Looking Ahead: 2026 Grantee Updates & Opportunities
Features
BB Cooper Browne
December 22, 2025
Dear Grantee,
We are honored to have partnered with you this year. Together, our FY25 grantees represent individuals and organizations from 22 counties across the state of Illinois. Despite the federal funding cuts we experienced in April, our grants program continued without interruption.
During difficult times it is your work that keeps our communities connected. We are grateful for your resilience and continued demonstration of the power of the humanities.
Looking ahead to 2026, our grants program will continue to provide opportunities for public humanities programming in Illinois. Thank you for being on this journey with us!
Here is what you can expect:
Two-step Application Process
- Request for Proposals will be posted for 4 – 6 weeks. These short proposal submissions focus on applicant eligibility and brief proposal details.
- Up to 30 proposal submissions will then be asked to submit a full application for their proposal.
Project Grant Category Changes
There will be two categories this year:
- Solo Project Grants: Proposals by an organization/individual working as a single entity.
- Request up to $4,000
- Collaborative Project Grants: Proposal that will be executed through partnership with more than one organization.
- Request up to $10,000
Individuals are Now Eligible for Project Grants
- Individuals may apply for a Solo Project Grant.
Activate History Microgrants will lapse during 2026.
- We look forward to offering this opportunity again in the future.
More information regarding the General Operating Grants will be announced in the new year.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with you. If you have any questions about the grants program, you can reach out to our team via email: communitygrants@ilhumanities.org.
Sincerely,
The Illinois Humanities Grants Team
Contact
Suite 650, 125 South Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60603
312.422.5580 312.374.6787 Fax
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