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Editor's note: Please double check deadlines and availability.

State Arts/Humanities Councils Covid-19 Cultural Recovery Grants
Funding to arts and humanities organizations facing financial hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic is available. Funding for this program is provided primarily from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Please contact your state arts and humanities related organizations for full details and upcoming deadlines.

Museums for Digital Learning
The Institute of Museum and Library Services recently launched a new online resource center featuring dynamic digital museum content for K-12 educators searchable by subject and grade. Teachers across the country can now find resources that feature engaging activities from a growing number of museums all aligned with national education standards. Originally funded as a pilot project through an FY 2018 National Leadership Grant to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, Museums for Digital Learning (MDL) is a collaboration of IMLS, Newfields, the Field Museum, and History Colorado. The project brings together museums of various disciplines, sizes, and geographic regions to contribute to a shared digital platform offering K-12 educational resource kits developed from museum collections. There are now 23 museums committed to participating and 29 Resource Kits.

Public Humanities Projects Grants
The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Public Humanities Projects grants support projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life for general audiences. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history, or to address challenging issues in contemporary life.  NEH encourages projects that involve members of the public in collaboration with humanities scholars or that invite contributions from the community in the development and delivery of humanities programming. This grant program supports a variety of forms of audience engagement. Application deadline: August 11, 2021. Click here for complete details.

Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants
The purpose of the Challenge Grants program is to strengthen the institutional base of the humanities by enabling infrastructure development and capacity building. Awards aim to help institutions secure long-term support for their core activities and expand efforts to preserve and create access to outstanding humanities materials. The program funds two distinct types of projects, each with its own Notice of Funding Opportunity: Capital Projects supports the design, purchase, construction, restoration, or renovation of facilities for humanities activities. Digital Infrastructure supports the maintenance, modernization, and sustainability of existing digital scholarly projects and platforms. Application deadline is September 28, 2021. Click here for complete details.

American Rescue Plan Grants to Organizations
The National Endowment for the Arts will distribute relief funds through its American Rescue Plan Grants to Organizations program. These one-time grants will be awarded to support jobs in the arts and culture sector, keep the doors open to nonprofit organizations nationwide, and assist the field in its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Grants will be made to eligible organizations to support their own operations. Unlike other Arts Endowment funding programs that offer project-based support, Rescue Plan funds are intended to support day-to-day business expenses/operating costs, and not specific programmatic activities. The program is open to nonprofit arts and culture organizations and local arts agencies, regardless of whether they have received NEA funding in the past. This is a change from previous emergency funding requirements at the NEA and significantly expands access to federal funds for the arts and culture sector. Funding awards are $50,000; $100,000; or $150,000, and cost share/matching funds are not required. First Deadline: August 12. Because the NEA anticipates a large number of applications for this funding opportunity, applications will be submitted in two separate groups. Learn more about deadlines and how to apply here.

Our Town Grants
Our Town is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grants program. These grants support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Successful Our Town projects ultimately lay the groundwork for systems changes that sustain the integration of arts, culture, and design into local strategies for strengthening communities. These projects require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, with one of the partners being a cultural organization. Cost share/matching grants range from $25,000 to $150,000, with a minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount. Submission deadline is August 5. Click here for complete details.

American Rescue Plan Grants to Organizations
The National Endowment for the Arts will distribute relief funds through its American Rescue Plan Grants to Organizations program. These one-time grants will be awarded to support jobs in the arts and culture sector, keep the doors open to nonprofit organizations nationwide, and assist the field in its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Grants will be made to eligible organizations to support their own operations. Unlike other Arts Endowment funding programs that offer project-based support, Rescue Plan funds are intended to support day-to-day business expenses/operating costs, and not specific programmatic activities. The program is open to nonprofit arts and culture organizations and local arts agencies, regardless of whether they have received NEA funding in the past. This is a change from previous emergency funding requirements at the NEA and significantly expands access to federal funds for the arts and culture sector. Funding awards are $50,000; $100,000; or $150,000, and cost share/matching funds are not required. First Deadline: August 12. Because the NEA anticipates a large number of applications for this funding opportunity, applications will be submitted in two separate groups. Click here for complete details.

Exhibition Research & Development Grants
To encourage and enrich international partnerships between art museums and to deepen research and dialogue on historical American artwork, the Terra Foundation will offer three types of Exhibition Research & Development grants for the next two years: Convening Grants for Internationally Collaborative Exhibitions, International Curatorial Travel Grants for Travel to the United States, and US Curatorial Travel Grants for Travel Outside the United States. Proposal deadline for all: September 15, 2021.

Funding Available for Conservation Assessment
The Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program provides small and mid-sized museums with partial funding toward a general conservation assessment. The assessment is a study of all of the institution's collections, buildings, and building systems, as well as its policies and procedures relating to collections care. Participants who complete the program receive an assessment report with prioritized recommendations to improve collections care. CAP is often a first step for small institutions that wish to improve the condition of their collections. Applications are due September 15, 2021. Click here for complete details.

Archival Access Grants
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives supports projects that promote access to America’s historical records to encourage understanding of our democracy, history, and culture. Numerous grant opportunities are available to support preservation, access, digitization, and engagement with historical records. Application deadline: October 6, 2021. Complete details online here.

Quick Grants (CT)
Connecticut Humanities awards up to $4,999, a streamlined application process, and only one month from application to award notification, Quick Grants continue to help organizations create small-scale humanities programs that have big impacts on their communities. Upcoming deadlines are August 6 and October 1, 2021. Click here for complete details.

Mini Grants for Public Humanities Projects in Maine
Maine Humanities Council offers mini grants (up to $1,000) to support a wide variety of public humanities projects, such as exhibits, lecture and film series, reading and discussion programs, symposia, cultural celebrations, etc. Projects must begin no sooner than eight weeks after the deadline. Next application deadline: September 2, 2021. To find out more, click here.

Arts & Humanities Grants: up to $1,000
Arts & Humanities grants, a partnership between the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine Arts Commission, support innovative community projects that have BOTH arts and humanities components. Deadline is October 14, 2021. Click here for complete details.

New Hampshire Community Project Grants 
New Hampshire Humanities Council is awarding two types of Community Project Grants. Mini Grants offer up to $2,000 to support simple, single-event or short-series projects, and are available in as little as six weeks from submission deadline. Major Grants of up to $10,000 enable organizations to design and carry out larger projects that attract diverse audiences, engage minds, and stimulate meaningful community dialogue. Next application deadline: October 15, 2021. Draft proposals are due one month prior to the deadline.

 

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation makes unrestricted grants of up to $60,000 over three years to 501(c)(3) organizations working in New Hampshire and select Maine and Vermont communities. As in past years, the program will offer multiyear unrestricted grants. Applicants will be asked to participate in a two-phase process: first, the submission of a brief concept paper to be followed, if invited, with a full application. The deadline to submit an concept paper is August 4, 2021. Click here for complete details.

Bean Foundation Grants
The Bean Foundation awards grants in the fields of arts and humanities, education, environment, health, human services, and public/society benefit. Grants are only available for nonprofit organizations that serve Manchester and Amherst. The deadline for applications is September 1. Click here for complete details.

Arts Access Grants in Rhode Island
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts’ Arts Access Grants (AAG) program provides program support (maximum of $3,000) to new ventures or occasional arts programs executed by non-profit organizations, or groups fiscally sponsored by a non-profit organization. Eligible programs should contribute to the vitality of our communities, the economy of our state, the arts education of Rhode Islanders, and our quality of life. Application deadline: October 1, 2021. Click here for details.

Rapid Response Grants
Established in 2020, Vermont Humanities’ Rapid Response Grants are quick turn-around small grants for humanities-focused community projects. We award Rapid Response Grants of up to $1,000. Rapid Response Grant applications are reviewed monthly. If you submit your application by the first of the month, you will be notified of the award decision by the 15th of the same month. Click here for details.

Project Grants
Vermont Humanities’ traditional Project Grants support nonprofit organizations offering Vermont audiences an opportunity to engage with the humanities in their communities. This grant funds community projects and curriculum development. Awards range from $1,000 to $5,000. Deadline is October 15. Click here for details.

Partnership Grants
Partnership Grants support Vermont nonprofit organizations’ long-term humanities initiatives. Through this three-year agreement organizations will receive $5,000 each year for a total of $15,000 for on-going humanities programming. The application deadline is September 15. Click here for details. 

Vermont Spark Connecting Community
Spark Connecting Community grants put building and nurturing community front and center. We aim to support grassroots work that builds social capital—the connective tissue of our communities. Social capital can be described as the value developed from working together, connecting across social networks, and sharing common place-based experiences. The more social capital a community has, the stronger and more resilient those communities will be, providing desirable places for us to live, work and play. Higher levels of social capital are correlated with better health outcomes, higher educational achievement and increased civic engagement. Deadline is August 9, 2021.

Vermont Nonprofit Capacity Building Grant
Vermont Nonprofit Capacity Building grants programs will continue to make grants of up to $3,000 on a rolling basis with fast turnaround times. In recognition that COVID-19 is disrupting the program and operating models of many nonprofits, we welcome proposals that seek funding for strategic planning, merger explorations, financial sustainability planning, and other consultant services that relate directly to how you might achieve your mission in this new time.  Although we know that many organizations are feeling the strain of lost revenue associated with the pandemic, this grant program is not designed to supplant lost revenue. Deadline: Rolling deadline. 

Revamping New England's Creative Sector Directory
New England’s creative sector is undergoing massive change right now, and CreativeGround, the regional directory for creative enterprises and artists, is no different. Its website is getting an upgrade and is now in the beta-testing phase, and they're gathering resources to help you through these challenging and transformative times. Click on these links for more information about upgrades to the CreativeGround website, sector resources for COVID-19, and sector resources for Racial and Social Justice work:

  • COVID-19 Resources: NEFA’s assembled list of resources for arts and culture sector to navigate support opportunities in light of the coronavirus pandemic
  • Anti-Racism Resources: NEFA’s assembled list of racial and social justice resources to strengthen anti-racist work, as a member of the arts and culture sector 

New England States Touring (NEST) Grant
New England States Touring (NEST) funds performances, readings, and screenings of work by regional, national, and international artists presented by New England-based nonprofit organizations. NEST 1 provides funds for public presentation and engagement of a New England artist presented by a New England nonprofit organization. Typically, there are three application deadlines each year. They are the first business days of August, December, and March. Please note the changes above for FY22. Grants provide up to 50% of the artist fee and range from $500 to a maximum of $5,000. In the August 2021 grant cycle, applications with artist fees under $1,000 may request the full artist fee. The artist must be listed as NEST-Eligible on the CreativeGround directory. Deadline is August 2, 2021.

Historic New England's Community Preservation Grants
Each year, Historic New England provides Community Preservation Grants of $1,250 apiece to one small to mid-sized heritage organization in each of the six New England states. These grants support projects that raise the visibility of historic preservation and present diverse stories of life in our region. Application deadline: August 9, 2021. Click here for details.

Exhibition Research & Development Grants
To encourage and enrich international partnerships between art museums and to deepen research and dialogue on historical American artwork, the Terra Foundation will offer three types of Exhibition Research & Development grants for the next two years: Convening Grants for Internationally Collaborative Exhibitions, International Curatorial Travel Grants for Travel to the United States, and US Curatorial Travel Grants for Travel Outside the United States. Proposal deadline for all: September 15, 2021.

The Edwin S. Webster Foundation
The Edwin S. Webster Foundation will consider requests for capital programs, special projects or operating income. They support organizations with an emphasis on hospitals, medical research, education, youth agencies, cultural activities, and programs addressing the needs of minorities. Generally, the foundation confines its grants primarily to the New England area. Application deadline: November 1, 2021.