This emergency grant program is for nonprofit cultural and humanities organizations in Vermont that suffered physical or economic damage due to the severe weather events that began on July 10, 2023.
We have made this application as simple as possible. Support for this funding opportunity is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Vermont Humanities, and private donors. Our funders do have some restrictions on how their funding may be used so many of these questions are designed to help us put together a recovery grant package that best suits your needs and meets the funders’ requirements. NEH funding can be used to pay for staff time spent cleaning up after the disaster, to conserve or replace humanities collections, or for restarting public programs delayed or canceled due to the disaster. NEH Funding may not be used to repair or replace damaged buildings or cover expenses that are already paid for by property or flood insurance claims, SBA loans, or FEMA’s Public Assistance program. Other types of recovery expenses, including building repairs, equipment replacement, and lost revenue, may be supported from our other sources.
If you would like to donate to the Recovery Fund, please click here.
Grant funding may be used for eligible expenses dating back to the day the flooding began on July 10, 2023.
Application Period: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from September 15, 2023 until all funding is expended. Funding decisions will be communicated on October 15th and November 15th.
Eligibility Criteria: To qualify for support from the Vermont Humanities 2023 Floods Cultural Recovery Fund, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a 501c3 nonprofit, municipal entity, a federally recognized tribal organization, or have a fiscal sponsor
- Provide cultural and/or humanities-based programming to the general public in your community
- Have experienced physical damage or economic harm attributable to the severe weather events beginning on July 10, 2023
- Demonstrate qualified financial losses that are not covered by property or flood insurance, FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, SBA loans, or other assistance programs at the time of your application to this program
- Have the capacity to recover from this event and return to providing cultural or humanities-based programming to your community
Not Eligible: For-profit organizations, schools, and faith-based organizations are not eligible for this program, but we encourage these entities to apply for other available assistance through FEMA, the SBA, and the State of Vermont.
IMPORTANT: Under limited circumstances, organizations that were not directly damaged by the flooding but rather are providing support services to damaged cultural organizations, cultural workers, or artists may also be eligible for support under this grant program. This includes organizations helping to salvage or conserve collections or those supporting organizations or cultural workers as they plan their recovery and/or resilience strategies. Please contact us to discuss your circumstances if you believe you fit in this category.
Funding Availability: Vermont Humanities expects to provide up to $400,000 in assistance through this program, generally in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on need. Some organizations may receive smaller or larger amounts depending on their circumstances and the funding available. Grant funding to every applicant is not guaranteed.
Application Form
To apply for a Flood Recovery Grant, complete our online application form.
2023 FLOODS CULTURAL RECOVERY FUND GRANT APPLICATION FORM
The Floods Cultural Recovery Fund has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
