NEH Climate Smart Humanities Grant Program
Eric Morse
In the age of rising water levels
and historic weather events, the need to address environmental concerns and
pressures have become increasingly urgent for institutions around the nation.
Droughts, floods, and extreme temperatures threaten the preservation of
historic sites and collections and contribute to low visitor attendance that
place further pressures on cultural institutions.
To help organizations plan for a sustainable future, the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Office of Challenge Programs is currently accepting applications for the Climate Smart Humanities grant program. The grant supports the development of climate-informed strategic planning at humanities organizations large and small across the country. This program offers a maximum of $300,000 in federal matching funds (1:1 match required) to support comprehensive organizational assessments that lead to institutional climate action and adaptation plans.
Museums, libraries, historic sites, universities, and similar humanities-focused organizations are encouraged to submit grant proposals that offer innovative solutions for climate-related risks to their collections and identify methods to reduce any adverse impacts that their institution has upon the surrounding environment.
The grant is intended to holistically address the relationship between an
institution and its surrounding environment. Climate smart strategic plans
should not only identify solutions for risks related to extreme weather events,
but also establish goals and prioritized actions that will reduce the
organization’s impacts on the environment. The grant aims to support not only
immediate actions that reduce an organization’s vulnerability to climate events
but seeks to support the development of infrastructure and methods that will
sustain organizations in the longer term as well. These efforts should include
institutional staff and may also incorporate external consultants, experts, and
community partners.
We would like to invite you to attend our informational webinar on June 25th at 2 PM Eastern. We encourage you to circulate this event and announcement
with staff, board members, and partner institutions who may also be interested
in learning about this grant opportunity.
In the meantime, you are welcome to reach out to us at chal...@neh.gov to speak directly with a program officer. You may also review our Notice of Funding here.
Relevant Dates:
Informational Webinar: June 25th-- REGISTER HERE
Optional Draft Deadline: August 9th, 2024
Final Submission Deadline: September 18th, 2024
Notification of Acceptance: April 30th, 2025