General
Guidelines for Grants
(revised 2/7/05)
About Colorado Humanities
It is the mission of Colorado Humanities to inspire the people of Colorado to explore ideas and to appreciate
our diverse cultural heritage. Colorado Humanities envisions a Colorado:
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that celebrates its heritage, its culture,
and its diversity.
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that reads, embraces cultural activities,
participates in critical discussions, and motivates itself to listen and
to learn.
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where communities, families, individuals,
and especially our youth, acknowledge, enjoy, and apply the humanities in
their everyday lives.
Therefore, the Colorado Humanities
strives to be the center and catalyst for bringing the humanities to life in
Colorado.
The Humanities
Defined
Drawing on the Congressional legislation which
established the National Endowment for the Humanities, Colorado Humanities defines the humanities
as literature, history, philosophy, ethics, languages, linguistics, jurisprudence,
archaeology, comparative religion, the history, theory and criticism of the
arts, and those aspects of the social sciences that employ historical or philosophical
approaches. But the humanities are much more than a collection of academic disciplines;
they offer ways to communicate and evaluate the human experience.
Resource
Allocation
Colorado Humanities devotes its resources to two key areas:
developing humanities education programs for all Coloradans, and awarding grants
that enable other not-for-profit organizations to develop programs for their
communities. Affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities, CH
works in partnership with Colorado citizens to develop its programs and provides
staff assistance for grant applicants. In all cases, CH funds are used to leverage
other funds toward humanities programs.
Colorado Humanities grants fall into these categories:
1. Research Grants
2. Small Program Grants
3. Large Program Grants
Application
Process
The first step in the application process is
filling out an "Intent to Apply" form, available at CH's website: www.coloradohumanities.org.
Grant application forms can be downloaded on line
as .pdf (Adobe Acrobat) or .doc (Microsoft Word) documents. All applicants are
strongly encouraged to contact Colorado Humanities prior to applying for a grant.
Applicants should note that generally grant
applications are reviewed at board meetings following the deadline. Applicants
will be notified within 90 days. Colorado Humanities funds cannot be committed prior to the
date of the award.
General
Program Proposal Requirements
Humanities Focus
- In developing program content, the humanities disciplines should be substantive.
All projects funded by CH must be rooted in the humanities and incorporate
critical reflection, interpretation, and open discussion. In the case of contemporary
public issues, applicants should draw upon the humanities disciplines to understand
and interpret the specific political, social, cultural, or economic issue under
consideration.
Involvement of scholars and the public
- Humanities scholars and the public must figure prominently in projects funded
by Colorado Humanities. For CH purposes, a "humanities scholar" is defined as a person with
advanced education in one or more of the humanities disciplines listed above
- most often having earned a terminal degree in the discipline (an M.A. or Ph.D.)
and who is professionally involved in the humanities. Community representation
is also key to successful public programs. Community members should also play
a significant role in program planning and implementation.
Application forms - The same
application form is used for both Small and Large Program Grants. There is a
separate form for Research Grants. Please read the application instructions
and forms thoroughly before submitting your proposal.
Cost-sharing - Cost share, which
varies in amount by type of grant, includes cash and in-kind goods and services.
With both Large and Small Grant Program applications, sponsors are expected
to raise third-party, non-federal cash contributions. Cash contributions may
come from individuals, foundations, businesses, or other organizations not otherwise
linked to the sponsoring organization or the program.
Colorado Humanities cannot
provide financial support for:
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direct social or political action
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social service projects
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public information campaigns
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major film and videotape production
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scholarships and fellowships
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indirect costs or general operating expenses
(overhead)
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institutional staffing (including the Project
Director, Authorizing Official, the Fiscal Agent, or support staff).
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food (except as travel expenses)
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entertainment
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building restoration or construction
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purchase of permanent equipment or property
(necessary equipment may be leased)
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museum acquisitions
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publications unrelated to CH grant programs
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art performance or instruction (unless
a significant portion of the program is humanities related)
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regularly scheduled courses offered for
academic credit
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projects that discriminate or exclude
on the basis of race, national origin, gender, age, or physical abilities
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any organization that is ineligible for
participation in federal assistance programs.
Some
common reasons why proposals are not funded:
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insufficient humanities content
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inadequate involvement of humanities scholars
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advocacy or unbalanced presentation of
contemporary public issues
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inadequate publicity or marketing plans
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budget not justified or not reasonable
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application too vague, lacking specifics
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incomplete application
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proposed activities occurring prior to
funding date
Public
Access to Project Information
Information about projects funded
by CH, excluding salary and detailed budget information, may be reviewed upon
written request. Colorado Humanities staff can provide samples of successful applications.
Information on program applications not
funded by CH may be released only with the written consent of the applicant
organization. CH will release the following information concerning projects
not funded:
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Name of the sponsoring organization
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Name of the project director
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Project title
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Amount requested
We
the People - A National Endowment for the Humanities
Initiative
In 2004, Colorado Humanities offered a Request for Proposals
(RFP) entitled We the People in which applicants submitted proposals for projects
that explored significant themes in our nation's history and advanced the knowledge
of the principles that define America. While no longer a requirement for proposal
submission, Colorado Humanities is again offering the We the People RFP for Small and Large
Program Grants. Click here to read the description
of the RFP.
In Fall 2007, Colorado Humanities approved a total of $24,210
in We the People Grants to the following organizations:
University of Northern Colorado Foundation, Greeley, A Classical Cajun Gumbo ($5,000)
The arranging of original songs and recordings by “Ragin’ Cajun” Doug Kershaw scored for a full symphony by the University of Northern Colorado School of Music faculty, culminating in a live performance by the student orchestra and Kershaw’s band on April 5, 2008 at the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley.
Colorado Preservation, Inc., Denver, Colorado Preserve America Youth Summit ($7,210)
Seventy-five Colorado students and 15 teachers to engage in heritage education and historic preservation as they interact with over 1,000 preservationists attending the Saving Places historic preservation conference February 6 – 8, 2008.
Rifle Rendezvous Festival, Inc., Evergreen, Rifle Rendezvous Festival ($10,000)
An annual family festival (since 1995) celebrating western history, with re-enactments of events, Hispanic and other cultural artists presenting music and dance performances, demonstrations and exhibits. Re-enactments May 16-18, 2008 will be drills and a living camp of the 10th Calvary Buffalo Soldiers, which includes a presentation on the role and daily life of the early African-American soldier; role, dress, daily life and horsemanship of the Charros, Mexican cowboys; and living history presentations of Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane and Annie Oakley.
Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, Denver, Five Points History of Jazz Lectures ($1,000)
Lectures during the Five Points Jazz Festival by Dr. Fred Hess, musician and professor of Jazz Studies at Metropolitan State College of Denver, will focus on the history and musical content of jazz and the significance of jazz in the Five Points neighborhood.
Researcher, Laura DeLuca, Boulder, The Lost Girls of Sudan: African Refugees in Colorado ($1,000)
A study of female children who fled Sudan’s civil war in the late 1980s, arriving first in the Ethiopian and Kenyan refugee camps. Denver is home to the largest population of these young Sudanese women, creating a new sub-culture and African community in Colorado.