CT Humanities Project and Capacity Grants

CT Humanities Project and Capacity Grants is sponsored by CT Humanities. Grants supporting humanities projects and capacity-building efforts for nonprofit organizations in Connecticut.

* What Are The Humanities? * CT Humanities 50th Anniversary * Transparency in Coverage Rule * Grants at CT Humanities * Connecticut’s Sites of Conscience * CT Humanities Working Groups * CT Experience Video Series * Digital Resources for Distance Learning * Intellectual Property Policy * Data on the CT Cultural Sector * Event Contributor Registration * Event Submission Process * Website Account Profile * What Are The Humanities?

* CT Humanities 50th Anniversary * Transparency in Coverage Rule * Grants at CT Humanities * Connecticut’s Sites of Conscience * CT Humanities Working Groups * CT Experience Video Series * Digital Resources for Distance Learning * Intellectual Property Policy * Data on the CT Cultural Sector * Event Contributor Registration * Event Submission Process * Website Account Profile Capacity Grants help Connecticut organizations that bringhumanitiesto the public think strategically, better understand their audiences, become better stewards of their assets and operations, and plan for a more sustainable, financially secure future.

They support a wide range of projects. For more information and examples of typical Capacity Grant projects, view the “Sample Capacity Grants” below. As of FY27, Capacity Grants can fund projects which may include but are not limited to consultant-led initiatives and the maximum award amount has increased to $20,000.

Capacity Grants are intended to help organizations that **present and interpret the humanities to the public** improve their ability to do so. To learn more about the humanities, click here.

To apply for a Capacity Grant, your organization must be one of the following: * A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Connecticut for at least one year and governed by a board of directors that meets regularly * A municipality in the state of Connecticut * A Connecticut-based federally or State recognized tribe For more information about eligibility, view the Guidelines below.

Please read the Capacity Grant guidelines before applying. The Capacity Grant Guidelines outline eligibility requirements, eligible expenses, matching requirements, grant duration, and more.

Priority for Capacity Grant funding is given to organizations that highlight the ways that they currently present and interpret the humanities to the public and articulate how their project will strengthen and improve their ability to do so moving forward. If your project involves or interprets Indigenous history or cultures, please also note CT Humanities’ Indigenous Values Statement and accompanying resources here.

**FAQs & Resources for Applicants** Need help with navigating the CTH Grant Portal? Have questions about CTH’s grants? Seeking resources to help develop and strengthen humanities projects?

Click the button below to view our FAQs & Resources for Applicants: FAQs & Resources for Applicants Please also feel free to reach out to CTH Grants Staff at grants@cthumanities. org with any questions.

**Upcoming Application Deadlines FY27:** **Award Notification:** February 2027 (for November applications) or July 2027 (for May applications) **Grant Period:**12 months #### **Capacity Grant Project Examples** Capacity Grants can fund projects which may include, but are not limited to consultant-led initiatives such as: • Board assessments and training • Staff training and professional development • Marketing assessments and planning • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) assessments, planning, and training • Financial assessments and planning • Development (fundraising) assessments and planning • Collections and archival assessments, planning, and digitization • Object preservation and conservation • Interpretive assessments and planning • Technology assessments, planning, and upgrades These examples are not an exclusive list of the types of projects Capacity Grants can fund.

If you have a project idea you’d like to discuss, please reach out to Grants staff at grants@cthumanities. org! _Please note that application questions may change from year to year.

Some sample model applications may not reflect all questions asked in the current application. _ Audience Assessment and Planning Who currently visits your organization? Who doesn’t visit?

What programs and activities would excite your community most? Capacity Grants can help your organization conduct audience surveys, run focus groups, and more to gain a better understanding of your organization’s audience and create a plan for the future.

Sample Model Applications: * Keeler Tavern Museum – Visitor Research and Analysis for Project Planning Collections Assessment and Planning Do you know what your organization’s collections strengths are? Has your organization recently received an important new collection? Are there key collections that you need to digitize to be able to share them with the public?

Capacity Grants can help you gain physical and intellectual control of your collections, identify your strongest humanities themes and stories, and prepare your organization to better share your collections with the public.

Sample Model Applications: * Harriet Beecher Stowe Center – Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Collection Digitization Planning * Norwalk Historical Society – Assessment of the Norwalk Potteries Collection at the Norwalk Historical Society for Future Exhibition Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Assessment, Planning, and Training Does your organization’s current audience reflect the diversity of the community you serve?

Is your institution accessible to all visitors? Capacity Grants can give your staff and board the training, tools, and plan to become a more inclusive community asset. _Sample model application coming soon.

_ Interpretive Assessment and Planning What are your organization’s most compelling stories? Do your exhibitions and programs highlight your strengths? Capacity Grants can examine your current interpretation and make recommendations for future projects that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Sample Model Application: * Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution – Gov. Jonathan Trumbull House Interpretative Plan Does your organization struggle to prioritize all the things it needs and wants to do? Do you have a plan or vision to guide your organization for the next three to five years?

Capacity Grants can help your staff and board think about its mission and purpose and craft a prioritized plan to move forward for the future. Sample Model Applications: Norwalk Pottery, Norwalk Historical Society We are eager to help you submit a strong application. **Before applying, we highly reccomend that organizations contact CTH Grants Staff at grants@cthumanities.

orgto discuss your project idea. ** Consults and draft reviews are highly reccomended but not required and should be requested no less than 2 weeks before a deadline. For a PDF preview of the current Capacity Grant application, click here.

For an overview of the application process, click here. Online Grant Application Portal #### Recently Funded Grants **In FY26, the success rate for Capacity Grants was** **E: info@cthumanities. org** **Hours:** Mon-Fri: 9am – 5pm