General Grants Guidelines

General Grants are competitive awards available for community-initiated projects that have as their primary purpose to help Arizonans understand and appreciate the humanities. The interpretation of the humanities must be central to all AHC-funded programs.

The Humanities

It is through these disciplines that AHC helps communities preserve and share our rich cultural heritage.

The disciplines include:

anthropology
archaeology (as it relates to human history)
ethics
ethnic and gender studies
history and criticism of the arts
history and folklore
jurisprudence
language
linguistics
literature (interpretation of, not creation)
philosophy
religious studies
the application of the humanities to the human environment
the relevance of the humanities to contemporary issues
those aspects of the social sciences that employ humanistic content and methods

Criteria to Remember

These criteria are requirements that will determine both the eligibility and competitiveness of your project.

Content: The humanities must be central, not tangential, to the project.
Goal: The project must interpret, analyze, explain, or otherwise seek to understand a topic. AHC does not support "how to" programs.
Scholars: Humanities scholars must be included in project planning and implementation. Scholars should have an advanced degree in the humanities discipline addressed by the project.
Audience: Most AHC-funded projects should serve and benefit the out-of-school general public in Arizona.
Program: Most of the resulting public programs should be free or of nominal cost, and accessible to the general public.

AHC Especially Encouraged Projects:

Though not requirements for funding, these are areas that AHC is particularly interested in funding and that may make your project more competitive.

They include projects that:

encourage communities to preserve and celebrate Arizona’s rich cultural heritage.
promote the development of cultural heritage tourism.
foster an appreciation of the written word and oral traditions.
use the humanities to address contemporary social issues.
include teacher education projects.
foster discussion among diverse groups.
originate from rural and/or inexperienced applicants, urban/rural partnerships, or academic-community partnerships.
address topics related to AHC’s tour of the Smithsonian’s Between Fences exhibition during the 2008 grant cycles.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are organizations constituted for nonprofit purposes, or governmental or tribal entities.

Award Limits

Award limits for General Grants are set at $3,000, which must be matched by cash or in-kind contributions. An additional $3,000 may be requested by the applicant if matched by third-party cash gifts. Cash gift matches must be in place at the time of application to AHC.

Expenditures

Eligible expenditures include honoraria for staff, scholars, and consultants; travel and per diem; printing and publicity; equipment and facilities; program and documentation supplies.

Match: The grantee must contribute services, goods, or cash in an amount at least equal to the grant. Cash contributions are not required for the first $3,000, but can be counted as matching funds.

Ineligible expenditures or activities include:

most projects not open to the public
creative arts, performances, or ceremonies.
(AHC does fund interpretation of the arts or art history.)
museum or library acquisitions
operating costs and construction
permanent equipment
institutional development or academic credit
travel to professional meetings
scholarships and fellowships
beverages, food, or entertainment
profit-making or fund-raising activities
partisan objectives, advocacy, or lobbying
grants to individuals
expenses incurred before the grant is awarded

Formats

Most projects will involve a public presentation of some kind.

Formats vary but might include:

lectures and discussions
exhibits
publications
interpretations of performances
conference presentations, if open and accessible to public audiences
extra-curricular student projects
oral histories
radio, CD, video, DVD, podcast, and film documentary productions
cultural presentations and preservation projects
teacher seminars and in-service programs
content-based, interactive Web sites
planning for future AHC-eligible projects

How To Apply

AHC welcomes telephone or e-mail inquiries to determine eligibility and provide guidance. Applicants must submit the Intent To Apply Form before submitting an AHC General Grant proposal. Projects should begin at least two months after the General Grant Application Deadline. Applicants may apply more than once for the same project.

Proposal Development Grants

Proposal Development Grants of up to $500 are available to rural, first-time applicants. The award pays for a scholar to help the organization design a humanities project that would be eligible for an AHC General Grant. You may submit the Intent To Apply Form to apply for a Proposal Development Grant at any time during the year.

For information, call Erica Nunn at 602/257-0335 X26 or e-mail enunn@azhumanities.org.