Cultural Heritage Grants
Through the State of Minnesota 2023-2025 biennial legislation, Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (Legacy), the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) will administer $8,850,000 in grants to individuals and/or organizations in Minnesota working to create, celebrate, and teach the art, culture, and heritage of diverse Minnesota communities.
Questions?
Laura Adams
Cultural Heritage Grant Snapshot
| Open To: | Individuals and Organizations | |
| Application Deadline: | December 11, 2023 | |
| Grant Term: | Project activities must be completed no later than May 30, 2025 | |
| Grant Reporting: | Reporting must be completed no later than June 30, 2025 |
Grant Goals
Provide funding to cultural organizations that have a history of working with diverse cultural communities, to encourage them to create programming and educational opportunities in Minnesota that:
- Preserve and honor the cultural heritage of Minnesota.
- Provide education and student outreach on cultural diversity.
- Expand the development of culturally diverse humanities programming in Minnesota.
- Empower communities in building identity and culture.
MHC will award $8,000,000 in Cultural Heritage grants, less an allowable administrative fee to MHC for design, award, and monitoring of the grant program. The legislation calls for at least $2,000,000 to be awarded for grants in the amount of at least $150,000.
If you request $25,000 or more, you will need to submit financial documentation with your application.
An individual or organization awarded a Cultural Heritage grant must demonstrate one of the following:
- Preserve and honor the cultural heritage of Minnesota;
- Provide education and student outreach on cultural diversity;
- Support the development of culturally diverse humanities programming, including arts programming, by individuals and organizations; or
- Empower communities in building identity and culture, including preserving and honoring communities whose Indigenous cultures are endangered or disappearing.
Any organization is eligible to receive grant funding if it is in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in good standing with MHC, has no outstanding open grants with MHC and actively and regularly seeks to create, celebrate, and teach the art, culture, and heritage of diverse Minnesota communities, including but not limited to:
- African American community,
- Asian and Pacific Island communities,
- Indigenous communities with a focus on the 11 Tribes within Minnesota,
- Latinx communities,
- LGBTQIA+ community,
- Somali diaspora and other African immigrant communities, and
- Other underrepresented cultural groups to celebrate the cultural diversity of Minnesota.
RFP posted: September 14, 2023
Proposal narrative & budget feedback available through: 4:30 p.m. CDT, Monday, December 4, 2023
Applications due no later than: 11:59 p.m. CDT, December 11, 2023
Applications under review: January 2024
Award notifications (grant agreement negotiations begin): January/February 2024
All applicants will be reviewed on a 125-point scale and go through a financial review process. The factors on which applicants will be scored are:
- Project details – How does the project align with at least one of the following):
- Preserve and honor the cultural heritage of Minnesota.
- Provide education and student outreach on cultural diversity.
- Support the development of culturally diverse humanities programing.
- Empower communities in building identity and cultural, including but not limited to preserving and honoring communities whose Indigenous cultures are endangered or disappearing.
- Community Involvement – How was the Community involved in the development of the project.
- Evaluation – Success of the project clearly defined and clear evaluation process.
- Impact – Audience and impact on audience clearly defined.
- Project Management – How will reporting of expenses and hours be correctly reported, compliance with Minnesota competitive bid laws, and will the project be completed on time.
Applicants must submit complete applications to be considered eligible. Applications contain the following sections:
- Applicant Contact Information
- Project Overview
- Project Narrative
- Project Budget
Please do not submit any additional materials other than what is requested, such as binders or photos, in the application.
Unrequested material will not be reviewed.
Legacy funding requires awarded funds support new work or new additions to existing work. These funds must supplement, not supplant (substitute) other funding sources. In other words, this funding cannot replace expenses for ongoing projects.
Legacy funding may not be used to:
- Cover costs expensed before the grant agreement is fully signed.
- Start, match, add to, or complete any type of capital campaign.
- Support capital costs (such as improvements, construction, property, or equipment).
- Pay for indirect costs or other institutional overhead charges that are not directly related and proportional to, and necessary for, the activities outlined in the project proposal.
- Support benefits and fundraisers.
- Purchase promotional giveaway items like t-shirts, keychains, etc.
- Fund out-of-state expenses, including out-of-state travel.
If an individual, organization, or project does not meet all the above requirements, we will not consider the application.
If you have any questions about this RFP please contact:
Laura Adams
Minnesota Humanities Center
Grants Administrator
987 Ivy Avenue East
St. Paul, MN 55016
laura.adams@mnhum.org
651-772-4244
