traveling exhibitions. In addition, eligible applicants may apply for funds for the interpretation of historic sites.

Publication

Consists of the production of Louisiana humanities publications and photo documentaries; interpretive brochures, guides, and booklets; catalogues; and teacher manuals. Under this format, the LEH also supports the development of interpretive and historically/culturally significant community walking/driving tours.

Festivals / Literary or Film Festivals

This format includes informances; interpretive demonstrations of folkways and/or traditional food, music, crafts, and practices; scholar-led film screenings and discussions; and festival-based author readings and discussions. Festivals / Literary or Film Festivals: This format includes informances; interpretive demonstrations of folkways and/or traditional food, music, crafts, and practices; scholar-led film screenings and discussions; and festival-based author readings and discussions.

Funding Guidelines

Humanities scholars must play a central role in all phases of an LEH-funded project as planners, speakers, resource persons, panelists, and/or evaluators. A scholar is defined as a person with a high level of knowledge and expertise in a humanities discipline. They may have an advanced degree, a record of publication, and work in a related field. PhDs are commonly attached to projects as scholars, but so are culture/tradition bearers and journalists. In short, the applicant will need to display to the review committee that this person has proven expertise in the subject matter being explored/presented in your project.

All LEH projects must focus on topics and themes drawn from the humanities or bring the analytical potential of the humanities to bear on current political, social, or economic concerns and issues.

To avoid advocacy and bias, programs sponsored by the LEH must provide for a balance of viewpoints, especially those projects dealing with controversial contemporary issues. For example, a project addressing the First Amendment’s relation to religion in public schools should provide subject matter for both sides of the issue.

Programs must be designed to address the out-of-school public rather than exclusively the scholarly community. The LEH encourages research and publishing project proposals to include a public component as well. LEH aims to reach all areas of the state and support organizations of all sizes and communities of benefit. Projects may be designed to reach special audiences, such as incarcerated populations, underserved communities, and veterans. If your project falls within this category, make sure to detail how your work will also impact the broader public.

Competitive proposals will include participation from representatives of the community to complement the presence of the humanities scholars.  Community participation can be demonstrated in your application through letters of support from partner organizations or individuals.

All programs must include a plan for evaluating the outcomes of the project, including method and timeframe for evaluation.

LEH Rebirth Grant funds cannot be used to support the following types of projects:
  • Creative and performing arts (theater, dance, music, opera, etc.)
  • Research, writing, and publication of material targeted exclusively or primarily for a scholarly audience
  • Scholarships and fellowships
  • Course work for academic credit, except for teacher institutes
  • Museum or library acquisitions
  • Construction or renovation (capital improvements projects)
  • Institutional staffing or any other form of operational support
  • Social or political action
  • Public information campaigns
  • Archival materials without a public component

 

For more information on Rebirth Grants, contact Grants Manager Wayne Dowdy at dowdy@leh.org, (504) 356-0171 (direct).