Grant Descriptions

Planning Grant

Description—designed to support the planning of humanities programs and for development of scripts for film or video documentary projects.  No public program required.  Eligible applicants include non-profit groups or organizations serving Hawai‘i audiences.  Planning grant applications may be submitted at any of the six application deadlines per year.

Planning grants are of two types.  One type of planning grant is an award of up to $1,000 to help a non-profit group without ready contact with the humanities to plan and develop a public humanities program, culminating in the submittal of a regular grant proposal to the HCH.  Another type of planning grant is an award of up to $2,500 to help a non-profit group develop and write a competitive, humanities-centered script that would accompany a regular grant proposal involving a film or video production format.

Amount—up to $1,000 (for planning of a public humanities program)
                  up to $2,500 (for development of script for a film or documentary project)
Deadlines—February 1, March 15, May 1, June 15, September 1, October 15
Notification of Decision —approximately three weeks after deadline

Research Assistance or Travel to Collections Grants to Develop Humanities Resources

Description—designed to support research on a topic or issue centered in the humanities field.  Public program required.  Eligible applicants include individuals as well as non-profit groups or organizations serving Hawai‘i audiences.  Research assistance grant applications may be submitted at any of the six deadlines per year.

Amount—up to $1,500
Deadlines— February 1, March 15, May 1, June 15, September 1, October 15
Notification of Decision—approximately three weeks after the deadline

Publication Assistance Grants for Disseminating Humanities Resources

Description—designed to support humanities publications, ranging from interpretive museum or historical site brochures and simple monographs to major books and texts.  Public program required.  The public program should announce and discuss the newly published humanities work and its availability.  Eligible applicants include individuals as well as non-profit groups or organizations serving Hawai‘i audiences.  Publication assistance grant applications may be submitted at any of the six deadlines per year.

Amount—up to $2,500
Deadlines— February 1, March 15, May 1, June 15, September 1, October 15
Notification of Decision —approximately three weeks after the deadline

Preservation and Access Grant

Description—designed to support the preservation of state and community resources, such as historical documents, photographs, artifacts, oral traditions and languages, and to make these cultural resources readily accessible to local communities, scholars and the general public.  Public program required.  Eligible applicants include non-profit groups or organizations serving Hawai‘i audiences.  Preservation and Access grant applications may be submitted at any one of three application deadlines per year.

Amount—up to $5,000
Deadlines—March 15, June 15, October 15
Notification of Decision —approximately six weeks after the deadline

Mini Grant

Description—designed to support humanities programs, including community education on historical, cultural and ethical topics and traditions.  Public program required.  Activities may include, but are not limited to, interpretive exhibits, conferences, teacher workshops and lesson plans.  Eligible applicants include non-profit groups or organizations serving Hawai‘i audiences.  Mini grant applications may be submitted at any of the six application deadlines per year.

Amount—up to $2,500
Deadlines—February 1, March 15, May 1, June 15, September 1, October 15
Notification of Decision—approximately three weeks after the deadline

Regular Grant

Description—designed to support humanities programs, including community education on historical, cultural and ethical topics and traditions.  Public program required.  Activities may include, but are not limited to, historical and literary role-playing performances, public forums and lectures, documentary film and video productions, radio programs and literature discussion groups.  Eligible applicants include non-profit groups or organizations serving Hawai‘i audiences.

A two-stage application procedure is used for regular grants.  This involves submitting a preliminary application, which is reviewed and commented upon by the Committee of Proposal Review, a subcommittee of the HCH, and a final application, which is reviewed and acted upon by the full HCH membership.  There are three review sessions each year.

Note:  A regular grant application involving a film or video production requires the submission of a script and sample of work with the application proposal.

Amount—No set limit.  Previous award amounts can be found on the HCH website or in the HCH Annual Report, for reference purposes. Consultation with the HCH Director of Grants is also encouraged.
Deadlines—  February 1 (preliminary) and March 15 (final)
May 1 (preliminary) and June 15 (final)
September 1 (preliminary) and October 15 (final)
Notification of Decision —approximately 6 weeks after the final deadline

Grant Type	Amount	Deadline(s)
Planning	Up to $1,000/Up to $2,500	Feb 1, Mar 15, May 1, June 15, Sept 1, Oct 15
Research Assistance	Up to $1,500	Feb 1, Mar 15, May 1, June 15, Sept 1, Oct 15
Publication Assistance	Up to $2,500	Feb 1, Mar 15, May 1, June 15, Sept 1, Oct 15
Preservation & Access	Up to $5,000	Mar 15, June 15, Oct 15
Mini	Up to $2,500	Feb 1, Mar 15, May 1, June 15, Sept 1, Oct 15
Regular	No set limit	Feb 1 (prelim) & Mar 15 (final); May 1 (prelim) & June 15 (final);  Sept 1 (prelim) & Oct 15 (final)

For information on how to apply for any of these grants or for an application form, please contact Kim Schauman at kschauman@hihumanities.org or (808)732-5402, from the neighbor islands (800) 424-1301.