Focus Grant, Spring 2022:
A More Perfect Union

In 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s proclamation. In anticipation of this anniversary, New Hampshire Humanities' (NHH) spring Focus Grant will fund public humanities projects that explore what it means to “build a more perfect union” or be an “informed citizen” in a democracy.

NHH welcomes applications from non-profit organizations proposing creative and engaging public humanities programs that align with the goals of the A More Perfect Union initiative: to support community engagement with the history of our nation’s quest for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society; broaden participation in the documentation and telling of our shared American experience; and deepen the public’s knowledge of and commitment to our nation’s principles of constitutional government and democracy.

We encourage proposals that explore any of the following topics:

the role of journalism in a democracy
the relationship between journalism and the creation of an informed citizenry
civic education and knowledge of our core principles of constitutional government and democracy
questions of racial justice and gender equality
the American landscape; and the experiences of under-represented communities within American history
the United States’ quest to become “a more perfect union” and its place in the world

NHH is accepting on a rolling basis until all funds are dispersed, or June 30. 2022, whichever occurs first.

Overview

Eligibility: private nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; state, local, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments; institutions of the federal government

Grant Amount: up to $2,000; there is no matching-funds requirement for this award.

Application Deadline: Rolling, until all funds are dispersed.

Award Criteria:

Successful proposals will demonstrate how their proposed program aligns with the grant’s stated goals or broad themes.
Programs should be free and open to the public.
All events and activities must take place between May 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022.
Award recipients will be required to submit a final report to NHH no later than November 30, 2022.

For more information regarding the award criteria, please download and read the Focus Grant Guidelines available at the bottom of this page.

Apply for a Focus Grant

Required Materials:

A completed project narrative and budget, submitted via the online application portal.
Evidence of your organization’s nonprofit status.
A Unique Entity ID (SAM). The federal government phased out the DUNS number, effective April 4, 2022. All organizations receiving federal awards must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier through SAM.gov. Register for your SAM UEID at https://sam.gov/content/home. There is no cost to register. For more on the transition, see the UEI Fact Sheet.
An identified subject matter expert. The subject matter expert must play an active role in the project and fulfill the NEH’s definition of a scholar: “An individual who is recognized as an expert in one or more humanities disciplines. A scholar’s expertise may result from an advanced academic degree in the humanities or from serving as the keeper of community traditions and knowledge. Examples of scholars include but are not limited to, a tribal elder, an independent expert on American Literature, and a classics professor at a university.”
A CV and brief (1-page maximum) biography of the subject matter expert that affirms their scholarly expertise.
Resumes or CVs for any individual paid with NHH grant funds.

To submit an application:

Review the Focus Grant Guidelines and FAQs page for more information regarding the grant opportunity.
Contact NHH with questions about your program idea.
Download the Focus Grant narrative and budget.
Complete the project narrative and budget.
Save copies of the application materials to your computer.
Navigate to the Focus Grant online portal via the grant webpage or by clicking here.
Upload all application materials.
Click “Submit.” You will receive a confirmation that your application has been received.

Application Materials

Administer your Focus Grant

Please refer to the sections below for more information on administering your grant.

Submit your payment request here.

Reporting

NHH will isssue the final report template by June 1.

All grant recipients must submit a final report on or before November 30, 2022.

NHH highly encourages grant recipients to submit their final report as soon as possible after they have completed all grant-funded events and obligated all funds, even if this is well before the formal deadline. Submitting late or inaccurate reports may impact your organization’s ability to receive future grants from NHH.

Acknowledgment

An acknowledgment of New Hampshire Humanities’ support must be fully visible and/or audible on all materials, projects, or events resulting from a Focus Grant. This includes but is not limited to film, radio and new media productions, publicity and press materials, project websites, displays, exhibits, public reports, etc.

Include the following acknowledgement on all materials:

“This project was made possible with support from New Hampshire Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Mellon Foundation. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org.”

NHH Logos:

Publicity and Promotion

NHH will promote your grant-funded event(s) via our social media, online calendar, e-news and print publications. Complete the public events listing form for any event you would like us to publicize.

Submit an Event Listing

Contact

If you have any questions about the Focus Grant, please contact NHH program staff by emailing grants@nhhumanities.org or submit an inquiry here.

Additional resources

Acknowledgement

New Hampshire Humanities Spring 2022 Focus Grants are made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Focus Grant, Spring 2022:A More Perfect Union