Overview of Cal Humanities Grant Opportunities

Kern Grant SummitCongressman Kevin McCarthy

Federal Grants Workshop for Arts & Culture

Friday, January 30, 2015

Felicia Kelley, PhD, Senior Program Officer

Cal Humanities (formerly the California Council for the Humanities) seeks to connect Californians to ideas and one

another in order to understand our shared heritage and diverse cultures, inspire civic participation,

and shape our future.

Cal Humanities is an independent nonprofit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

http://www.calhum.org/programs

Current Grants Programs

• California Documentary Project

• Community Stories

Other Programs

• Special Initiatives

• Literature & Medicine

• Now We’re Talking

• Center of the World Theatre Festival, Frazier Park

• CSU Bakersfield, Bakersfield

• Kern County Library System

• KVPR/KVRX

• Maturango Museum

• Ridgecrest Public Library

Cal Humanities Grants to Kern County

The California Documentary Project

Program Purpose

CDP supports documentary projects that:

• use the humanities to provide context, depth, and perspective

• tell the stories of California and its cultures, peoples, and histories

• Will reach California and national audiences through broadcast and/or distribution

• Align with CDP purpose and Cal Humanities mission

• Employ one or more of the eligible formats (film, video, radio or new media – web or social media platforms)

• Involve humanities advisors in research and development; bring humanities to bear on subject

• Match funds awarded at least 1:1 with cash or in-kind contributions from non-federal sources

Key requirements for CDP projects

Who Can Apply?

Applicants to CDP are typically mediamakers who have a nonprofit fiscal sponsor, although other nonprofit and/or state or local government agencies are also eligible

Eligible applicants must: • Have tax-exempt organizational status or a tax-exempt

organization as fiscal sponsor

• Be in good standing with Cal Humanities if a previous grantee and not have an open grant with Cal Humanities, unless a Cal Humanities-approved sponsoring organization

Funding Levels

• Research and Development GrantsMedia projects may request up to $10,000.

• Production GrantsFilm and radio projects may request up to $50,000.New media project may request up to $20,000.

• Public Engagement GrantsProjects may request up to $10,000 . This grant is only available to previously-supported CDP projects

We fund approximately 15-20 projects (total of all 3 grant programs) per cycle.

Example #1: R&D and Production Grant

Another California: Loggers, Hippies and Immigrants in the State's Small Towns, $35,000

Example #2: Public Engagement GrantWonder Women!: The Untold Stories of American

Superheroines (broadcast nationally on the PBS series Independent Lens on April 15, 2013)

CDP Application Periods and Deadlines 2015

Production and R&D Grants•Guideline Release: July 1, 2015•Application Deadline: October 1, 2015•Awards Announced: February 2016 Public Engagement Grants•Deadlines: TBD

CA Documentary Project Webpage: http://www.calhum.org/programs/california-documentary-project

•Program description•Experiences (digital work products)•Descriptions of previously funded projects•Guidelines (current or recent) & FAQs•Archived webinars

Staff contact: John Lightfoot, Program Officerjlightfoot@calhum.org (415) 391-1474, x 314

For More Information

Community Stories

Program Purpose

•Capture genuine and compelling stories from and about CA’s diverse communities – emphasis on lesser-known or previously untold stories

•Ensure that those stories can be shared widely to promote greater understanding, empathy, and knowledge about the realities of California and its cultures, peoples, and histories •Since 2003, we have supported almost 450 projects

Project Requirements

•Explore stories of California and its cultures, peoples and histories

•Employ humanistic approaches to research and knowledge-building

•Actively involve at least one humanities advisor in project planning and implementation

•Provide opportunities for community engagement

•Include public programming elements

•Produce work that can be shared with the public and that can be accessible, in whole or part, through the web

Typical Program Formats

Stories may be shared using any of the following: • Film • Video• Radio• Web-based and other “new media” formats – can incorporate

video, audio, still images, digitized text• Interpretive exhibits• Performances (dramatic, musical, dance) • Presentations or panels• Murals or other types of narrative artwork• Text

Taking A Humanities Approach

• Understanding the values and practices that inform our lives

• Analyzing, contextualizing, interpreting, and exchanging ideas

• Considering a variety of perspectives on an issue, and/or seeking to foster critical reflection.

• Drawing upon the collective insights, knowledge and wisdom of the humanities and humanities experts.

Public Access and Engagement

Cal Humanities encourages the general public to engage with and enjoy the humanities by supporting projects that:

•involve community members in the development and execution of projects

•provide a form of public programming activity—whether in-person or virtual or both

•result in work that can be shared through the web (in whole or part)

What We Do Not Fund

• Projects that are primarily promotional or purely celebratory

• Advocacy (lobbying or promotion of a political candidate, party, or legislation or political agenda)

• Scholarly research or curricular activities not intended for general audiences

• Projects without public programming elements

• Fundraising activities (although projects can incorporate such elements)

Who Can Apply?

Applicants to Community Stories are often community-based social service or cultural organizations, libraries, museums, and colleges and universities doing community-based research.

Applicants must: • Have a California tax-exempt organizational status or a tax-exempt

organization as fiscal sponsor

• Be in good standing with Cal Humanities if a previous grantee

• Not have an open grant with Cal Humanities, unless a Cal Humanities-approved sponsoring organization.

Funding Guidelines• Applicants may request up to $10,000.

• Grant must be matched at least 1:1 with cash or in-kind contributions from non-federal sources over the life of the project.

• We will generally not fund projects with a total budget of more than $50,000.

• We fund between 15 and 20 projects per grant cycle.

• Programmatic and administrative salaries and benefits• Professional fees including honoraria & stipends• Programming and product dissemination costs• Project-related travel• Supplies and materials • Equipment (rental, unless purchase is less expensive)• Office expenses

Grant Funds Can Be Used For:

Grant Funds Can Be Used For (con’t):

• Marketing and outreach expenses• Program documentation• Evaluation expenses• Food and refreshments for program activities (excluding alcoholic

beverages)• Fiscal agent or indirect administrative fees up to 10% of award)

Example #1: New Media

War InkContra Costa County Public Library, Pleasanton $10,000 Project Director: Chris Brown

Example #2: Film & Discussion

Camp to Campus California State University, Bakersfield; Bakersfield $10,000 Project Director: Marit MacArthur

CS 2015: Round 1Guideline Release: November, 2014Application Deadline: February 2, 2015Awards Announced: June 2015

CS 2015: Round 2Guideline Release: May 1, 2015Application Deadline: August 1, 2015Awards Announced: December 2015

CS 2016: Round 1Guideline Release: November 1, 2015Application Deadline: February 1, 2016Awards Announced: June 2016

Community Stories Timeline 2015 (Tent.)

Community Stories Program Webpages: http://www.calhum.org/programs/community-storieshttp://www.calhum.org/grants/community-stories-grant

•Program overview and funded project descriptions•Experiences (digital work products)•Guidelines (current or recent) & FAQs•Sample funded proposals•Archived webinars

Staff contacts: Felicia Kelley, Senior Program Officerfkelley@calhum.org (213) 346-3239

For More Information

• Statewide read of related book -- CA Reads (summer and fall 2014)• K-12 Teacher Professional Development Program (2014-2015)• Community Stories grant-funded projects (ongoing)• Literature & Medicine® in VA Medical Centers (ongoing)• Traveling exhibit (beginning winter 2015)

Special Initiatives

War Comes Home

http://www.calhum.org/programs/literature-medicine

Literature & Medicine®

Other Programs

Other Programs

http://www.calhum.org/programs/now-were-talking

Now We’re Talking

www.calhum.org•Sign up for monthly enews and/or print mailings•Bookmark for future reference

Southern California Office -- Los Angeles

Felicia Kelley, Senior Program Officerfkelley@calhum.org (213) 346-3239

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