Grant Descriptions

 

You can find descriptions of all of our grant opportunities on this page. Be sure to read our Application Guidelines thoroughly to learn how to apply.

 

 

Major Grant and Mini Grant

 

Public Program

 

Public programs involve interaction between humanities scholars and Arkansas audiences. Formats for public programs include, but not limited to, lectures, discussions, workshops, conferences, guided tours, film series, webinars, and other imaginative means of bringing the humanities to specific Arkansas audiences

 

Research

 

Research projects on topics such as Arkansas prehistory, history, and culture are available to nonprofit organizations. The outcomes of that research must be of interest and value to audiences outside the academic community as well as within.

 

Funds are available for individual or collaborative research projects. Individual research projects involve a humanities scholar and a nonprofit organization. Collaborative research projects involve the nonprofit organization, humanities scholar(s), and a third party such as a college or university.

 

Publications

 

Publications on topics such as prehistory, history, culture, and/or other scholarly works are available. A transcript of the proposed publication must be submitted at the same time as the grant application. All transcripts must be peer-reviewed. Publishing will need to take place by traditional means, i.e. through a contract, providing editing, publishing, and distribution. Examples of traditional publishers are university presses such as the University of Arkansas Press, Random House, Simon & Schuster, etc. The exception is small nonprofit organizations such as museums, historical societies, churches, and/or similar entities that may wish to independently self-publish through various means. These may include publishing software, Amazon Publishing, Shutterfly Books, and/or similar means. A copy of the proposed transcript must be submitted at the same time as the grant application.

 

Documentary Film Preproduction and Production

 

Documentary film preproduction and production projects must be specific to Arkansas subjects such as, but not limited to, historical figures or events, culture, archeology, history of an Arkansas community or organization, activities, music, or similar topic.

 

Film preproduction applications must provide a schedule, name of filmographer with information regarding their expertise and filmography, a research concept, and those to be interviewed (if applicable).

 

Film production applications must include a schedule, name of filmographer with information regarding their expertise and filmography, copy of script, editing suite, distribution plan, and signed consent forms from interviewees (if applicable).

 

Genealogy Research and Documentation (Mini Grant Only)

 

The eligible projects include research, digitization, and/or documentation of cemeteries, churches, funeral home records, and/or obituaries. Funding can also be used to conduct how-to workshops on genealogical research and documentation.

Funding for genealogical research and documentation is only for cemeteries, churches, and funeral homes located in Arkansas.

Other Media

 

Other media projects include, but not limited to, exhibits (in-person or virtual), humanities-based website content, historical signage or markers, podcasts, webinars, or virtual tours.

 

Operations (Mini Grant Only)

 

The eligible costs for operations include: salaries for current full time and part time employees, utility costs for up to 6 months, website design and maintenance, building insurance, employee insurance, fire suppression systems and/or extinguishers, equipment purchase or repair for computers, scanners, printers, hot water heaters, and HVAC, software or web application licenses and fees.

 

Only organizations that have an annual budget of $250,000 or less, are located in Arkansas, and have at least one full time employee may apply for operation costs.

 

 

REACH Grant

 

    • Principal signature required
    • Humanities-based pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade classroom projects
    • Professional development for teachers and school librarians and nonprofit literary organizations
    • Professional development such as conferences, workshops, seminars, or webinars (in-person or virtual) in-state or out-of-state
    • Funds for professional development may be used for registration, travel costs, books or other teaching aides
    • Educators receiving funds for professional development must agree to disseminate content learned to colleagues at their school, district, and/or education cooperative

 

 

Arkansas State Park Field Trip Grant

 

    • Teachers may apply to take students to one of Arkansas’s 52 state parks
    • Students must be in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade
    • Teachers must contact the park interpreter prior to applying to schedule programming
    • Funds may not be used to travel and lead programs independently of an Arkansas State Park interpreter

 

 

Helen T. Leigh Museum Field Trip Grant

 

    • Funds provided by Mrs. Helen T. Leigh
    • Funds for this initiative are to be used by schools to participate in a guided tour and programming at MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History
    • Teachers must schedule a tour and programming with MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History prior to applying
    • Students in grades third through twelfth are eligible

 

 

Black History and Culture Grant

 

    • This grant provides funding for nonprofit organizations that wish to research, document, preserve, and interpret Arkansas’ African American history and culture.
    • Types of Eligible Projects: oral histories, cataloging, documenting, archiving, and digitizing Arkansas’ African American historical collections, research and documentation of funeral home records and obituaries, research and programming on topics such as, but not limited to, Civil Rights, The Great Migration, and African American history, community history, humanities-based workshops, and/or similar project.

 

 

Access to the Humanities Grant

 

    • The purpose of this grant is to assist nonprofit organizations in ensuring their humanities projects, events, and programs are accessible to Arkansans with disabilities and/or language interpretation or transcription. The program, event, or project must be related to the humanities in order to be eligible. The goal is to provide a stop-gap solution for organizations to ensure access when other funds are not available to do so.
    • Types of Eligible Projects: captioning services, language transcription, American Sign Language or other language interpreters for in-person or virtual events, acquiring services to make documents, websites, presentations, and exhibits accessible, and for the captioning of videos.

 

 

Museum Collections and Resource Grant

 

Types of Eligible Projects:

 

    • Professional development, including in-state or out-of-state workshops or conferences
    • Collections management (ex. software, personnel/materials for collection survey)
    • Conservation materials (acid-free boxes and tissue; folders and board; film and photograph housing and enclosures; framing, matting and mounting; sleeves and protectors
    • Museum racks and cabinets
    • Preservation and care of special collections of books and manuscripts, cartographic records, decorative and fine arts objects, textiles, historical objects, prints and photographs, and digital materials
    • Conservation and preservation supplies and tools for books, pamphlets, documents, manuscripts, prints and photographs, art mediums (pastels, oil, acrylic, watercolors, pen and ink, etc.) textiles, artifacts, objects, and media
    • Digitization of documents, photographs, maps, etc. to make available to the general public, scholars, genealogists, and others
    • Risk assessment and emergency planning