The Indiana Humanities has announced INcommon Grants that provide tax-exempt organizations with funds to develop and implement creative and thoughtful public programs that use humanities ideas, readings and scholars to spark in-depth thinking and conversation around the persistent social, economic, cultural and racial issues that divide their communities.
Goals
Immigration, gentrification, incarceration, policing, institutional racism, and the legacies of segregation in housing and education are issues that continue to affect their communities.
This grant opportunity invites Hoosiers to take a step back and use the humanities to look at the longer histories driving contemporary debates.
They welcome diverse projects from across Indiana, addressing different themes and using a variety of public humanities formats, including reading series and civic reflection discussions; public lectures or panels; film screenings and discussions; or the creation of exhibits, web projects, walking tours or documentary films.
Funding Information
Award: Up to $5,000
Date by Which Projects Must Be Completed: Within one year of notification
What They Support?
As the INcommon name suggests, they’re eager to support proposals that demonstrate how the tools and methods of the humanities are a resource for dialogue, understanding and the stitching together of their social and civic fabric.
They know these histories can be difficult to talk about. They believe the humanities can create a space for people to come together to learn, consider different points of view, model respectful disagreement and discover shared values.
They’ll give high priority to projects that include community discussion and conversation at the heart of their proposed activities. Successful proposals will include input from humanities scholars, including as advisers or facilitators.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an INcommon Grant, you must apply on behalf of a tax-exempt organization.
Schools, public libraries, churches, community organizations and government entities are eligible; 501 (c)3 status is not required.
They will not award INcommon Grants to individuals or for-profit entities. Also, note that they will not give an organization more than one INcommon Grant per calendar year.
Restrictions
Indiana Humanities will not award grants for any of the following purposes:
General operating expenses (i.e., their grants must support the development and implementation of specific public humanities programs)
Activities that promote a particular political, religious or ideological point of view
Advocacy of a particular program of social or political action
Support of specific public policies or legislation
Lobbying
Fundraising
Endowment contributions
Regranting of funds
Purchase of land or focilities, construction or renovation
Property or major equipment purchases (in other words, funds should not be used exclusively for equipment purchases; they may consider funding equipment, however, if it’s a portion of the grant request and will support the overall goal of providing public humanities programming)
Archival acquisitions
Programming that falls outside of the humanities, including the creation or performance of art (see further explanation in the Requirements section above) • Social services
Prizes, awards or scholarships
Publication of books
Foreign travel
Alcoholic beverages
Entertainment (unless it’s a key educational component of the program—for example, musicians for a program on Indiana’s jazz heritage)
