Collaborative Project Grants

Collaborative Project Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Illinois Humanities Council Incorporated
Amount: Up to US $10,000
Last Updated: January 21, 2026

Summary

The IH: Project Grants - Multiplier by Illinois Humanities support nonprofit organizations in Illinois that foster collaboration through humanities projects. These grants, up to $10,000, prioritize initiatives engaging under-served communities and exploring overlooked histories. Successful applicants will work closely with partners and should focus on enhancing civic engagement through public humanities. The program encourages innovative approaches to discussions surrounding community issues, aiming to make the humanities accessible and relevant to all.

Overview

NOTE: Successful LOI applicants are invited to submit a full proposal. Applicants have two to three weeks to complete the full proposal. The timeline for activities seeking funding should not begin until 12 weeks after the initial LOI deadline. Our Mission Illinois Humanities is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that spark conversation, foster reflection, build community, and strengthen civic engagement for everyone in Illinois. Our Vision An Illinois where the humanities are central to making the state more just, creative, and connected. Founded in 1974, we are the state partner for the National Endowment for the Humanities and supported by state, federal, and private funds. We provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration. Our Strategic Plan Our new strategic plan outlines what we are going to do and why. Over the next five years, we will work to make the public humanities central to a just, creative, and connected, Illinois. We are committed to being partner-centered, honoring our complex histories and cultures, making space for difficult (and crucial) conversations, and actively promoting equity. We will champion a statewide humanities ecosystem by creating programs to address timely issues, amplifying statewide public humanities programs and practitioners with support and visibility, connecting organizations with one another and across diverse sectors, and promoting the importance of the humanities for our state’s wellbeing. Grants Together we support vibrant cultural work statewide and increase Illinoisans' access to the transformative power of the public humanities. Collaborative Project Grant Proposal that will be executed through partnership with more than one organization.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Must be a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization or have a fiscal sponsorOrganizations or projects must be Illinois-basedThe project must be rooted in the humanities (see definition above)Current Illinois Humanities grantees are eligible.Applicants can have an open Activate History, Vision, Action, General Operating, Envisioning Justice, or Foreground Rural Initiative grantBuy-in by all partners before submitting a proposal is a must.Partnering OrganizationsThe number of organizations partnering on a project is not limited to 4.All organizations partnering on the project do not have to be a nonprofit. Only the organization submitting the proposal has to be nonprofit and tax exempt.Applicants should submit one grant application per cycle.

Ineligibility

We do not fund: Activities that promote a specific political position or ideology Alcoholic beverages Businesses, for-profits Capital projects (i.e., renovation or purchase of buildings or land) Endowment contributions Foreign travel Lobbying Major equipment purchases (though equipment to assist a specific program is admissible) Out-of-state programs that have no specific relevance or thematic connection people in Illinois (though technically a grant recipient or fiscal agent can be located elsewhere in the U.S.) Programming that falls outside of the humanities Social services (though a social services agency may apply for funding of a humanities project)