Opportunity Grants
Opportunity grants provide financial support to nonprofit partners for public humanities projects. It is designed to encourage nonprofits to use humanities projects – those that engage the audience’s skills of inquiry, analysis, and reflection, and provide the historical and social contexts with which to do so – to strengthen work in their communities.
These projects are opportunities to educate, build, and coalesce Tennessee communities around the issues that propel a nonprofit’s mission. Whether you’re sharing local history, cultivating participation in the arts, conserving a watershed, safeguarding your neighborhood, or developing the workforce, the humanities can herald creative solutions and community improvement.
Eligible recipients include:
- Tennessee non-profits with a committed interest in using public humanities projects to further their missions, and that have an annual budget of $150,000 or less.
Using the Opportunity Grant:
This grant program does not require the submission of a grant application. Instead, partners must provide Humanities Tennessee with:
• a request form (available from our office);
• a letter describing the project, the project expenditures, and how the project furthers the organization’s goals;
• additional supporting materials as necessary.
There is no deadline; requests are considered on a first come, first serve basis, and for up to a maximum of $2,500 each. Electronic submissions are strongly encouraged, and may expedite the review process.
What is NOT ELIGIBLE for Humanities Tennessee’s funding:
- Advocacy or social action
- Direct services (e.g., social, legal, health services, training or counseling)
- Projects for fundraising purposes
- Building, construction, restoration, preservation, or archival projects
- The purchase of equipment not vital to the project and solely in support of the project’s public humanities activities
- Library or museum acquisitions
- Individuals, fellowships, scholarships
- Research or conferences for scholarly or professional audiences
- Academic courses for credit
- Art activities or performances without examination of their social, historical or aesthetic context
- Food and beverage costs for audiences or alcoholic beverages
- Expenses incurred or paid before an application is approved by Humanities Tennessee
- Ongoing, routine activities, including operational support, or annual events
Funding Statement
Humanities Tennessee’s Board of Directors holds the expectation that the foundational approach, interpretive themes, and audience outcomes for all funded projects are guided by the following values:
- Accountability
- Agency
- Complexity
- Empathy
- Inclusivity
- Specificity
Contact Us
To learn more about the Opportunity Grants or meet with our staff, please contact Melissa Davis, Director, Grants & Public Programs: melissa@humtn.org or 615-770-0006, ext. 8016.