Can we meet to discuss my project?
Due to drastic budget cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities, we no longer have the staffing capacity to hold one-on-one meetings with potential applicants.
However, we are offering several Zoom sessions where you can ask questions of our Grants team. Sign up for one of these sessions in advance of the Fall 2026 Project Grant deadline:
Monday, August 17 at 4:30 pmThursday, August 20 at 4:00 pmWednesday, September 2 at 4:00 pm
The registration form will ask you to submit any questions you might have ahead of time.
Who can apply for a Vermont Humanities grant?
Applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, or community groups using a 501(c)(3) Fiscal Agent, who are proposing projects for primarily Vermont audiences which focus on the humanities.
Applicants must follow all federal and state nondiscrimination statutes, including compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Organizations may not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, political affiliation, military service, physical or mental ability.
Which projects are eligible for a Vermont Humanities grant?
Fundable projects include:
- Community programming that invites participation in humanities discourse
- Curriculum development with plans to share the work to increase access to the humanities
- Humanities experiences designed to support a specific affinity group or to encourage interaction among more than one affinity group
Proposed projects must be open to the public; however, affinity group projects are welcome. For example, we will consider funding special programs for veterans, specific professional affiliations, LGBTQA projects, BIPOC projects, youth projects, etc.
Both new and existing projects are eligible to apply.
What can’t be funded with a Vermont Humanities grant?
We do not fund retroactive expenses, partisan political projects, or lobbying. We are also unable to fund infrastructure projects like building enhancements, repairs, or new construction. (However, the Vermont Arts Council does offer Cultural Facilities Grants.)
We do not offer creation grants to individual writers or artists.
Please note that we do not use Federal funds for our humanities grants.
Can I have a Rapid Response Grant and Project Grant open at the same time?
Yes, it is possible to have both a Rapid Response Grant and Project Grant open at the same time. However, these grants must be for different projects.
Am I still eligible to apply for a Project Grant if I recently received one in the past?
Yes, you are eligible to apply. However, please note that we cannot distribute grant funds until your previous project has concluded and you have submitted a Final Report. We require that a Final Report be submitted within 90 days of the conclusion of your project. You will receive a reminder from our grants management software (Submittable) when your Final Report is nearing its due date.
What criteria do you use for reviewing Project Grants?
Vermont Humanities staff performs an initial grant review of all applications to ensure eligibility before sharing the applications with our grant review committee, which is made up of members of our Board of Directors and other community members in Vermont. The committee uses the following criteria to evaluate proposals for funding:
- Mission: The project uses humanities tools and meets Vermont Humanities’ mission to connect with people across Vermont to create just, vibrant, and resilient communities and to inspire a lifelong love of learning.
- Engagement: The project provides opportunities to increase understanding of the humanities in public life, build civic engagement, or encourage democratic practice.
- Collaboration: The project includes strategies that value collaboration and partnership.
- Location: The project will take place in an underserved, rural, or under-resourced community.
- Population: The project includes leaders from and/or substantially engages with Native people or People of Color, LGBTQ+ folks, people with disabilities, or others who may have historically lacked access to humanities-related funding.
- Access: The project is fully accessible, meets or exceeds ADA guidelines, and increases community commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
- Evaluation: The organizers understand how to set goals and evaluate success.
What happens once I get approved for a Project Grant?
You will receive a notification from Submittable indicating your award. At the same time, the person listed in your application as the “Signatory” will receive an email from Docusign, with a Grant Agreement to sign.
Once that Grant Agreement has been signed, we will issue your funds using Bill.com. We can also send paper checks, but that takes longer.
What should I keep track of for reporting?
We require that a Final Report be submitted within 90 days of the conclusion of your project. In our Final Report form, we will ask you to provide:
- A file of your final budget. Be sure to include all expenses, and identify how Vermont Humanities’ grant funds were used.
- A narrative of whether the project accomplished your intended goals, notable successes, obstacles encountered, key partnerships, etc.
- How the humanities were central to the project
- The public impact and who was served by the project
- How many events you held as part of the project
- How many people attended these events (including live streaming attendees, and those who watched recordings of the events.)
- How many scholars were involved in the project, their names, and their fields of expertise
- Any images and/or videos from your project
If my application doesn’t get approved, can you give me feedback?
As noted above, we no longer have the capacity to speak one-on-one with applicants. However, upon request we can provide some details of how your application ranked against other submissions and relay any comments from the Grants Review Committee.
What is the maximum duration for a Project Grant?
In general, we prefer that Project Grants close within one year of the date you receive your funds. However, if unforeseen circumstances extend your grant timeline, please let us know. We will send you a short form to fill out, where you can explain the change. As noted above, you will not be able to receive Project Grant funds for a new project until you have submitted a Final Report and closed your current grant.
