NJCH is pleased to provide rapid-response support for New Jersey humanities programs through our new COVID-19 Response Grants. As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) received $75 million for emergency relief efforts. The agency allotted a significant portion of those funds to its network of nonprofit state humanities councils, including the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

NJCH offers two different awards through this grant program:

General Operating Support grants are available to 501c3 nonprofit organizations that have a mission rooted in the public humanities and an organizational budget greater than $50,000.

Program Support grants are available for organizations who undertake humanities programs, whether or not their organization’s primary mission is based in the humanities. Requests must be for programs already in process as of March 27, 2020 (the date of the passage of the CARES Act), NOT new programs.

Please read the guidelines and FAQs in full before beginning your application.

What are the humanities? The humanities examine our history, cultures, values, and beliefs. The public humanities take these ideas out of classrooms to engage broad public audiences in that examination.

The humanities help us to analyze our complex society and make thoughtful decisions based on inquiry, evaluation, and empathy. They can help us to think critically about activities and issues of importance to communities, offer historical and cultural perspective, and broaden our thinking. Humanities fields include (but are not limited to) anthropology, archaeology, area studies, art and architectural history and criticism, cultural studies, economics, ethics, ethnic studies, folklore, gender and sexuality studies, geography, history, history of science and technology, international studies, jurisprudence, languages and linguistics, literature, music history and criticism, philosophy, political science, religion and comparative religion, sociology, theater history and criticism. (You can read more about the public humanities by clicking here.)

Applicants may apply for only ONE type of COVID-19 Response Grant: either General Operating Support or Program Support, not both. Organizations that have an open NJCH Action or Incubation Grant, or that have recently applied for one of those grants and are awaiting notification, may apply for a General Operating Support grant ONLY, assuming the institution meets all other eligibility criteria.

IMPORTANT: This process may be updated or amended to reflect changing circumstances. Please check back frequently for updates.

For General Operating Support Grants
Any 501c3 nonprofit institution based in New Jersey whose mission is in the public humanities. Organizations must have been granted their 501c3 status at least one year ahead of application, per their designation letter from the IRS.

Types of eligible institutions:
• Museums that focus on humanities subjects.
• Libraries and archives.
• Historical societies and heritage organizations.
• Other cultural and community nonprofits with missions that involve the humanities.

Institutions that are not eligible for this type of grant include:
• Colleges and universities, including affiliated centers, institutes, foundations, etc.
• K-12 educational institutions.
• Departments or agencies of government (other than municipal libraries).
• Arts and cultural organizations whose mission focuses on the creation, performance, skill-building around, and display of art.
• For-profit businesses.

For Program Support Grants
Any 501c3 nonprofit institution or agency or department of state or local government based in New Jersey that undertakes public humanities programs, whether or not the organization’s primary mission is based in the humanities. These grants will allow organizations to continue their public humanities work and/or to re-format humanities work for different modalities or new technologies.

Applications must be for programs that are already in process, not new programs. Organizations who have an open NJCH Incubation or Action Grant or who are waiting for decision on an open application may not apply for a Program Support grant.

Types of eligible institutions:
• Museums, libraries, and archives.
• Historical societies and heritage organizations.
• Nonprofit organizations who have existing programs in the public humanities, such as arts or social service organizations.
• College and university departments, affiliated centers, or institutes.
• Departments or agencies of state or local government.

Institutions that are not eligible for this type of grant include:
• Any organization with an open or pending NJCH Incubation or Action Grant (these organizations may apply for a General Operating Support Grant instead, if they meet all other criteria).
• K-12 educational institutions
• For-profit businesses.

Again, applicants may only apply for one type of COVID-19 Response Grant (either General Operating Support -OR- Program Support.)

Below is a list of helpful questions about the COVID-19 Response funding opportunities.

No. A single organization can only apply for one type of COVID-19 Response Grant.

First assess whether you are in fact eligible for both grants. Please note that only organizations with a mission rooted in the humanities may apply for General Operating Support and Project Support is only available for pre-existing programs that were impacted by COVID-19. If you meet the criteria for both grants, consider what grant would be most crucial for the ongoing health of your organization and its humanities programs.

If you have an open NJCH Incubation or Action Grant, you can only apply for a General Operating Support Grant, assuming your organization meets the rest of the criteria to do so.

Organizations who are waiting to hear if they have received an NJCH Incubation or Action Grant can apply for a General Operating Support Grant only, assuming the organization meets the rest of the criteria to do so. If you do not receive funding for your Incubation or Action project, you may apply for a COVID-19 Response Grant after you receive that notification, assuming the grants are still open and your organization meets all other criteria for the emergency grant.

Yes. The COVID-19 Response Grant will not impact your ability to apply for NJCH’s regular grants. Please note, however, that NHCH has not announced fall grants and may continue to focus on recovery into the fall.

NJCH is committed to supporting the public humanities in the way that best fits our community’s needs. We may adjust our grants program in order to respond to the situation at hand. Please keep an eye on NJCH’s website in late summer for updates and announcements of further funding opportunities.

The best way to contact our program officers is by email. The email address grants@njhumanities.org will reach both Gigi Naglak, Director of Grants and Programs, and James Kirkland, Program Officer, allowing one of them to respond to you quickly and directly. We strongly encourage you to read ALL of the COVID-19 Response Grant information before reaching out to NJCH staff.

NJCH received $649,600 to help sustain the public humanities in New Jersey.

You can learn more about the CARES Act and New Jersey by clicking here and more about the ways in which the CARES Act is benefiting the humanities by clicking here.

You can review the NJCH website to read about the public humanities and learn more about some of the excellent work in the public humanities that NJCH has funded.

Click here for GOS guidelines. Click here for PS guidelines.

Click here for the NJCH COVID-19 General Operating Support Grant Application. Click here for the NJCH COVID-19 Program Support Grant Application.

Yes. It is important to look at any restrictions for how each type of funding may be spent. For example, you can still apply for NJCH if you have applied directly to the NEH for their CARES grants, but the funds may not be used for overlapping project costs. Make sure to read all the guidelines closely and only apply for funds that you need.

Yes! The spring 2020 Incubation and Action Grant applications are proceeding on schedule. Incubation Grants will be announced by the end of May; Action Grants will be announced by the end of June.

Yes. For all NJCH grants, a department, institute, or division of a college or university counts as an organization. However, given that the available emergency grant funds are unlikely to meet the need among humanities organizations and programs around the state, colleges and universities are unlikely to receive more than one grant per institution. The guidelines emphasize that this funding supports the public humanities specifically. Programs that do not have significant public engagement beyond the university community are extremely unlikely to be funded.

No. You will be unable to save your work in the application form and return to it later. We strongly encourage you to work on your grant responses in a separate document and copy and paste your finalized responses into the fields.

Yes. Two webinars were held during March.  Click below to access the recordings.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Monday, May 18, 2020, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Once awards are publicly announced, a listing of recipients will be available on the NJCH COVID-19 Response grants webpage.

No. There is no overlap between the COVID-19 Response grants and the Public Scholars Project program.

Applications will close on Sunday, May 31, 2020.

Upon receipt, applications will be reviewed by NJCH staff for eligibility. If an organization is determined to be ineligible for funding, they will be notified immediately.

Organizations will be notified about their funding request within 30 days of application submission. Review and awards will continue until all funds are expended.

Advanced registration is required. Click the link below to register.

May 18, 2020 COVID-19 Response Grant webinar recording

May 12, 2020 COVID-19 Response Grant webinar recording