Mini Project Grants

New Hampshire Humanities awards Mini Grants of up to $2,000 to support public humanities programs across the state. We welcome applications from eligible organizations proposing creative and engaging public humanities programs that will advance New Hampshire’s rich cultural networks and provide opportunities for New Hampshire residents of all ages to learn about the world in which they live.

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Overview

Award Amount: up to $2,000.00 

Budget: applicants must be able to fulfil a 1:1 cost-share.

Award Period: all project expenses must occur within the grant period defined by the applicant in their project proposal. NHH cannot retroactively fund projects.   

Eligible applicants: 

  • Private nonprofit organizations;
  • institutions of higher education;
  • state, local, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments;
  • groups of persons that form an association to carry out a project.

Organizations based outside of NH are eligible to apply, but applicants will need to demonstrate how their project will engage NH residents to recieve funding.

NHH cannot award grants to for-profit  or foreign entities.

Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are due by the second Friday of the month. They are reviewed on the third Friday of the month. We recommend applying at least 6-8 weeks before your proposed program would begin.

NHH does not require applicants to submit a draft application, but we highly encourage you to speak with a member of NHH staff about your project before submitting a proposal.

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

Register for a workshop

NHH will host grant workshops throughout the year to introduce prospective applicants to the CPG application. Click the date to register for a workshop. 

3pm, Aug. 16, 2023

3pm, Nov. 15, 2023
3pm, Feb. 14, 2024

3pm, May 15, 2024

 

Workshop Slides

APPLY FOR A MINI GRANT
Grant Criteria

Successful applications will meet the following criteria:

Proposed Program

The program must qualify as a humanities program. Public humanities programs draw on the insights and methods of the humanities disciplines – for example, history, literature, philosophy, or cultural studies – to explore a topic through an analytical lens. Successful applicants will demonstrate how their program's design will interpret or explore a chosen topic or issue to encourage participants to learn more about the subject.   

 Subject Matter Expert: The project must involve at least one individual with scholarly expertise in the program’s subject matter who will play an active role in the project’s development and execution. A scholar’s expertise may result from an advanced academic degree (MA, ABD, PhD, or J.D.) in a relevant field or come from serving as the keeper of community traditions and knowledge. Examples of scholars include but are not limited to tribal elders or historians, advanced graduate students, or a professor at a university.

Free and open to the public: NHH strongly prefers to fund programs that will be free and open to the public. If your organization intends to charge admission for a grant-supported program, we highly encourage you to speak with a member of NHH to discuss parallel free or low-cost options. For example, a museum could offer one day free admission or request donations in lieu of an admission ticket.  

Proposed Budget

Cost-Share: Organizations must be able to meet a 1:1 cost share requirement. For every dollar NHH awards, the applicant must contribute an equal value of goods or services to the project, either as cash or in-kind contributions, or a combination of both.

Grant Period: All expenses and events must occur with the grant period defined by the applicant in their project proposal. NHH cannot retroactively fund projects.  

Other Requirements

Unique Entity Identifier (SAM): All organizations receiving federal awards must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier through SAM.gov. Register for a SAM UEID at https://sam.gov/content/home. There is no cost to register. For a list of frequently asked questions, click here.  

Restrictions on Funds

NHH grants cannot be used for any of the following purposes:  

  • To fund art or performance-based programs, including musical performances
  • To advocate or lobby for a political ideology policy, cause, or party
  • To advocate for a particular religion
  • To provide social services
  • To offer scholarships or prize money
  • To cover an organization’s general operating expenses
  • To purchase and supply alcohol or food
  • To fundraise
  • To fulfill cost-share requirements with other federal grants. This means that an applicant cannot use other federally funded grants to fufill their CPG cost-share and vice versa. 

 

Unallowable expenses such as those listed above cannot be a part of an organization's cost-share expenses. 

Submit Your Application

Required Materials

  • Completed NHH Project Narrative and Budget forms (see right column)
  • An identified Subject Matter Expert
  • A Subject Matter Expert letter of support 
  • Evidence of an organization’s status as an eligible organization 
  • Federal EIN 
  • Organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) 
  • Resumes or CVs for the Subject Matter Expert, Project Director, and any individual paid with NHH grant funds

 

How to Apply

  1. Review the Mini Project Grant Guidelines and list of required materials.
  2. Contact NHH to discuss your idea.
  3. Complete the narrative and budget, and compile all required application materials.
  4. Contact NHH if you would like any feedback on your application.
  5. Submit your application online.
  6. NHH staff will confirm receipt upon submission.

 

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

Required Application Forms

NHH Project Narrative
NHH Budget Template

Budget Template Guidelines

 

~Submit your application~

Application Review

Mini Grant proposals are evaluated by the NHH Executive Director and Director of Programs. When evaluating a proposal, they consider the following criteria:  

  • the degree to which the proposed project will result in a high-quality humanities program. 
  • the degree to which the proposed program will contribute to NH residents' understanding of a topic, theme, or area of debate. 
  • the degree to which the proposed project aligns with NHH's mission or goals. 
  • the degree to which the applicant identifies their target audience and whether the program appears likely to engage this audience. 
  • the degree to which the applicant is prepared to evaluate their project's impact. 
  • the degree to which the SME is qualified to participate in the project. 
  • the degree to which the SME will make an active and positive contribution to the project. 
  • the degree to which the applicant is prepared to successfully execute their project. 
  • the degree to which the budget affirms the applicant's preparedness to complete the proposed project; the budget details how NHH grant funds will be used and how the applicant will meet their match contribution. 
  • the degree to which the applicant articulates a clear plan for publicizing their program.

 

Proposals are reviewed on the third Friday of every month. Applicants are typically notified of their proposal’s status within six weeks of submission.

Guidelines and Additional Resources

Mini Grant Guidelines
Sample Budget
Sample Project Narrative

 

Frequently Asked Questions
Recent Grant-funded Projects
Additional Resources

ADMINISTER YOUR MINI GRANT
Grant Payment

~Submit a payment request~

Your contract will outline a payment schedule. Please refer to the payment amounts in this schedule when submitting your request. NHH issues payments on the 15th and 30th of each month.

 

 

 

 

Extensions

Organizations are allowed to request up to TWO extensions to their grant period to complete their project. 

To request an extension, email cpg@nhhumanities.org and provide the following information:

  • grant number and project title
  • the reason an extension is needed
  • a work plan outlining how the organization will successfully complete the project within the revised grant period
  • the revised grant period
  • a revised budget (use the Revised tab in your budget template)

 

All requests will be reviewed by the NHH executive director and are subject to their approval. 

Publicity & Grant Acknowledgment

Publicity

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

If you have a photographer or videographer record your event, be sure to obtain the appropriate permissions and secure releases from participants.

Email digital photos (jpeg format at least 300 dpi) to NHH Communications Director, Rebecca Kinhan (rkinhan@nhhumanities.org). Include the name of your organization, date, and location of the event.

Grant Acknowledgment

An acknowledgment of New Hampshire Humanities’ support must be fully visible and/or audible on all materials, projects, or events resulting from a Community Project Grant. 

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. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org.

Submit an Events Listing

 

NHH Logos: 

NHH Logo - Color for Print
NHH Logo - Color for Web
NHH Logo - Greyscale
Event Display Slide

Publicity Tip Sheet

Reporting

As part of your award terms, you agree to administer and report on your grant activities in accordance with NHH requirements.

Report Deadlines

Recipients with grant periods exceeding 6 months will be required to submit an interim report and budget update mid-way through the project.

All grant recipients will submit a final project report and final budget no later than 90 days following the grant period’s conclusion.

Required Materials

Download the Community Project Grant Administration Checklist (right sidebar) for a complete list of the things you will need to successfully administer your grant.

Throughout the grant period, collect and organize the following materials to submit as part of your reporting obligations.

  • Budget changes
  • Documentation of all in-kind and cash contributions
  • Event attendance and audience demographics
  • Audience evaluations
  • Sample publicity
  • Sample project materials
  • Copies of letters sent to NH’s federal congressional delegation notifying them of your award. 

 

Third-Party Contributions

As a recipient of federal funds, you are obligated to maintain accurate financial records. All third-party contributions – cash or in-kind – must be verifiable to count towards the matching funds requirement. 

Any person or organization who contributes a cash or in-kind donation should complete a project donation form, available for download on the right. The recorded value of an in-kind donation must be based on the fair market value—the rate that would otherwise be paid for the donated good or service. 

Any contributions made via an electronic transaction such as PayPal or Venmo must be properly documented. You may provide a receipt or proof of transaction that shows the donor’s name, the amount donated, and is certified by the recipient.

 

To submit a report

  1. Download an NHH Project Report (right column). 
  2. If applicable, complete the Interim Report section.  
  3. Save a copy of the file to your computer.  
  4. Click to submit your report. Enter the requested information and upload your file. Click submit.  
  5. If applicable, submit a payment request.  
  6. Within 90 days after the grant period ends, complete the final report section.  
  7. Assemble all required financial records and reporting documents.  
  8. Click "Submit your report" below. Enter the requested information, upload all required material and submit your report.  
  9. Submit your final payment request. NHH will process payment once the final report has been approved.  

 

~Submit your Report~

Report Forms

Instructions for Administering Your Community Project Grant 

Project Report - Interim and Final

NHH Project Report Form

 

Third Party Contribution Forms

Project Record-Cash Contributions

Project Record - In-Kind Contribution

 

~Submit your Report~

Contact

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