Promotion of the Humanities Challenge Grants

 

To strengthen institutional base and organizational capacity for work in the humanities by providing funds that are matched with cash contributions from nonfederal third parties. Successful applicants receive awards in federal matching funds intended to stimulate additional private, state, and local support for humanities organizations. The Climate Smart Humanities Organizations program supports comprehensive organizational assessments that lead to strategic climate action and adaptation plans.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
45.130
Federal Agency/Office
National Endowment For The Humanities, National Foundation On The Arts and The Humanities
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Not applicable.
Authorization
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, as amended, Public Law 89-209, 20 U.S.C. ยง956, et seq.
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, public and 501(c)(3) accredited institutions of higher education, state and local governmental agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. The following eligible entities may request a one-to-one matching ratio: federally recognized Native American Tribal governments; Native Hawaiian organizations; public and 501(c)(3) nonprofit community colleges and post-secondary two-year institutions of higher education; public and nonprofit 501(c)(3) U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as defined by Executive Order 13532; public and nonprofit 501(c)(3) Hispanic-Serving Institutions; and U.S. Tribal College and Universities, as defined by Executive Order 13270.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Applicant organizations and users of their humanities resources, programs, or activities; humanities scholars; and the general public.
Credentials/Documentation
Eligible Native Hawaiian organizations are included on the U.S. Department of the Interior Native Hawaiian Organization Notification List. Eligible HBCUs are included in the current U.S. Department of Education's "Accredited HBCU listing." Eligible Hispanic-Serving Institutions are listed in the current U.S. Department of Education's "Eligibility Matrix." Eligible Tribal Colleges or Universities must be included in the U.S. Department of Education's "list of Tribal Colleges and Universities."
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact assessment is required for this listing.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Applicants must submit their applications to NEH via Grants.gov. Additional application information is available online at https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/infrastructure-and-capacity-building-challenge-grants
Award Procedure
NEH staff review all applications for eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness. The agency then conducts a peer review process for all applications that pass this initial screening. Peer reviewers are experts in their fields with knowledge and expertise relevant to the activities that the program supports. NEH instructs peer reviewers to evaluate applications according to established review criteria. Peer reviewers must comply with federal ethics rules governing conflicts of interest. NEH program staff supplement the peer reviewers' comments to address matters of fact or significant points that peer reviewers may have overlooked. They then make funding recommendations to the National Council on the Humanities. The National Council meets at least twice each year to review applications and advise the NEH Chair. By law, the Chair has the sole authority to make final funding decisions.
Deadlines
See https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/infrastructure-and-capacity-building-challenge-grants.
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
More than 180 days. Seven months (approximately 210 days) after the deadline.
Appeals
Not applicable.
Renewals
More than 180 days. Eligibility to apply for a subsequent award begins in the third year after the close of the previous Challenge Grant. See C. Eligibility Information in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
How are proposals selected?
To reach funding recommendations, NEH asks peer reviewers to evaluate the existing and potential quality of an applicant's contributions to the humanities; its needs, management, and fund-raising capability; and the quality of the proposed project. See E1. Review Criteria in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
How may assistance be used?
Awards enable organizations to strengthen the institutional base of the humanities through energy audits, risk assessments, and meetings with consultants. See A1. Purpose in the relevant Notice of Funding Opportunity. See D6. Funding Restrictions in the relevant Notice of Funding Opportunity.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Not applicable.
Auditing
Awards are subject to inspection and audits by NEH and other federal officials.
Records
Recipients must retain all records for three years following submission of the final financial report. Records include financial documentation on all matching gifts and on all expenditures of federal matching funds.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. Matching requirements vary program by program and in some cases, are dependent on institution type. See C2. in the relevant Notice of Funding Opportunity.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Up to five years. Recipients must expend funds during the period of performance. NEH issues Challenge Grants with federal matching funds and releases funds on an annual basis when the recipient has certified the required matching gifts. See the Notice of Funding Opportunity for additional information.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
None/Not specified.
Headquarters Office
National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Challenge Programs
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20506 US
challenge@neh.gov
Phone: (202) 606-8309
Website Address
http://www.neh.gov
Financial Information
Account Identification
59-0200-0-1-503
Obligations
(Project Grants) FY 22$6,379,680.00; FY 23 est $14,785,000.00; FY 24 Estimate Not Available FY 21$7,189,313.00; FY 20$9,115,000.00; FY 19$12,087,136.00; FY 18$4,776,710.00; FY 17$7,414,400.00; FY 16$8,836,549.00; - FY22 obligations include awards made but not fully processed as of July 31st. Grantees typically have a five year match schedule once grant is awarded. Delayed awards must meet OMB BABA requirements.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Applicants may request up to $1,000,000. In fiscal year 2022, the largest award offered was $750,00 and the smallest was $46,173.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
45 CFR 1100 and 1105. The Notice of Funding Opportunity is available online at http://www.neh.gov/grants/grants.html and upon request from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, DC 20506.
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2022 Use NEH's Funded Projects Query Form to search for past recipients of Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants: https://securegrants.neh.gov/publicquery/main.aspxavailabl

 



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