UPDATED: The NJCH COVID-19 Response grant applications are now available. COVID-19 Response Grant applications will close on Sunday, May 31, 2020. If you requesting funding for either General Operating Support or Program Support, please submit your application to NJCH by 11:59 p.m. on May 31, 2020. Click here for more information.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has required three things of all of us: adaptability, patience, and empathy. These characteristics are so fundamentally human. We’re all finding our way – in some ways together, while apart – through unprecedented times right now. As the nonprofit state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, we exist to advance the exploration of the human experience to create stronger, more informed communities. Our statewide role is to provide support to organizations that further the public humanities and strengthen our cultural infrastructure. We are glad, during this time of uncertainty, to be able to bolster humanities and cultural organizations impacted by the COVID-19 public health crisis. We know that they provide opportunities for reflection and connection that make them the lifeblood of the communities they serve during more normal times.
Updated: COVID-19 Response Grant Funding Application Available NOW
Signed into law on March 27, 2020, the federal CARES Act funding package included $75 million in emergency funding to the National Endowment for the Humanities to assist humanities organizations challenged by the coronavirus pandemic. Each state council, including the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, received an allocation of this funding. NJCH will use every allocated dollar of CARES act funding to support New Jersey’s humanities and cultural organizations.
This emergency funding will be used to support local historic and cultural sites, libraries, museums, and other humanities institutions across our state. The NJCH COVID-19 Response Grant guidelines and applications are now available on the NJCH website. Grant opportunities will be available in two categories a.) General Operating Support ($5,000 to $20,000) and b.) Program Support ($3,000 to $10,000). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all funds have been allocated. All funding requests will receive notification within 30 days of submission.
This funding is specifically allocated to address financial hardships incurred by organizations as a result of the health crisis, supporting operational expenses like salaries and bills when revenue has been lost. More information about COVID-19 Response Funding eligibility and grant guidelines is available under the grants tab on the NJCH website.
Programming Updates – Status of Virtual Programs & Continued Postponements
When we announced the postponement of public events and programs on March 12, 2020, we immediately began formulating a plan for monitoring the situation and assessing the potential impact that COVID-19 could have on our program partners and the residents of New Jersey. During these weeks of planning, we examined the ways the Council could shift to continue its most vital work. We focused on our partners, closely examining the variety of challenges being faced by those organizations.
We have two programming updates to share.
1.) We are extending the postponement of all NJCH-funded public events and programming through June 30, 2020. As more information from the CDC and the New Jersey Department of Health is available, we will provide updates regarding programming in July and beyond. Our next postponement update will be posted by June 1, 2020.
2.) In the past few weeks, we have received some requests to shift Public Scholars Project programs to virtual events. Unfortunately, pivoting PSP to an online format is not possible at this time. We remain committed to working with organizations to reschedule programs when the pandemic is stabilized. We will update our digital platforms as more information is available.
It’s a strange time. We’re committed to serving the state through public humanities opportunities, in whatever way best benefits the residents of New Jersey. We will be sure to provide updates about our grants and programming, so check back frequently.
Stay safe and well.
– The Entire NJCH Team
