NEH Challenge Grant
Grant: Challenge Grants
Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Division: Office of Challenge Grants
Deadline: May 1, 2013
Description: NEH challenge grants are capacity-building grants, intended to help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements and support for their humanities programs and resources. Grants may be used to establish or enhance endowments or spend-down funds that generate expendable earnings to support ongoing program activities. Grantees may also use funds for one-time capital expenditures (such as construction and renovation, purchase of equipment and acquisitions) that bring long-term benefits to the institution and to the humanities more broadly.
Because these grants require matching funds, these NEH grants also strengthen the humanities by encouraging nonfederal sources of support.
Challenge grant funds must provide long-term benefits to the humanities and should reflect careful strategic planning to strengthen an institution's activities in and commitment to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the humanities. Among other things, grantees could use challenge grant funds to support:
- Acquisitions for collections.
- Lecture or exhibition series.
- Visiting scholars or consultants.
- Preservation and conservation programs.
- Purchase of equipment and software.
- Capital expenditures, such as purchase, construction, or renovation of facilities.
NEH welcomes projects that respond to NEH's Bridging Cultures initiative. Such projects could focus on cultures internationally or within the United States. NEH also welcomes plans to strengthen the technological infrastructure of humanities institutions, thereby enhancing the applicant institution's ability to make use of new technologies in research, education, preservation and public programming in the humanities. Such plans can be supported through challenge grants. For example, challenge grants may be used to purchase equipment and software, renovate computing centers devoted to the humanities and purchase databses. Challenge grants can support maintenance and upgrades of equipment, software and data; licesning fees; salaries of technical staff; training in uses of digital technology and other ongoing expenses associated with uses of digital technology in the humanities.
Fit for public broadcasting: The major purpose of an NEH Challenge Grant is to help institutions and organizations attain or sustain high quality humanities programs or activities by building long-term capital resources. The grant funds many different kinds of activities, so stations should consider it as a funding source for a variety of projects. NEH is particularly interested in increasing the technological and digital capacity of humanities organizations, so public media stations with projects involving the use of digital technology should seek funding from this program. While this program requires significant matching funds, public media stations should be aware that many long-term improvement expenses are eligible.
In 2012, Spokane Public Radio (KPBX) received a $500,000 Challenge Grant for the purchase and renovation of offices and broadcast facility.
Eligibility: Applications are welcome from colleges and universities, museums, public libraries, research institutions, historical societies and historic sites, scholarly associations, state humanities councils and other nonprofit entities. With the exception of elementary and secondary schools or school districts, any U.S. nonprofit institution working wholly or in part with the humanities may apply for a challenge grant. Programs that involve collaboration among multiple institutions are eligible as well, but one institution must serve as the lead agent and formal applicant of record.
Anticipated funding: Successful applicants will be offered a matching grant. Recipients must raise three times the amount of federal funds offered, except for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities and two-year colleges. These three types of institutions are required to raise only two times the amount of federal funds offered. In recent years, NEH challenge grants have ranged from $30,000 to $1 million.
How to apply: Prior to submitting a proposal, applicants are encouraged to contact program officers who can offer advice, supply samples and review drafts. Though not required, those interested in submitting draft proposals for review should do so four to six weeks prior to the application deadline, if not earlier. Draft proposals should be submitted directly to the Office of Challenge Grants.
Final applications must be submitted online via Grants.gov. Online submission requires registration, a process that usually takes three to five business days but can take as long as four weeks. Be sure to visit Grants.gov and begin registering well in advance of the deadline.
Resources:
Program notice
Office of Challenge Grants website
Frequently asked questions
