Louisiana Culture Care Fund will reopen for applications May 21
In an effort to help ensure the survival of Louisiana’s critical cultural institutions and assist in their recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) has relaunched the Louisiana Culture Care Fund, a grant program providing funding to humanities organizations and other cultural entities. With funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), awards will range between $3,000 and $20,000, and applications will open Friday, May 21. Details on eligibility, application requirements, and the application link are available at www.leh.org/grants/apply-now.
About the Louisiana Culture Care Fund
With the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the NEH received $135 million in supplemental funding. Approximately $51.6 million of the NEH funds were then distributed to the state and territorial humanities councils for support of humanities organizations and other cultural organizations in their jurisdictions. These additional funds will allow the NEH and LEH to assist in sustaining the humanities through the American Rescue Plan.
The funds are designated for operational expenses, including but not limited to staff retention (payroll and benefits), rent, insurance, mortgage and utilities. Award amounts will be based on the pre-2020 (pre-COVID-19) annual operating budget of the applicant organization. Applications will not open until Friday, May 21, providing organizations time to review the necessary documentation and prepare their applications. A sample application may be found here.
The granting period will run through July 9, 2021, or until funds are expended. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and organizations will receive notification of award or rejection within 30 days of submission.
Who Can Apply
Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants are available to nonprofit cultural organizations with a strong humanities focus, including but not limited to museums, historic sites, archives, media groups, and festivals. Nonprofit entities with 501(c)(3) status, public-facing organizations operating within accredited institutions of higher learning, state and local government agencies, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments in Louisiana are eligible to apply.
The NEH defines the humanities as including the fields of history; philosophy; literature; foreign languages; linguistics; comparative religion; ethics; archaeology; jurisprudence; art history, theory, and criticism; and philosophical and historical approaches to social sciences. For more information about how the humanities are defined, visit www.neh.gov/about.
The LEH especially encourages applications from minority-serving institutions and organizations as well as from rural and underserved areas of the state, but applications are welcome regardless of an organization’s size, audience, or location.
All Louisiana Culture Care Fund applications will be subject to the same review process based on the following criteria:
- All applicants must submit their federal tax identification/EIN number and DUNS number. Nonprofits must submit copies of their form 990 and IRS determination letter. (Note: 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status organizations, public-facing organizations operating within accredited institutions of higher learning, state and local governmental agencies, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible to receive NEH funds.)
- Estimated annual audience
- Record of strong humanities programming
- Organization size
- Geographic location and population density
- Demonstrated need for and potential impact of American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants for general operating support are one of three upcoming LEH grant programs. Further details about the other two grant programs—Rebirth and Rebirth Festivals grants—will be announced on leh.org in June 2021.
Not Eligible:
- Individuals
- Public libraries
- For-profit organizations
- Organizations focused solely on the arts
- Political or advocacy organizations
- Universities, colleges, individual faculty members, and academic departments
(However, museums, archives, university presses, and public-facing humanities centers affiliated with a college or university may apply for Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants.)
Ineligible organizations are encouraged to apply directly to the NEH through American Rescue Plan: Humanities Organizations, a fund created with a portion of the remaining 60 percent of the American Rescue Plan Act funds made available to the NEH.
Organizations with a strong arts focus are encouraged to contact the Louisiana Division of the Arts for grants provided through the National Endowment for the Arts. Public libraries are encouraged to contact the State Library of Louisiana for more details on IMLS support.
