Grants Program

Grant applications and final report narrative form are located at the bottom of this page and in the Forms section.

The AHF awards grants solely to support public humanities projects.  Active public participation, involvement of humanities scholars, and strong humanities content are the three essential ingredients of AHF-funded projects.

The grants program accommodates the broadest possible range of topics and formats for imaginative proposals.  Applicants are encouraged to develop projects for a wide variety of audiences, including: library and museum patrons, teachers and scholars, youth, elderly, hospital patients, prisoners, public housing and nursing home residents, and the hearing and sight impaired.  AHF provides fees for signers for the hearing impaired.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR FUNDING?
Non-profit community organizations, including:

• museums
• historical societies
• libraries
• civic clubs
• religious groups
• social service organizations
• schools
• colleges and universities
• television and radio producers
• state and local government agencies

What types of programs does AHF fund?

• portable exhibit rental
• exhibition design and production
• book discussion
• humanities radio broadcasts
• lecture/discussion programs
• dramas based on oral histories
• interpretive readings of poetry, prose, or song
• historical figures in costume and site interpretations
• television documentaries and study guides to stimulate discussion on issues
• community forums or town meetings to encourage public debate and discussion
• teachers seminars, institutes, and workshops

The AHF does not fund programs that:

• promote a course of action or advocacy
• discriminate against persons or groups
• support individual research or scholarship
• support permanent planning, construction, or restoration
• result in permanent acquisition of equipment
• realize a profit or result in a free-standing publication

POLICIES, REVIEW AND FUNDING

Applications:  Organizations interested in applying for a grant should contact the AHF Associate Director to discuss project ideas. All Major Grant applicants should submit a draft at least six weeks prior to the deadline. AHF staff will review the draft and make recommendations for strengthening the proposal. The final application must be received in accordance with the published guidelines and application deadlines.

Application Review: Planning and Consultant Grants are reviewed by the Executive Director within one week of the receipt of the proposal. Mini Grants are reviewed by a rotating committee of members of the Board of Directors within one month of the receipt of the proposal. Major Grants are reviewed by the entire Board of Directors within six weeks of the receipt of the proposal.

Contracts and Funding Agreements: Within three weeks of a grant's approval, the applicant will receive a contract and award letter. The project director must sign and return one copy of the contract to the AHF. Money is disbursed in increments. Major Grants are typically awarded 45 percent upon receipt of the signed contract, 45 percent upon receipt and approval of the interim report, and the remainder upon receipt and approval of the final report. Mini Grants are awarded 90 percent upon receipt of the signed contract and the remainder upon receipt and approval of the final report.

Reports: Final reports must be submitted within 30 days of the project's completion. Major Grant project directors must submit an interim report midway through the grant period. An independent evaluation and a separate audit may be required of any grant. The AHF provides staff and/or Board of Directors' evaluation of all programs. The AHF requires three copies of media resources produced by a Media Grant for circulation in the Alabama Humanities Resource Center.

GRANT CATEGORIES

Small Grants:

Planning/Consultant Grant: Up to $1,000 in Outright Funds

Application Deadline: First working day of the following months - February, May, August, November
Notification: Within one week

Available for planning Major Grants only, Planning/Consultant Grants provide funds for humanities scholar honoraria and travel, as well as other planning expense. These grants are awarded in support of organizations that do not have extensive grant writing experience or expertise in planning public humanities projects. Colleges and universities are ineligible.

Mini Grant: Up to $2,000 in Outright and $2,000 in Matching Funds

Preliminary application: Anytime
Final Proposal: First working day of the following months - February, May, August, November. Applications must be submitted three months prior to start date of the program.
Notification: End of the first week of the following month

Designed for flexibility, Mini Grants support a wide variety of projects from workshops to radio programs and reading/discussion series.

Major Grants:

Public Discussion Grant: Up to $8,500 in Outright funds and $10,000 in  Matching Funds    

Preliminary Application: Approximately six weeks prior to final deadline
Final Proposal: March 1 and September 1 (postmarked)
Notification: Early May and early November

Public Discussion Grants fund a broad range of projects whose scope is larger than those supported by Mini Grants. Formats include workshops, reading/discussion, lecture/discussion, and other community forums which encourage scholar/audience dialogue. They may be supplemented by other formats such as media items or exhibitions.

Teacher Grant: Up to $17,500 in Outright Funds and $5,000 in Matching Funds

Preliminary Application: Approximately six weeks prior to the final deadline
Final Proposal: March 1 and September 1 (postmarked)
Notification: Early May and early November

Teacher programs range from weekend workshops and two- to four-week intensive summer institutes to several months in length. Teacher Grants support a variety of formats focusing on reading, writing and discourse on the humanities currently in the Alabama public school curriculum. AHF stipulates that participating educational institutions waive tuition fees for participants. The AHF does not fund individuals.

Exhibition Grant: Up to $10,000 in Outright Funds and $5,000 in Matching Funds.

Preliminary Application: Approximately six weeks prior to the final deadline
Final Proposal: March 1 and September 1 (postmarked)
Notification: Early May and early November

Exhibition Grants support production of wall-mounted or portable interpretive exhibitions for displays at public sites such as libraries, museums, and government buildings in Montgomery. Interpretation by humanities scholars in the form of captioning, pamphlets, and lecture/discussion programs must be an integral part of the exhibition.

Media Grants: Up to $5,000 in Matching Funds for Research and Development Phase.
Up to $20,000 in Matching Funds for Production Phase

Preliminary Application: Approximately six weeks prior to the final proposal deadline.
Final Proposal: March 1 and September 1 (postmarked)
Notification: Early May or November

Media Grants provide support for films, videotapes, slide/tape presentations, as well as television and radio programs which have an Alabama-specific focus. All must be accompanied by interpretive study guides. Applicants must have experience with media production techniques. AHF is a member of the Southern Humanities Media Fund. Applicants are encouraged to apply directly to that fund for projects with a broader Southern focus. All Media Grants are in the form of matching funds.  Outright funds are not awarded in this category.

GRANT REQUIREMENTS

All applications must meet the following requirements:

• Format: Any format that brings the general public together with humanities subjects and from which the public benefits from the insights of humanities scholars may be used.
• Humanities Focus/Scholarship: Proposals must ensure that one or more of the humanities disciplines are central to the project. Humanities scholars must play a significant role in all phases of the project. The AHF will gladly help project directors coordinate scholarship. Programs should provide information to explore and interpret ideas rather than to support a particular point of view.
• Audience: Projects should be designed for general audiences. Audiences may include students but should target the out-of-school Alabamian. A quality public program will involve potential audience members in the project planning.
• Project Personnel: All projects must utilize a project director, humanities advisor, humanities scholars, and a project fiscal agent. Major Grant applicants must also have a planning committee consisting of the above, members of the targeted audience, and others who may or may not be project participants.

For More Information

Feel free to contact our Grants Director, Susan Perry, for more information on grant ideas and application.  Contact our main office for an application packet, or download an application in Microsoft Word format, using the links below. 

Final Grant Report Narrative

Grant Final Pay Request

Grant Budget Expenditures Report

Small Grant Application with Budget Instructions

Small Grant Applications (Word Format)

Major Grant Application with Budget Instructions 

Major Grant Application (Word Format)