The 2025–2027 Community Identity and Heritage: Cultural Heritage Grants program is administered by the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC), a nonprofit that seeks to foster a more inclusive and connected society through storytelling and cultural programming. This initiative is funded by the State of Minnesota through the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, which dedicates a portion of state sales tax revenue to the preservation and promotion of arts and cultural heritage. Under the biennial appropriation, MHC will manage and distribute $6,299,000 in grants to eligible individuals and organizations across Minnesota.
The grant aims to support projects that create, celebrate, and educate about the diverse cultures represented throughout Minnesota. This includes Indigenous communities, historically underrepresented groups, recent immigrants, and veterans. The funding is restricted to new work or additions to existing work and may not be used as reimbursement for past projects. Ineligible costs include fundraising, institutional overhead, food expenses in planning stages, out-of-state travel, promotional giveaways, and other specified exclusions.
Applicants may request up to $300,000, with grant terms ending December 31, 2026, and final reports due by January 31, 2027. Advance payments are available based on award size, and MHC withholds 10% of the total award until final reporting and reconciliation are complete. Grants exceeding $50,000 require at least one on-site visit. Applicants requesting $25,000 or more must provide detailed financial documentation, with requirements scaling to organizational revenue.
The application deadline is 6:00 p.m. CST on Monday, December 8, 2025. MHC hosted three virtual information sessions in October and early November 2025. Applications must be submitted through MHC's online grants management system. Organizations can collaborate on applications, though only one may serve as the lead applicant.
Eligible applicants must be in good standing with both the IRS and MHC or apply through a fiscal agent. Projects must align with at least one of MHC’s cultural objectives: preserving Minnesota’s cultural heritage, fostering student outreach in cultural diversity, developing humanities and arts programming, or empowering communities in preserving endangered Indigenous cultures. Evaluation criteria include project alignment, community engagement, project management, and projected impact, with scoring weighted across a 100-point scale.
Contact MHC early; use the budget template; ensure project aligns with at least one core objective; review disallowed cost categories.
