Illinois Humanities Grants

Illinois Humanities provides grants to individuals and organizations for various types of community-based projects, including:

Activate History Micro-grants:

Activate History micro-grants provide $750 project-based grants to enable those who maintain local collections of various kinds (archives, texts, photos, stories, and more) to explore creative ways for community members to become more engaged with them. We see this work as encouraging individual curiosity and connections to local history; as celebrating the efforts of amateur and other local historians; and as an avenue for growing the outreach efforts of local collections– all of which helps bolster community identity. Illinois Humanities has designed this micro-grants program to be accessible with a quick turnaround, in response to the dearth of available funds for individuals and smaller entities to host discussions on history and related matters.

Envisioning Justice Grants:

Envisioning Justice grants support organizations, collectives, and individuals using the arts and humanities to devise strategies toward a truly just society. This grant opportunity will fund projects that: spark dialogue about the impacts of mass incarceration on Illinois communities; produce public programs that champion the experiences and perspectives of those impacted by the carceral system; shift the narrative around mass incarceration; and aid in network-building and nurture partnerships between people building a truly just society. The award maximum for individuals is $5,000.