Emergency Response 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 organizations in Minnesota working to create, celebrate, and teach the art, culture, and heritage of diverse Minnesota communities.
Questions?
Laura Adams
Emergency Response Grant Snapshot
| Open To: | Organizations |
| Application Deadline: | Rolling through October 14, 2024 |
| Grant Term: | Project activities must be completed no later than September 15, 2024 |
| Grant Reporting: | Reporting must be completed no later than October 15, 2024 |
Grant Goals
Provide funding to cultural organizations that have a history of working with diverse cultural communities to quickly assist community in responding to crisis or major events brought about by violence, strife, intolerance, or hatred.
MHC will award $100,000 in Emergency Response grants, less allowable administrative fee to MHC for design, award, and monitoring of the grant program, on a rolling basis to organizations until October 15, 2024. An organization can be awarded up to $30,000. If you request $25,000 or more, you will need to submit financial documentation with your application.
MHC’s Emergency Response grant is designed for a one-time response to a recent event/crisis/tragedy/or creating a specific memorial in response to a recent event/crisis/tragedy. It can be used to assist communities responding to the event or crisis in Minnesota to facilitate the:
- Process of grieving,
- Encourage healing,
- Create memorials, and/or
- Assist in recovery of the community.
If you have specific questions regarding the Emergency Response Grant opportunity contact MHC’s Grant’s team to discuss the project prior to applying (contact information can be found under the Technical Assistance tab).
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.
While decisions will be made on a competitive basis, they will be made on a rolling basis. The funding opportunity will begin on September 14, 2023. We anticipate being able to respond to applications within ten (10) days of submission of the completed applications.
All applicants will be reviewed on a 100-point scale and go through a financial review process. The factors on which applicants will be scored are:
- Project Details – Significance of the crisis or emergency, timeliness of the response, and how well the project meets the needs of the community.
- Community Involvement – How stakeholders were involved in the project.
- Evaluation – Success of the project clearly defined and clear evaluation process.
- Impact – Audience and impact on the audience clearly defined.
- Project Management – How will the reporting of expenses and hours be correctly reported and will the project be completed on time.
Applicants are encouraged to apply online through MHC’s grants management system. Applicants may review the full application here (PDF).
We recommend reviewing the full application prior to logging on and setting up an account. You may save your initial application entries and subsequently return to the document to finish your application.
Access In-Progress Application
The budget template can be found under the Additional Information tab.
Applicants must submit complete applications to be considered. 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.
Please make sure that your proposal only seeks funding for events and activities that are allowable. Minnesota law does not allow legacy funding to 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 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
If applying in English is a barrier or you need a reasonable accommodation to submit your application, please contact Grants Administrator, Laura Adams, at laura.adams@mnhum.org.
