Language Legacies Grants

Language Legacies Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Endangered Language Fund Inc
Amount: Up to US $2,000
Last Updated: January 28, 2026

Summary

The Language Legacies Grants, offered by the Endangered Language Fund, aim to support endangered language documentation and revitalization efforts. Projects that benefit both the native community and the field of linguistics are prioritized. Eligible applicants include language activists and researchers, with a focus on languages at risk of disappearing. Grants typically range around $2,000, and proposals can be submitted in English or Spanish, fostering a broad spectrum of linguistic preservation initiatives.

Overview

About the Fund ELF is a 501(c)3 founded in 1996 with the goal of supporting endangered language preservation and documentation projects. Our main mechanism for supporting work on endangered languages has been funding grants to individuals, tribes, and museums. ELF’s grants have promoted work in over 60 countries and have funded a wide range of projects, from the development indigenous radio programs in South Dakota, to recording of the last living oral historian of the Shor language of western Siberia, to the establishment of orthographies and literacy materials to be used by endangered language teaching programs all over the world. Language Legacies Grants The Endangered Language Fund provides grants for language documentation and revitalization, and for linguistic fieldwork. The work most likely to be funded is that which serves both the native community and the field of linguistics, although projects which have immediate applicability to one group and more distant applicability to the other will also be considered. The language involved must be in danger of disappearing within a generation or two. Endangerment is a continuum, and the location on the continuum is one factor in our funding decisions. The MKARL Fund Due to a generous contribution from an anonymous donor, combined with matching donations, the Endangered Language Fund is pleased to be able to expand the scope of its invited proposals through the MKARL Fund (in honor of Michael Krauss) to include work on archival initiatives and efforts. In particular, we encourage proposals that focus on the creation of archives, depositing material to archives, accessing archives, and the hosting of and/or attendance at workshops, seminars, or institutes that offer training and support on archiving activities and initiatives. Funding Grants are for one year and average around $2,000 (US). Due to a generous contribution from an anonymous donor, combined with matching donations, the Endangered Language Fund is pleased to be able to expand the scope of its invited proposals through the MKARL Fund (in honor of Michael Krauss) to include work on archival initiatives and efforts. In particular, we encourage proposals that focus on the creation of archives, depositing material to archives, accessing archives, and the hosting of and/or attendance at workshops, seminars, or institutes that offer training and support on archiving activities and initiatives. The International Phonetic Association is interested in co-funding awards for projects that include a phonetic component, especially systematic phonetic documentation of the kind leading to Illustrations of the IPA.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Language activists and researchers from any country are eligible to apply.An academic degree is not required, but the application must provide evidence that the applicant can achieve the stated goals.Eligible expenses include consultant fees, equipment, travel, etc.If the applicant is not from the community whose language is the topic of the proposal, a letter from the community or a speaker expressing support for the project is required.If materials are to be archived at an existing institution, a letter of archival support is required. We can accept proposals in English or in Spanish.A researcher can be the primary researcher on only one proposal per year.. Before receiving any funds, university-based applicants must show that they have met the requirements of their university's human subjects committee (IRB). Tribal or other applicants must provide equivalent assurance that proper protocols are being used.

Ineligibility

Overhead is not allowed. Please note that many languages in the northwestern United States of America are NOT eligible for the Language Legacies program. These languages are covered instead by our Native Voices Endowment (NVE) program.Click for the full list of tribes that are covered by NVE and thus ineligible for the Language Legacies program.