NEH Challenge Grants

There is a massive amount of information about NEH challenge grants online; because the dollar amounts are large, the amount of information is, too. These are capacity-building grants intended to help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements in and support for their humanities programs and resources. 

Deadline: May 1, 2013.

Through these awards, many organizations and institutions have been able to increase their humanities capacity and secure the permanent support of an endowment. Grants may be used to establish or enhance endowments or spend-down funds that generate expendable earnings to support and enhance ongoing program activities. Challenge grants may also provide capital directly supporting the procurement of long-lasting objects, such as acquisitions for archives and collections, the purchase of equipment, and the construction or renovation of facilities needed for humanities activities. Funds spent directly must be shown to bring long-term benefits to the institution and to the humanities more broadly. Grantee institutions may also expend up to 10 percent of total grant funds (federal funds plus matching funds) to defray costs of fundraising to meet the NEH challenge. Because of the matching requirement, these NEH grants also strengthen the humanities by encouraging nonfederal sources of support.

In the last five competitions the Challenge Grants program received an average of 103 applications per year. The program made an average of 16 awards per year, for a funding ratio of 16 percent.

FAQ ; past examples include many libraries and library / museum collaborations.

Activities supported

Challenge grant funds (both federal and nonfederal together) must enhance the humanities in the long term. Challenge grant funds should not merely replace funds already being expended on the humanities, but instead should reflect careful strategic planning to strengthen and enrich the institution’s humanities activities and commitment to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the humanities. Institutions may use challenge grant funds to meet both ongoing and one-time humanities-related costs. Award recipients might use federal challenge grant funds, as well as funds raised for matching, for purposes such as the following:

·         salaries and benefits for humanities faculty and staff;

·         acquisitions for collections;

·         faculty, teacher, and staff development;

·         research fellowships;

·         lecture or exhibition series;

·         visiting scholars or consultants;

·         publishing subventions; and

·         programs for preserving and conserving collections.

Through direct expenditure, grantees could use challenge grant funds to support

·         capital expenditures, such as the purchase, construction, or renovation of facilities (see “Special requirements for construction and renovation projects” in Section IV below);

·         acquisitions for collections;

·         the purchase of equipment and software; and

·         fundraising costs (totaling no more than 10 percent of all challenge grant funds—that is, federal funds plus matching funds).