Project Grants (Culture and the Arts)

Project Grants (Culture and the Arts) is sponsored by Vermont Humanities. These grants support new or existing community and curriculum development projects in the humanities.

Project Grants - Vermont Humanities Our Project Grants fund community and curriculum development projects with awards up to $5,000 . We do not use federal funding for Project Grants. We encourage 501(c)(3) public charities, government entities, schools, and/or institutions of higher education to apply for a Vermont Humanities grant.

Other groups may apply through a non-profit organization that agrees to act as a fiscal agent and to accept responsibility for meeting the terms of the grant award. View a list of Frequently Asked Questions Project Grant Frequently Asked Questions Project grant applications are reviewed three times per year.

In 2026, our grant deadlines are: Winter/Spring: Wednesday, February 18 with notification of award decision by Wednesday, April 8 projects to be completed by the end of April, 2027 Summer: Wednesday, May 20 with notification of award decision by Wednesday, July 1 projects to be completed by the end of July, 2027 Fall: Wednesday, September 9 with notification of award decision by Wednesday, October 28 projects to be completed by the end of November, 2027 To apply for a Project grant, complete our online application form using the Submittable platform.

APPLY FOR A FAll 2026 PROJECT GRANT See the questions ahead of time! View the PDF of the information that will be requested during the application process about your organization and project, including narrative questions. Ask questions of our Grants team!

Due to drastic budget cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities, we no longer have the staffing capacity to hold one-on-one meetings with potential applicants. Monday, August 17 at 4:30 pm Thursday, August 20 at 4:00 pm Wednesday, September 2 at 4:00 pm The registration form will ask you to submit any questions you might have ahead of time. We may add additional sessions, depending on the demand for these Q&A events.

Vermont Humanities staff performs an initial grant review of all applications to ensure eligibility before sharing the applications with our grant review committee, which is made up of members of our Board of Directors and other community members in Vermont.

The committee uses the following criteria to evaluate proposals for funding: Mission: The project uses humanities tools and meets Vermont Humanities’ mission to connect with people across Vermont to create just, vibrant, and resilient communities and to inspire a lifelong love of learning.

Engagement: The project provides opportunities to increase understanding of the humanities in public life, build civic engagement, or encourage democratic practice. Collaboration: The project includes strategies that value collaboration and partnership. Location: The project will take place in an underserved, rural, or under-resourced community.

Population: The project includes leaders from and/or substantially engages with Native people or People of Color, LGBTQ+ folks, people with disabilities, or others who may have historically lacked access to humanities-related funding. Access: The project is fully accessible, meets or exceeds ADA guidelines, and increases community commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.

Evaluation: The organizers understand how to set goals and evaluate success. If awarded, we ask grantees to commit to: Returning the signed Grant Agreement. Providing us with event information for any activities open to the public.

Submitting a Final Report within 90 days after the project ends. This will be sent to you via Submittable. Vermont Humanities now uses the online Submittable platform to manage grant applications for a number of our programs, including Project Grants and Vermont Reads .

Please note that you will be prompted to create a Submittable account in order to apply for a Vermont Humanities grant. Learn more about using Submittable . You can browse our Submittable homepage to view our available grant opportunities.

Vermont Humanities*** December 18, 2020 Our seasonal “Words in the Woods” program allows Vermonters and visitors to enjoy our state’s natural beauty while listening to and reading literature in the outdoors. Humanities Camps are filled with reading and writing projects, field trips, and outdoor activities. We won a 2020 Schwartz Prize for best public humanities programming in the U.S. for Vermont Reads 2019: “March: Book One.

” We supported the Chandler Center for the Arts’ Global Connections Youth Outreach program, which highlights artists from around the world. Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.