Louisiana Culture Care Fund
The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, with the support of the State of Louisiana, is offering new Louisiana Culture Care Fund (LCCF) grants to cover general operating expenses for humanities-based organizations.
The LCCF, originally launched in 2020 in an effort to help protect Louisiana’s critical cultural institutions impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to provide the state’s cultural nonprofits with this vital funding.
Application Timeline and Important Dates
Applications are open now and will close on April 19, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.
Interested in learning more about this grant opportunity? Register now for one of the following virtual info sessions. We will cover Louisiana Culture Care Fund Grant guidelines, the application process, and the grant review process, reserving time for applicant questions at the end of the session.
Wednesday, March 22, at 10 a.m.
Thursday, March 30, at 2 p.m.
Amount and Allowable Expenses
A grant of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 will be awarded to successful applicants. Award amounts are dependent on organizational annual operating budget categories as follows:
- less than $100,000: awards of $5,000
- $100,000-$999,999: awards of $10,000
- $1 million or more: awards of $15,000
Allowable costs must clearly support general operating expenses. Programmatic expenses are not eligible under this grant stream. Applicants seeking support for programmatic expenses should apply to the Rebirth Grant opportunity (opening in April).
Eligible operating expenses include (but are not limited to):
- staff retention (salaries, wages, and benefits),
- rent,
- insurance,
- mortgage,
- and utilities.
Cost-sharing is not required for this grant. All expenses must occur within the period of performance. The period of performance begins 45 days from the date the award is made and ends exactly one year after that date. Expenses incurred outside of the period of performance are not eligible.
Resources
View a PDF version of this request for proposals (RFP) here.
View a checklist of completed application components
Reviewer evaluation criteria are available here.
Sample award agreement will be available on the grant opportunity’s webpage for advance review.
Eligibility
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, but applications are welcome regardless of an organization’s size, audience, and location.
Criteria and Supporting Documentation
All Louisiana Culture Care Fund Grant applications will be subject to the same review process based on the following criteria:
- Organization’s record of humanities-based programming
- Alignment with approved use of funds
- Geographic location (organization must be in one of Louisiana’s sixty-four parishes)*
- Organization size*
- Estimated annual audience*
- Town or parish population density*
- Organizations who received a 2023 Emergency Planning Grant will be given priority consideration.
*LEH aims to reach all areas of the state and support organizations of all sizes, with a particular focus on reaching underserved communities.
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 SAM.gov UEI.
- Nonprofits must submit copies of their form 990 and IRS determination letter.
Humanities Focus
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.
Apply now here
If you have questions about 2023 Louisiana Culture Care Fund Grants or would like to set up a virtual meeting, we encourage you to contact Director of Grants Erin Voisin at [email protected].