Major Grants (Virginia Humanities)

Major Grants (Virginia Humanities) is sponsored by Virginia Humanities. Virginia Humanities Major Grants support cultural nonprofits in developing and delivering public humanities projects that engage audiences with history, literature, and culture. These grants are designed for initiatives with broader scope and sustained impact, including programs that foster dialogue, interpret cultural resources, and expand access to the humanities.

Projects can include community forums, history projects, K-12 curriculum resources, and media projects.

Major Grants - Virginia Humanities Newsletter & Annual Reports Virginia Humanities Major Grants support cultural nonprofits in developing and delivering public humanities projects that engage audiences with history, literature, and culture. Awarded twice per year, alternating with Opportunity Grants cycles, these grants provide between $5,000 and $15,000 for projects with an eighteen-month period of performance.

Major Grants are designed for initiatives with broader scope and sustained impact, including programs that foster dialogue, interpret cultural resources, and expand access to the humanities. Awards are paid in full (100%) following the decision date, enabling organizations to implement projects with immediate support.

access grant Application portal Current Award Cycle Timeline Application opens * Monday, August 17, 2026 LOI approval opens Monday, August 17, 2026 LOI approval deadline Friday, September 11, 2026 Application deadline Friday, October 16, 2026 Decision notification December 2026 * Approval of a Letter of Intent (LOI) is required. Applications are assigned upon approval of LOI .

Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or another eligible organization. For a full list, see “Who is eligible to apply? ” in the FAQ.

Organizations may apply to only one grant opportunity at a time. Organizations may not apply in consecutive cycles if they received funding in the immediately preceding cycle. Organizations may not hold more than one active Virginia Humanities grant at a time.

A final report must be submitted and approved before applying for new funding. The same project may be funded for up to two cycles, but not a third.

We support public-facing humanities projects that engage broad audiences, including: Community forums and public discussions (including book or film programs) Community history projects, including oral histories Conferences and symposia with a strong public component K–12 curriculum resources Exhibitions (physical or digital) Festivals and interpretive performances Teacher institutes and professional development programs Lectures and lecture series Media projects (film, video, radio, podcasts, websites, and other digital formats) Project planning and development Print publications (books, brochures, exhibit catalogs, interpretive maps) Research that leads to public programming Travel expenses for project personnel (mileage and meals) Advocacy or political action, including projects promoting a specific policy or viewpoint Creative or performing arts projects, unless used to support humanities-focused engagement Credit-bearing courses (except those designed specifically for teachers) Building construction, restoration, or renovation Budget forms are available within the application.

Use the required budget template; alternate formats will not be accepted. If working on a Mac, save and upload your budget as an Excel (. xlsx) file.

Total project costs must equal the grant request amount. Provide clear explanations for all expenses. Cost share is required for all Major Grant applications: Cash cost share: monetary contributions from third-party sources (e.g., other grants) In-kind cost share: non-cash contributions such as staff time, volunteer labor, facilities, or materials Sample applications, including budgets, are available in the FAQ.

Director of Grants and Fellowships Grants and Fellowships Assistant SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH OUR TEAM Life, Liberty, Loudoun!

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org Indigenous Acknowledgment Indigenous Acknowledgment Virginia Humanities acknowledges the Monacan Nation , the original people of the land and waters of our home in Charlottesville, Virginia. We invite you to learn more about Indians in Virginia in our Encyclopedia Virginia . Explore the Virginia Humanities Network Virginia Center for the Book Virginia Folklife Program