Grants in 2025

Greetings! We hope our many partners in the public humanities across the state of Illinois are doing well as we enter the new year. 2024 was a breakout year for the Illinois Humanities grants program, with 97 grants totaling over $510,000 in awards across six grant categories. 

We are continuously indebted to the remarkable communities, people, and organizations that we get to partner with across the state. As a funder, we are committed to being as accessible and equitable as possible. We believe in the importance of connecting communities with the public humanities and in sharing the resources necessary to do that.  

Below is an update about our plans for funding opportunities in 2025. You will see some differences in grant cycle timing and in the applications themselves. Please feel free to reach out for an individual conversation if you have any questions or feedback.  

Don’t forget to keep an eye on our suite of public programs happening at Illinois Humanities! We invite you to explore and find new ways to engage with us and our statewide community of partners.  

Grant Funding

Project Grants  
Applications open: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Deadline: Monday, March 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CT

Project Grants include Vision (up to $2,000 to cover planning and experimentation, accessibility, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives); Action (up to $4,000 for innovative public humanities programs); and Multiplier (up to $10,000 to support strategic partnerships in the public humanities, meant to strengthen a given sector, network, coalition, or community.  

Activate History Grants  
Applications open: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Deadline: Decided on a Rolling Basis (through October 1 or until funds are depleted)

These $750 grants support public engagement with local history and collections. Nonprofits (with preference towards those with a budget of $400,000 or less) are eligible, as are individuals. 

To view a recent list of grants awarded, click here.  

General Operating Grants  
Applications open: Friday, May 30, 2025 
Deadline: Friday, August 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CT  

These $10,000 unrestricted grants support public humanities organizations with budgets of $250,000 or less. Recipients must be tax-exempt, based in Illinois, and must align with the definitions of public humanities organizations listed on our resources page. (If you believe your organization fits the bill but don’t see a category here, you are welcome to discuss how you think you best fit.)  

To view a recent list of grants awarded, click here.  

Envisioning Justice Grants  
Applications open: Friday, April 18, 2025
Deadline: Monday, June 30, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CT

Envisioning Justice offers two grant categories: one for individuals totaling up to $5,000, and one for organizations totaling up to $10,000. These grants support initiatives that utilize the power of the arts, culture, and public humanities to create understanding and action about mass incarceration and its impact on communities in Illinois.