Humanities Texas: Mini Grants

Humanities Texas: Mini Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Humanities Texas
Amount: Up to US $2,500
Last Updated: September 24, 2025

Summary

Humanities Texas offers Mini Grants to support public humanities programs, enhancing educational quality in Texas. These grants, available on a rolling basis, fund projects that engage communities through lectures, exhibitions, and workshops. Applicants must be nonprofit organizations or governmental entities and need a DUNS number. The program emphasizes collaboration with humanities scholars to ensure projects are rooted in inquiry and accessible to diverse audiences. This initiative not only fosters lifelong learning but also strengthens the cultural and civic fabric of Texas.

Overview

NOTE: Mini-grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but applications must be received at least six weeks before the grant period start date (grant periods must begin the first day of the month that promotion and/or project activities begin). Humanities Texas Humanities Texas advances education through programs that improve the quality of classroom teaching, support libraries and museums, and create opportunities for lifelong learning. We strengthen Texas communities by conducting and supporting programs that cultivate the knowledge and judgment that representative democracy demands of its citizens. These programs also contribute to Texas’s thriving economy, culture, and civic life. Founded in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Humanities Texas is one of fifty-six state and jurisdictional humanities councils in the U.S. We are a nonprofit, educational organization supported by federal and state appropriations, as well as by foundations, corporations, and individuals. Our volunteer board is a model of leadership, ensuring we execute our mission while providing careful stewardship of our funding resources. The Humanities Texas Grants Program Working in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Humanities Texas provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and institutions for humanities programs that serve public audiences. What are the humanities? The humanities include but are not limited to the study of history, literature, modern and classical languages; linguistics; jurisprudence; philosophy; comparative religion; ethics; and the history, criticism, and theory of the arts. Social sciences that employ qualitative approaches such as cultural anthropology, archaeology, and political science are considered part of the humanities, as are interdisciplinary areas such as women’s studies, American studies, and the study of folklore and folklife. In elementary and secondary education, the humanities are found in social studies and English language-arts courses, as well as in advanced courses in history, literature, foreign languages, art or music history, and related subjects. Projects may also apply humanities perspectives to current political, social, or economic concerns and issues. Mini-grants Mini-grants support costs associated with public humanities programs. These small grants—which are easy to apply for and administer, and are available on a rolling basis throughout the year—are particularly appropriate for funding a speaker and/or the rental of a traveling exhibition, including those provided by Humanities Texas. Before submitting a mini-grant application for a Humanities Texas exhibition rental, please complete our online rental form, found here. In the current crisis, as Texas communities continue to practice physical distancing, we are eager to support projects that use the humanities to connect people, either through the use of digital technologies or by connecting people without access to digital tools. Contact our grants staff to discuss how Humanities Texas can support projects you’re currently working on. Humanities Scholar A humanities scholar is an individual with particular training or experience in one or more of the academic disciplines in the humanities. The typical qualifications are an advanced degree (M.A. or Ph.D.) in a humanities field of study. However, individuals without an advanced degree may qualify as humanities scholars because of their accomplishments and/or methods of research, inquiry, and teaching. The qualifications of a project’s principal Humanities Advisor and participating scholars significantly determine an application’s competitiveness. For example, it is unlikely that Humanities Texas would fund a lecture series on Texas in the twentieth century that does not include any credentialed historians who specialize in twentieth-century Texas. Humanities Texas encourages applicants to involve a broad and diverse group of scholars in their proposed projects. For major grant applications in particular, it is important that organizations include guidance and perspectives from scholars outside the sponsoring organization. For example, a museum or academic institution seeking a Humanities Texas major grant for a year-long lecture series or major exhibit should include outside scholars and advisors. Major grant applications that draw exclusively on in-house humanities expertise are typically not competitive.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Nonprofit organizations and state and local governmental entities are eligible to receive Humanities Texas support.Grantees are required to have a DUNS number. We encourage applicants also to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).What kinds of projects does Humanities Texas fund? Funded projects take many different forms—lectures, panel discussions, and conferences; teacher institutes and workshops; reading and film discussion groups; site interpretations; the development and fabrication of interpretive exhibits; and the production of films, television and radio programming, and interactive media. However, all funded programs have the following characteristics in common.They are firmly grounded in the humanities.Humanities scholars play an active role in their conception, design, and execution.They are conducted in a spirit of open and informed inquiry.They are directed primarily to the general public, both adults and young people, outside of the regular school or college classroom. Programs targeting special audiences such as K-12 teachers, community college faculty, ethnic and community groups, or professional groups are also welcome.

Ineligibility

What projects are not eligible for funding?Projects not grounded in the humanities.Projects proposed by individuals rather than non-profit organizations.Theatrical performances, art exhibitions, or other presentations in the arts or media, unless their primary purpose is to provide a focus for humanistic inquiry.Courses for academic credit.Capital expenditures for significant institutional expenses such as land and buildings.Preservation of objects or archival materials, unless directly related to a public program.Publications and scholarly research, unless directly related to a public program.Projects that advocate a single point of view, ideology, or specific program of social action.Projects aimed primarily at audiences outside of Texas.Scholarships and fellowships.Fundraisers and profit-making projects.