Michigan Humanities

What makes community life worthwhile? Is it the relationships you build over time with family, friends and co-workers? What about the good times and memories from attending annual festivals and events? Or is it the experience of working through difficult times that bonds us together? Maybe it’s the familiarity of people and places…all part of the human experience.

The study of the humanities offers a deeper understanding of ourselves and others by confronting us with the questions, values and meanings of the human experience. From an academic perspective, that includes the study of ethics, history, literature, philosophy, art history and criticism, film studies, linguistics, jurisprudence, languages, comparative religion and the history of science.

As one of 56 state (and territories) humanities councils in the country, Michigan Humanities was founded in 1974 as a result of federal legislation. Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Michigan Humanities also actively seeks grants, sponsorships and individual donations to further support cultural programming for Michigan communities.

Bridging Michigan

Bridging Michigan grants provide Michigan nonprofits with funding that can be used to spark in-depth thinking and conversation around the persistent social, economic, and cultural issues of systemic inequity that divide our communities. This grant opportunity invites Michiganders to reflect and use the humanities to look at the longer histories driving contemporary debates. Diverse projects from across Michigan, addressing different themes and using a variety of public humanities formats, including reflective conversations, reading series, film screenings with discussions, web projects, walking tours, public lectures and panels, and the creation of exhibits are invited to apply.

This responsive line of grant funding will allow nonprofits to respond to community needs in a timely and intentional way. The goal of this funding opportunity is to empower Michiganders to be part of the dialogue. Michigan Humanities is committed to bridging the divide through conversations, funding, and capacity building to address systemic inequities in the state.

Humanities Scholar

At least one humanities professional, or community content expert, is required to participate in the project. Humanities and content advisors can be scholars, professionals, or community-based experts that have experience in at least one of the humanities disciplines. They may be teachers, writers, editors, librarians, archivists, curators, or persons otherwise engaged. Advisors may also be derived from diverse cultural traditions where learning occurs outside the traditional academic environment. Therefore, some may be without advanced degrees but also qualify as humanities or content advisors. These advisors encourage dialogue, critical thinking, and analysis. They contribute knowledge, methods, and resources that are at the core of the humanities.

Mission

To nurture environmentally healthy and culturally vibrant communities in Metropolitan Detroit, consistent with sustainable business models, and support initiatives to restore the Great Lakes Ecosystem.

We will only consider requests from eligible non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations for:

• The development or significant expansion of programs that meet our desired outcomes.
• General operating support for organizations whose core work fits our mission. Matching funds or other conditions may be required for these grants.

Environment Program

Desired Outcome: An environmentally healthy City of Detroit, Metropolitan Detroit region, and Great Lakes Ecosystem.

Great Lakes

Stewardship

Our Desired Outcome is healthy Great Lakes, evidenced by increased stewardship and improved water quality in the Bayfield, Clinton, Detroit, Huron, Raisin, and Rouge watersheds.

To achieve that outcome, we support efforts to increase individual and institutional stewardship; improve understanding of emerging contaminants; and coordinate best practices and policies at the state, federal, and binational levels.

We will measure impact through reporting on water quality in our target watersheds.

Agricultural Runoff

Our Desired Outcome is to improve the health of the western basin of Lake Erie by reducing phosphorus from runoff and subsurface drainage from agricultural fields. We aim for a 50 percent reduction from the 2008 baseline loading levels by 2025.

To achieve that outcome, we support efforts to increase farmers’ adoption of sustainable conservation practices, including education, policies, market drivers, and financial incentives, and to engage businesses developing those solutions.

We will measure progress by tracking phosphorus loads into western Lake Erie.

Urban Runoff

Our Desired Outcome is to reduce urban runoff to improve the water quality of Southeast Michigan rivers and the Great Lakes.

To achieve that outcome, we support regional collaboration, research, and policy efforts that result in water quality improvements and climate resiliency.

We will measure impact through reporting on water quality in our target watersheds.

Environmental Health & Justice

Lead

Our Desired Outcome is a reduction in elevated blood lead levels in children in Detroit and Wayne County through reduced lead exposure in housing and soil.

To achieve that outcome, we support efforts to develop cost-effective remediation methods for homeowners; incentives for landlords to reduce exposure in rental properties; collaboration between property owners, businesses, government, and nonprofit organizations; and design of effective policies and policy enforcement through increased public education and engagement.

We will measure impact by tracking the number of children with elevated blood lead levels in Detroit and Wayne County.

Asthma

Our Desired Outcome is a reduction in incidences of asthma in Detroit and Wayne County through improved ambient air quality.

To achieve that outcome, we support efforts to develop new methods to measure, improve and monitor air quality; and design effective policies and policy enforcement.

We will measure impact by tracking incidences of asthma in Detroit and Wayne County.

Sustainable Business

Our Desired Outcome is that Southeast Michigan is a national leader in sustainable business, and the regional business community is collaboratively engaged in a flourishing and just economy, society, and environment.

To achieve that outcome, we support efforts to build capacity for businesses of all sizes to implement sustainable practices; connect organizations with regional sustainability leaders; and bridge the gaps in our education-to-professional pipeline through internships, mentoring, and curriculum.

We will measure impact through an annual review and report of the sustainable business landscape in the region.

NOTE: Not all Regions offer Round 2 (winter deadline) funding. Please contact your Regional Services Agency to confirm if Round 2 funding is available.

About Us

CultureSource is a member association for non-profit arts and cultural organizations in Southeast Michigan serving Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe and St. Clair counties. As a regional service organization, we do this work through hosting professional development workshops that grow creative and leadership capacities, presenting programs that provide space for exchanging ideas about arts and culture, and leading initiatives that bring together stakeholders interested in the public accessing creative expression.

Mission

Our mission is to advance the work of organizations that cultivate creative and cultural expression in Southeast Michigan.

History

Founded in 2007 as the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan, on January 1, 2013, we became CultureSource, the source for arts and culture in southeast Michigan. With its establishment, CultureSource filled a void major organizations identified in the region based on shared needs for capacity building, advocacy and marketing resources, welcoming small and mid-size organizations into the conversation. Quickly, CultureSource grew from 32 member organizations to 72, now serving over 170 annually.

Supporting the Arts in Wayne County

CultureSource serves as the regranting agency for the Michigan Arts and Culture Council Minigrant program in Region 10, serving Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.

Through administering this program, CultureSource manages four minigrant opportunities geared towards nonprofits and institutions, artists, and schools in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.

Arts Project Grants

The Minigrant program is a partnership between the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) and Regional Services Agencies throughout the state within fifteen (15) regions determined by county(ies). The Arts Projects Minigrant program is a competitive grant program that provides support for production, presentation and creation of arts and culture that promotes public engagement, diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening or livability of communities through locally developed arts and culture.

Minigrant Arts Projects provide up to $4,000 for special opportunities to address arts and cultural needs locally. These projects connect communities with the world by exploring, sharing and supporting creative expression, and by doing, so they promote the health and well-being of communities and citizens throughout our state. We believe that by sharing creative experiences and expressing our creativity, we build powerful connections with the people we are closest to, with our community, the world around us and with ourselves.

NOTE: The Community Impact grant program employs a two-step application process. Step one is the submission of a LOI. The LOI should succinctly describe the proposed project and detail how it meets the priorities of the fund. After review by the Foundation’s professional staff and Board of Trustees, a select group of projects will be invited to submit full applications.

Greater Toledo Community Foundation is a public charitable organization created by citizens of our community to enrich the quality of life for individuals and families in our service area. The Foundation serves northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan with a particular emphasis on the greater Toledo area. Grants from the Community Impact grant program support a variety of services in the fields of education, social services, physical and mental health, neighborhood and urban affairs, natural resources, and the arts.

The Community Impact grant program provides seed money for new, innovative programming that addresses unmet community needs or expands successful programming to reach unique audiences.

Emphasis is placed on programs that will: Create safe, positive living environments; Enable families to develop the skills/resources needed to support and nurture each member; and Foster the development of responsible young people who are capable of achieving their fullest potential. 

Battlefield Preservation Fund

Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning

Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach

Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Guidelines

Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for preservation projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector.

A small grant at the right time can go a long way and is often the catalyst that inspires a community to take action on a preservation project. Grants generally start at $2,500 and range up to $5,000. The selection process is very competitive.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning: Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach: Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

NOTE: All applicants must be invited to apply for a grant from Bayer Fund. Invitation codes can be requested from the Bayer site in your community or through the Contact Us page.

We support high-quality educational programming by schools and nonprofit organizations that enable access to knowledge and information and empower students and teachers in communities around the nation, with a focus on furthering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education. Priority is given to programs that take place during the school day, but also includes after school and summer programs, technical training programs, and academic programs that enrich or supplement school programs.

The in-school educational programs we support target grades K-12 and under-served students (50%+ students qualify for free/reduced lunch) and take place during the school day. The after school and summer programs we support include those offered by youth development organizations that take place outside of the regular school day and provide students in grades K-12 with opportunities to enhance their skills and interests through exposure to STEM fields.

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach/impact of the organization.

NOTE: Draft proposals are an optional tool for grantees to help hone their final applications and to ensure their projects comply with Humanities Grant guidelines. 

Michigan Humanities

Our Mission

To inspire us to come together in creative and freely expressed ways to deepen our understanding of ourselves and enrich our communities.

Our Vision

We are a sustainable, passionate, unifying force that is the humanities leader throughout the state.

Humanities Grants 

Humanities Grants emphasize collaboration among cultural, educational and community-based organizations and institutions in order to serve Michigan’s people with public humanities programming. These grants play a vital role in defining our culture, our state, our community and ourselves, and are intended to connect us to Michigan’s rich cultural heritage and historical resources through initiatives that help the people of our state reason together and learn from one another. 

Humanities projects help shape our individuality and community; pose fundamental questions about the past, present, and future; inspire us to ask who we are and what our lives should mean; and connect and unite us to all of humankind.

Humanities grants support opportunities to engage the public with the humanities. Grant projects may include:

• events,
• museum exhibitions,
• film and book discussions,
• documentaries,
• performances,
• other public activities.

Project Advisors

At least one humanities professional/scholar is required to participate in the project.

Project Advisors can be humanities scholars, professionals, or community-based experts with subject expertise relevant to the proposed project. Project Advisors encourage dialogue, critical thinking, and analysis and they contribute knowledge, methods, and resources that are at the core of the humanities.

About the Illinois Arts Council Agency

The Illinois Arts Council Agency was created as a state agency by the Illinois General Assembly in 1965 through legislation sponsored by Senators Paul Simon, Thomas McGloon, and Alan Dixon. The agency is governed by up to twenty-one private citizens chosen for their demonstrated commitment to the arts and appointed by the Governor. Council members serve in a voluntary, non-paid capacity and are charged with developing the state’s public arts policy, fostering quality culturally diverse programs, and approving grants expenditures. A small professional staff with in-depth knowledge of the arts develops and administers the agency’s programs, provides technical assistance, and ensures the responsible and impactful distribution of all funds. Resources to support the Illinois Arts Council Agency are provided by the Governor and General Assembly of Illinois and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About GIG Fund

The GIG Fund provides flexible grants for nonprofit organizations to support programs and activities featuring professional artists. GIG Fund grants help cover fees for touring or local artists. Funds may also be used for project costs such as accessibility accommodations and marketing. We work with a panel to help us review applications and distribute grants annually.Sample activities include:

• A rural community hosting a short artist residency at a local school.
• An artist hosting a creative writing program with justice-impacted citizens.
• An artist talkback or meet & greet in an exhibition featuring the work of LGBTQ+ photographers.
• Presenting a concert series focused on the music of BIPOC composers.
• Initiating a new partnership to provide art classes with people with disabilities.