Indiana Humanities Mini-Grants

Indiana Humanities Mini-Grants are designed to provide financial support to tax-exempt organizations throughout Indiana to facilitate high-quality public humanities programming. Administered by Indiana Humanities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the public humanities across the state, these grants aim to ensure that Hoosiers from diverse communities have access to enriching educational experiences grounded in the humanities. The program recognizes the importance of fostering critical thinking, dialogue, and engagement with historical, philosophical, ethical, and cultural subjects. It plays a pivotal role in supporting grassroots initiatives that enhance quality of life and strengthen communities through thoughtful programming. These grants support projects that incorporate various humanities disciplines, such as literature, history, philosophy, ethics, archaeology, and comparative religion. Funded projects may take diverse formats, including public workshops, lectures, discussion groups, exhibitions, podcasts, and documentary films. The common requirement is that these programs use the humanities as a vehicle for civic engagement and public education. Proposals are assessed for how well they incorporate scholarly expertise and present content to a public audience in accessible, engaging ways. While the grant allows artistic components, Indiana Humanities typically discourages projects centered on art creation or performance unless paired with substantial humanities interpretation. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt organizations such as libraries, K–12 schools, universities, museums, churches, and government entities. Individuals, for-profit entities, and fiscally-sponsored groups are not eligible. Only one mini-grant may be awarded per organization per calendar year, and all recipients must provide a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through SAM.gov to access funds. Additionally, proposals must demonstrate a clear and executable plan, designate scholars and team members, and ensure that programming venues are ADA-compliant or that suitable accommodations are provided. Mini-grants are awarded on a rolling basis, with applications due by the last day of each month. Projects may begin upon notification of funding and must be completed within one year of award. Notification typically occurs within four weeks after each monthly deadline. Funding is capped at $1,000 per project, and while there is no matching requirement, Indiana Humanities carefully reviews proposed budgets to ensure funds support eligible activities and align with the goals of the program. Grant funds cannot be used for general operating expenses, political or ideological advocacy, international travel, or non-humanities programming, among other restrictions. Applications must be submitted via the Indiana Humanities online grants portal, with specific guidance provided in the Mini-Grant Call for Proposals document. Reviewers evaluate each submission based on four weighted criteria: humanities focus, organizational capacity, relevance to community needs, and budget clarity. Proposals that receive favorable feedback but are not funded may be revised and resubmitted in future cycles. To support prospective applicants, Indiana Humanities offers direct assistance in proposal development and encourages early engagement to ensure projects align with program objectives and compliance requirements. Overall, the Indiana Humanities Mini-Grants program plays a vital role in advancing public access to the humanities throughout Indiana by empowering local organizations to bring scholarly-informed, community-focused programs to the public. The funding structure is designed to be accessible and efficient, helping institutions of all sizes—from rural libraries to urban schools—bring meaningful humanities content to their constituents.