COVID-19 RESPONSE GRANT - PROGRAM SUPPORT

Any nonprofit institution or agency; department of state or local government; or accredited public and 501c3 educational institutions based in New Jersey that undertakes public humanities programs, whether or not the organization’s primary mission is based in the humanities, is eligible to apply for a Program Support grant.

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. These grants will allow organizations to continue their public humanities work, create new public humanities programs, and/or to re-format humanities work for different modalities or new technologies.  (You can read more about the public humanities on the COVID-19 Response Grant Overview page.)

Applicants may apply for only ONE type of COVID-19 Response Grant: either General Operating Support or Program Support, not both. Only organizations that do NOT meet eligibility requirements for the General Operating Support grant should apply for a Program Support grant.

Types of eligible institutions:

• A humanities-missioned nonprofit organization that does not meet criteria for a GOS grant.
• Museums, libraries, and archives.
• Historical societies and heritage organizations.
• Other nonprofit organizations whose missions are not humanities-focused but who conduct humanities programs (such as arts, social service, or science organizations).
• College and university departments, affiliated centers, or institutes.
• Departments or agencies of state or local government, including municipal libraries.

Institutions that are not eligible for this type of grant include:

• For-profit businesses.
• Foreign entities.
• Individuals.

Applicants may not apply for a COVID-19 Response Grant with a fiscal sponsor.

Program Support (PS) grants range from $2,000-$20,000.
All COVID-19 Response Grant awards must be made by December 31, 2021. The grant period for each awarded grant will begin on the date of application and end on November 30, 2022. All expenses related to the grant must be incurred during that period. Activities for an awarded grant must begin no later than December 1, 2021. When determining budget and requested amount, applicants should keep these dates in mind. The grant period for each awarded PS grant will begin on the date of application and end on November 30, 2022. All expenses related to the grant must be incurred during the grant period. When determining budget and requested amount, applicants should keep these dates in mind.

Program Support grants are designed to support New Jersey-based organizations doing work in the public humanities. While last spring’s COVID-19 Response Grants focused on emergency needs stemming from the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s grants can also help organizations plan for the future and begin the long process of response and recovery to the pandemic. For example, PS grants may support:

• Staff and operational costs associated with humanities programs (extant and new).
• Contract or temporary labor for humanities programs.
• Planning and development of new humanities programs, or re-imagining or revision of existing programs.
• Technical or consulting needs related to digital transition or access.
• Expansion of outdoor and/or virtual activities and increase in access to those activities for target populations.
• Strategic planning or capacity building activities related to coronavirus impacts.

Please note: All Program Support grant funds must be used for expenses associated with the humanities program(s) featured in the application. This is particularly important for applicants to keep in mind when determining what organizational expenses (such as staff costs or overhead) can be included in your request. All expenses must be humanities program related. It is also important to make this distinction when considering other funding you may have received or applied for, as PS grant funds must not overlap with other federal funds or open NJCH grant awards.

Per the National Endowment for the Humanities, funds may not be used for the following:

• Work outside of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences (including the creation or performance of art; creative writing, autobiographies, memoirs, and creative nonfiction; and quantitative social science research or policy studies).
• Overlapping project costs with any other pending or approved application for federal funding and/or approved federal awards, including an open NJCH Incubation or Action Grant.
• Funds for activities supported by other non-NEH federal funds.
• Equipment costs in excess of 20% of total project costs.
• Collections acquisitions (archival or material culture).
• Re-grants, prizes, awards, or scholarships.
• Travel (both foreign and domestic).
• The preservation, organization, or description of materials that are not regularly accessible for research, education, or public programming.
• Contributions to endowment.
• Cancellation costs.
• Lobbying.
• Promotion of 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.
• Purchase of land or facilities, capital projects, construction, or major alteration or renovation.
• Environmental sustainability.
• Unallowable expenses as defined in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost principles.

Priority will be given to organizations with a track record of engaging the public, particularly traditionally underserved and underrepresented audiences, in the humanities.

There is no matching or cost share requirement tied to these funds. As part of your final report, you have the option to report any other funds that supported this program, however that disclosure is entirely optional.

Organizations that have an open NJCH Action or Incubation Grant may apply for a COVID-19 Response Grant, assuming the institution meets all other eligibility criteria. Costs may not overlap between the two NJCH grants and COVID-19 Response Grant funding may not be used towards the required match on an Incubation or Action Grant.

Organizations who received a COVID-19 Response Grant in the spring or summer of 2020 (through the CARES Act) must submit their final report for that funding before applying for another grant.

COVID-19 Response Grantees are not currently required to register with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) required of most federal grants, however it is recommended that any grantee consider registering in this system, as that exclusion is likely to be eliminated in the future.

NJCH uses an online system called Foundant for application and administration of grants and other program awards. If you have applied for a grant or other program award with NJCH since September 2020, chances are you have already created a login. If you do not, you can create one quite simply from the application page. After creating your login, you will be required to enter basic organizational information.

The first step in the process of creating a COVID-19 Response Grant for Program Support will be to submit an LOI (Letter of Intent). The LOI form collects basic application information and should be able to be filled out in a very short time.

Please note: to enable staff to review your LOI and for you to have time to fill out the application, the last day to submit an LOI will be Friday, October 8, 2021.

Upon receipt, LOIs will be reviewed by NJCH staff for eligibility. If an organization is determined to be ineligible for funding, they will be notified of that decision. The organization may reapply if the ineligibility issue is something that can be fixed.

LOIs that are determined to be eligible will be notified via email and the full application will be made available to you via Foundant. When the application is complete, please click Submit. Your application will be considered at the next due date (July 15, September 1, and October 15, 2021).

The review process will take approximately 2-3 weeks from each due date, after which each applicant will be notified of the funding decision. Under most circumstances, an organization will know whether or not they have received a grant within one month of submitting an application.

Organizations that are awarded funding will be notified via email. Awarded funds will be paid as soon as a grant contract is signed by an authorized official at the applicant organization.

Applicants the do not receive funding may amend and resubmit their application at the next due date by emailing a request to NJCH staff to reset their applications to draft status.

COVID-19 Response Grants will be administered through Foundant, the same system through which you will apply for funds. After awards are made, NJCH will follow up with grantees in order to document the vital role that the funds play collectively in New Jersey’s cultural organizations. If you receive a grant, NJCH staff will send more detailed requirements for administering your grant. You will be required to:

• Review the grant agreement we send you and return a copy signed by an authorized official from the organization.
• Confirm your DUNS number. If you do not have a DUNS number already, we recommend that you apply for one immediately.  Click here to access the application. It is free and your grant funds cannot be dispersed without it.
• Send letters to your state and federal elected officials announcing your grant award.
• Comply with basic state and federal nondiscrimination statutes.
• Acknowledge the support of NJCH and the NEH as directed.
• Provide simple reports as requested by the NJCH staff.
• Retain auditable records of grant funds for at least three years, or as directed by law.

The grant administration process will include periodic check-ins and a short final report that includes both narrative and fiscal information about how funds were spent. These reports are important for the broader public humanities community because they help us show our lawmakers that public funding is important to the economies and social fabrics of our communities. Every effort will be made to ensure that grant administration requirements are not burdensome for any organization receiving COVID-19 Response Grant funds, but they are a crucial part of successfully using your grant.