Grants

Program Mini Grants

The new Program Mini Grants will provide support for small-scale projects with limited scope and costs that offer an access point for organizations seeking to expand into public humanities programming. Programs should engage local audiences with Louisiana scholars to explore the history, foodways, folkways, music, and culture that make Louisiana’s towns, parishes, and state so unique.

Letters of Intent (LOIs) from first-time applicants that are new to hosting public programs are particularly encouraged, as well as organizations reaching rural and underserved populations. All viable programs must include the participation of qualified humanities scholar(s) and programs must be free and open to the public.

 

Application Time and Important Dates

The LEH is accepting LOI’s for program mini-grant proposals now through July 31, 2025. Awards will be made quarterly, in January, April, and August.

Funded project activities should occur within 6 months of award notification.

 

Award Amounts and Allowable Expenses

Applicants may request up to $1,000 demonstrate a 1:1 matching cost share in cash or in kind. Eligible project formats include but are not limited to: lectures (or lecture series) that involve audience participation and discussion; scholar-led film viewing and discussion; author/artist talks and discussion; panel discussions. This grant can support program-related expenses like:

  • Honoraria for scholars, including travel and per diem expenses;
  • Supplies and materials;
  • Technical support for in-person or online events;
  • Publicity

Allowable expenses must occur within the period of performance specified in the grant. Please be aware that payment may take up to 45 days from the date the award is signed.

LOI Applicant Resources:

  • View a PDF version of this request for proposals (RFP) here.
  • Preview the Program Mini Grant LOI here.
  • View a sample budget sheet here.
  • View FAQs here.

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. Organizations reaching underserved populations are particularly encouraged to apply.

Requirements

Applicants will need to include the following required components:

  • Applicants must submit their federal tax identification/EIN number.
  • Applicants must submit their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). For further information on this component, please visit SAM.gov UEI.
  • Nonprofits must submit copies of their IRS determination letter. Public agencies of the state must submit their Form R-1056. All other organizations must submit equivalent documentation confirming their tax status.

Funding Guidelines

The LEH defines a humanities scholar as an individual professionally trained and primarily engaged in the study, research, writing, and/or teaching of humanities disciplines.

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.

 

The term “humanities” includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.

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.  LEH especially encourages applications reaching underserved and/or rural populations of the state, but applications are welcome regardless of an organization’s size, audience, and location. 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.

Restrictions

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)
  • Social or political action
  • Public information campaigns
  • Archival materials without a public component
  • Institutional staffing or any other form of operational support

(Note: Please review the Louisiana Culture Care Fund grant opportunity for operational support)

 

Apply now

 

For more information on Program Mini Grants, contact Grants Manager Chris Robert at [email protected] or (504) 620-2639.