Promotion of the Humanities Challenge Grants (45.130)
Promotion of the Humanities Challenge Grants (Assistance Listing 45.130) is run by the National Endowment for the Humanities. It awarded $49.4 million in 193 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $255,713 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $200,000. Half of the 193 awards fell between $46,173 and $498,577, and they ranged from $2,500 to $750,000.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$49.4 million
- Grant awards193
- Typical award$200,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$6.3 million
- Size rank1046 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $7.2 million in fiscal 2021 to $6.3 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1046th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 28% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 42 states and territories.
What the program funds
To strengthen institutional base and organizational capacity for work in the humanities by providing funds that are matched with cash contributions from nonfederal parties. Successful applicants receive awards in federal matching funds intended to stimulate additional private, state, and local support for humanities organizations.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, public and 501(c)(3) accredited institutions of higher education, state and local governmental agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Funding may be used to create 20-year term endowments that advance the humanities. See D6 of the relevant Notice of Funding Opportunity for funding restrictions.;
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Match ratio 1:1 of non-federal giftsMOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
See https://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/infrastructure-and-capacity-building-challenge-grants.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Applicants may request up to $1,000,000. In fiscal year 2022, the largest award offered was $750,00 and the smallest was $46,173.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Promotion of the Humanities Challenge Grants (45.130) awarded$49.4 million across 193 grant awards, an average of $255,713 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Public Radio | New York | 1 | $750,000 |
| Montana Historical Society | Montana | 1 | $750,000 |
| New York Historical Society | New York | 1 | $750,000 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego | California | 1 | $750,000 |
| Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc. | Virginia | 1 | $750,000 |
| Detroit Opera | Michigan | 1 | $750,000 |
| University of California, Merced | California | 1 | $750,000 |
| Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum | Wyoming | 1 | $750,000 |
| Northwest Indian College Foundation | Washington | 1 | $750,000 |
| Utah State University | Utah | 1 | $750,000 |
| The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | 1 | $750,000 |
| Naperville Heritage Society | Illinois | 1 | $705,000 |
| Toledo Museum of Art | Ohio | 2 | $700,000 |
| Taft Museum of Art | Ohio | 1 | $685,000 |
| Shelburne Museum, Incorporated | Vermont | 1 | $663,687 |
| Mount Vernon Library Charitable Foundation | New Hampshire | 1 | $655,000 |
| Portland Art Museum | Oregon | 1 | $625,000 |
| Korean Cultural Center of Chicago | Illinois | 1 | $600,000 |
| United Society of Shakers Inc | Maine | 1 | $563,089 |
| Shaker Museum & Library | New York | 1 | $554,342 |
Who usually wins
Colleges and universities received 24% of the money.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 142 | $37.4 million | 76% |
| Colleges and universities | 51 | $11.9 million | 24% |
By state
17 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 26 | $7.1 million |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | $4.4 million |
| California | 12 | $3.3 million |
| Oregon | 7 | $3.2 million |
| Michigan | 9 | $3.0 million |
| Illinois | 8 | $2.6 million |
| Ohio | 7 | $2.4 million |
| Texas | 5 | $2.3 million |
| Maine | 5 | $2.1 million |
| Virginia | 6 | $1.7 million |
| New Hampshire | 3 | $1.4 million |
| Missouri | 4 | $1.3 million |
| Tennessee | 4 | $1.3 million |
| Montana | 3 | $1.2 million |
| Wyoming | 4 | $1.2 million |
| Massachusetts | 5 | $1.2 million |
| Washington | 5 | $1.1 million |
| New Mexico | 3 | $988,975 |
| District of Columbia | 6 | $829,537 |
| Utah | 2 | $807,750 |
| Minnesota | 4 | $798,127 |
| Vermont | 6 | $768,945 |
| Colorado | 3 | $699,020 |
| Indiana | 5 | $485,679 |
| Hawaii | 2 | $348,905 |
| Louisiana | 4 | $343,808 |
| Connecticut | 1 | $333,136 |
| Alaska | 3 | $313,753 |
| Kentucky | 2 | $303,567 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $269,815 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | $268,202 |
| North Carolina | 4 | $250,278 |
| West Virginia | 1 | $224,875 |
| Mississippi | 2 | $195,386 |
| Florida | 1 | $176,807 |
| Nevada | 1 | $149,653 |
| Kansas | 2 | $90,426 |
| Georgia | 2 | $85,204 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $75,000 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $25,000 |
| North Dakota | 1 | $13,333 |
| South Carolina | 1 | $8,490 |