Cultural and Community Resilience

The NEH Cultural and Community Resilience program provides grants of up to $150,000 to support efforts addressing the impacts of climate change and COVID-19 on communities through the safeguarding of cultural resources and fostering cultural resilience. The program prioritizes projects from disadvantaged communities in the United States and its jurisdictions. These projects should fall into one of two categories: community collecting initiatives or oral history programs, with a focus on documenting or preserving cultural heritage and community experiences. Eligible project activities may include collaborative planning to identify cultural resources, digital documentation of cultural and historical materials, recording oral histories, preserving traditional knowledge and practices, and establishing shared protocols for rapid response collecting. Projects can range from preliminary planning to final implementation and should utilize inclusive methodologies such as oral histories, participatory archiving, and community-centered access. Open access resources and Creative Commons licensing are encouraged when appropriate. Applicants should budget for two project team members to attend a two-day meeting in Washington, D.C., in May 2026. The application will be available on February 20, 2025, with a deadline of May 20, 2025. Awards will be announced by December 31, 2025, with projects starting as early as February 1, 2026, or September 1, 2026. In the 2023 competition, 11 of the 26 eligible applications were funded, reflecting a 42% funding ratio.