Virginia Humanities Rapid Grant Program

Virginia Humanities’ Rapid Grants are designed to support public humanities projects that are smaller in scale and duration compared to their Regular Grants. These grants provide up to $5,000 and are ideal for initiatives that can be completed within a nine-month period. The entire grant amount is disbursed at once following the decision date, streamlining funding for short-term efforts that directly engage the public in humanities-based programs. The Rapid Grants program funds a variety of project types including public forums, community history projects, book or film discussions, conferences with public components, curriculum resources for K-12, exhibitions (physical or online), festivals, teacher institutes, lecture series, and media production such as podcasts or digital content. It also supports print publications, research with a public component, and travel expenses for project personnel. However, the program does not fund advocacy or politically-oriented content, international travel, indirect costs, alcoholic beverages, building renovations, or general awards and gifts. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or another eligible organization. They cannot apply to both the Rapid and Regular Grants simultaneously, nor can they apply if they received a grant in the immediate prior cycle. Additionally, applicants may not hold two active grants at once and must complete final reporting on a prior grant before reapplying. A project may be funded in two cycles, but not more than twice. Applications are managed through an online grants portal. A sample budget, which must be used without modification, is embedded in the application. The next opportunity to apply opens on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 9:00 AM, and the application deadline is Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Decisions will be announced on Monday, June 16, 2025. For more information or assistance, applicants can contact Virginia Humanities at their main office located at 946 Grady Ave. Ste. 100, Charlottesville, VA 22903. They can be reached via phone at (434) 924-3296 or by email at info@VirginiaHumanities.org.