West Virginia Humanities Media Grants

The West Virginia Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, supports nonprofit organizations that offer humanities-centered public programming for West Virginia audiences. The Council defines humanities as including disciplines such as language, literature, history, law, philosophy, archaeology, comparative religion, ethics, art history, and aspects of the social sciences that employ humanistic methods. The Council offers a range of grant types including Major, Mini, Media, Publication, Fellowship, Travel Assistance, and Teacher Institute grants. Eligible projects must be rooted in one or more humanities disciplines, involve qualified humanities scholars or expert practitioners, and be sponsored by a nonprofit organization unless applying for Travel Assistance or Fellowships. Projects must also secure dollar-for-dollar matching funds and a 25% cash match for requests over $2,000, provide a comprehensive plan for publicity, and be accessible to public audiences. Funding can be used for a variety of allowable expenses including honoraria, project-specific staff salaries, travel, supplies, publicity, and equipment rental. Ineligible costs include regular staff salaries, creative and performing arts alone, purchase of equipment or land, food, alcohol, and any expenses incurred before grant approval. The Council encourages projects that foster community collaboration, engage scholars with the public, and provide ongoing educational impact. Applications require detailed narratives, budgets, and information about participating scholars. Specific instructions and guidelines are provided depending on the grant type. Media grants, for example, have a maximum award of $20,000 and support the planning, scripting, and production of audio, video, or web-based materials. The application must include a schedule of activities and clearly articulate project goals and evaluation methods. Contact for grant inquiries is Erin Riebe, Grants Administrator, reachable at riebe@wvhumanities.org or 304-346-8500. Media Grant applications close on September 1, 2025. Other grant types may have different deadlines and application cycles. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the Council early in the process to discuss project ideas and ensure eligibility. Prior recipients include innovative public humanities projects such as the interactive documentary Hollow, the Burning Springs documentary, and the Traveling 219 website.

Contact the Grants Administrator before applying. Provide a clear plan for publicity and evaluation. Engage qualified scholars and articulate their credentials. Ensure all match and budget calculations are accurate. Demonstrate community collaboration and outreach.