General Operating Grants

Eligibility

1. Must be a humanities-based organization
   1. Find examples of and learn how we define "humanities organization" in our Frequently Asked Questions section below
2. Must be a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization in good standing (learn what “good standing" means here) or have a fiscal sponsor
3. Organizations must be Illinois-based in their mission, history, and audience served.
4. Organizations must have an annual budget of $250,000 or less
5. Organizations may not apply if they have an open Vision, Action, Multiplier, or a 2024 General Operating grant
6. Previous Illinois Humanities grantees must be up-do-date on reporting for any previous grants from Illinois Humanities

Questions about your eligibility? View our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us.

Guidelines

Grant Overview 

In 2023, General Operating Grants were established to provide unrestricted funds to humanities-based organizations in Illinois. Illinois Humanities is interested in funding a full spectrum of public humanities programs in the state, including audiences and communities that have been historically underserved.

The goals of this grant are to:

1. Support the growth and development of organizations serving Illinois through public humanities programming.
2. Strengthen the nonprofit humanities landscape in Illinois by building organizational capacity.
3. Ensure the future of humanities in Illinois includes thriving organizations with experience bringing public humanities to their communities.

Illinois Humanities is committed to serving all geographic areas within the state of Illinois. Therefore, approximately half of the General Operating Grants awards will be distributed to Cook County-based organizations, and half of the awards will be distributed to organizations located outside of Cook County.

Selected Organizations Will Receive

• A cash award of up to $10,000
• Invitation to the General Operating Grants Virtual Grantee Meet and Greet.
• Access to the Illinois Humanities Grants Team for guidance and brainstorming.
• Invitation to receive the bimonthly Grantee eNewsletter and promote events to fellow Illinois Humanities grantees, past and present.
• Opportunity to be featured in an Illinois Humanities Grantee Spotlight Article
• Connections with the Illinois Humanities state-wide community of public humanities practitioners.

Requirements for Selected Organizations

• Complete and sign a grant agreement within 2 weeks of receiving an award notification.
• Use all awarded funds for the organization wherever funds are needed most.
• Complete a Final Grant Report 30 days following the grant period (November 30, 2026).

Application Review

Illinois Humanities staff will conduct a vetting process to establish eligibility in the following areas:

• Active 501(c)(3) status
• Illinois-based mission, history, and community
• No outstanding reporting requirements from previous Illinois Humanities grant initiatives

Each eligible application will be assessed by peers from the humanities landscape and Illinois Humanities staff. The Illinois Humanities Board of Directors will make final decisions based on the review panel's recommendations. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Clarity and completeness of the application. Has the applicant supplied all required information, including all narrative questions and requested documents?
• Experience of Organization. How strongly does the organization’s core work focus on the humanities?
• Experience with the Community. Is the community well-defined? Does the applicant have experience working with and engaging with this community?
• Organizational Growth and Development. To what degree is this organization actively planning for its future growth and development?
• Engagement of Underserved Groups. Does the organization provide rich opportunities for audience engagement and learning? "Underserved" is defined by the applicant.

General Operating Grants selection for the award pool will also consider the following:

• Organizations with a mission involving the humanities
• Organizational size
• Geographical balance (~apx. 50% Cook County and 50% Non-Cook County)
• Organization represents and/or has a demonstrated relationship with a historically disinvested or economically under-resourced community

General Operating Grants are specifically designed for nonprofit, tax-exempt humanities organizations that have budgets of $250,000 or less. The following categories have been adapted from the Humanities Indicators project led by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Information on the Humanities Indicators project can be found at amacad.org.

• Cultural and Ethnic Organization: This category includes organizations dedicated to the study, preservation, and/or dissemination of the history and culture of ethnic groups.
  • Examples of past grantees in this category include the American Indian Center, Haitian American Museum, African American Museum of Southern Illinois, and Ukrainian National Museum.
• History Organizations: This category includes historical societies (and their support organizations), historical preservation groups (and their support organizations), historic houses, folklore/folklife organizations, place-based learning organizations, cultural sustainability organizations, and other organizations with a historical focus.
  • Examples of past grantees in this category include the Bronzeville Historical Society.
• Humanities Education: Organizations that offer classes, seminars, and workshops in the humanities (which include but are not limited to literature, languages, history, philosophy, religious studies, art history, and interdisciplinary humanities programs – like ethnic studies, gender and sexuality studies, and American studies).
  • Examples of past grantees in this category include Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project, Chicago Freedom School, Chicago Humanities Festival, etc.
• Humanities Museums: This category includes organizations that acquire, preserve, research, exhibit, and provide for the educational use of works of art or objects/artifacts that are related to the study of humanities content.
  • Examples of past grantees in this category include the Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities, the Ray Bradbury Experience Museum, the American Writers Museum, the Atlanta Public Library and Museum, and the Alton Museum of History and Art.

• Libraries and Archives: These organizations include operating libraries and archives (excluding those that are purely science- and medicine-focused). Libraries can be treated as museums or libraries.
  • Examples of past grantees in this category include the Lithuanian Archives Project, Rebuild Foundation, Read/Write Library, and Chillicothe Public Library.
• Literature Organizations: This category includes organizations that promote the study or appreciation of books and/or literature and the promotion of literacy.
  • Examples of past grantees in this category include Guild Literary Complex, 826CHI, Chicago Books to Women in Prison, and Metro East Literacy Project.
• Media, Journalism, and Documentary Organizations: Organizations that are committed to covering humanities themes and/or telling the stories, happenings, and histories of communities that are informed by the members of those communities, challenge predominant narratives, and/or nurture critical analysis of media.
  • Examples of past grantees in this category include 60 Inches from Center, South Side Weekly, Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, and Kartemquin Educational Films.
• Consortiums, alliances, and collectives of the above-named groups.
  • Examples of past grantees in this category include the Chicago Cultural Alliance, Landmarks Illinois, and the Illinois Association of Museums.