Grants

Frequently Asked Questions
 

Humanities

What are the humanities?

The humanities include but are not limited to the study of history; literature; modern and classical languages; linguistics; jurisprudence; philosophy; comparative religion; ethics; and the history, criticism, and theory of the arts. Social sciences that employ qualitative approaches such as cultural anthropology, archaeology, and political science are considered part of the humanities, as are interdisciplinary areas such as women’s studies, American studies, and the study of folklore and folklife.

In elementary and secondary education, the humanities are found in social studies and English language-arts courses, as well as in advanced courses in history, literature, foreign languages, art or music history, and related subjects.

Programs may also apply humanities perspectives to current political, social, or economic concerns and issues.

Grant personnel

What is the authorized official’s (AO) role?

The AO is usually the executive director or board chair of the applicant organization. For public organizations, they may be the county judge, mayor, city manager, or agency head. They are authorized by the governing body of the organization to: apply for, accept, reject, alter, or terminate the grant; and certify changes made to applications or grants.

Does the authorized official need to be an employee or affiliate of the applicant organization?

Yes.

What is the financial official’s (FO) role?

The FO is usually an employee or board member of the applicant organization and should be the chief financial officer, auditor, and/or treasurer. The employee or board member designated as the FO should have an understanding of the organization’s financial tracking system as well as their obligations related to grant and match expenditures. They are responsible for maintaining financial records to account for grant expenditures and funds, receiving payments, and completing financial reporting.

Does the FO need to be an employee or affiliate of the applicant organization?

Yes.

What is the project director’s (PD) role?

The PD is the person responsible for the day-to-day operations of the grant-funded program; and required programmatic reporting.

Who is eligible to serve as a project director?

The project director should be someone who has the knowledge, skills, and authority to make day-to-day managerial decisions about programming matters related to the proposed project.

Does the project director need to be an employee or affiliate of the applicant organization?

No.

Humanities expert/scholar and advisory committee

What is a primary humanities expert?

The primary humanities expert is the main scholar/expert responsible for developing and overseeing the grant program. Every grant requires a primary humanities expert. The only exception is a grant proposal to rent an exhibition from Humanities Texas. In the application, it’s important to clearly describe the specific role this expert will play in the grant.

Who qualifies as a humanities expert?

A humanities expert is an individual with particular training or experience in one or more of the academic disciplines in the humanities. The typical qualifications are an advanced degree (M.A. or Ph.D.) in a humanities field of study. However, individuals without an advanced degree may qualify as humanities scholars because of their accomplishments and/or methods of research, inquiry, and teaching.

What roles may humanities experts play?

Humanities experts strengthen a program by providing broad humanistic perspectives as well as in-depth knowledge. They play many roles, including but not limited to:

• helping conceive of and design a program
• helping shape the content of an exhibition or other program
• making public presentations or participating in panel discussions
• writing critical and interpretive materials for brochures, script treatments, catalogues, etc.
• performing specific services for the project director, such as reviewing exhibition text, script treatments, or copy for catalogues or brochures

What is the role of the advisory committee?

Major grant applicants are recommended to have an advisory committee composed of experts, representatives from partner organizations, community members, and audience members who have a stake in the program.

The advisory committee should help guide the grant program and ensure the program meets the needs of the target audience.

Budget

What is the cost-share requirement? What is the difference between “cash” and “in-kind” contributions?

A grantee is required to share at least half of the total program costs. Organizations can use cash and in-kind contributions to meet their cost-share requirement. In-kind contributions include donated services and goods, or the use of office space, equipment, telephones, and supplies. Cash contributions are the actual dollars or organizational resources assigned to a program. Put another way, when actual money changes hands and can be documented with receipts and canceled checks (as with salaries, equipment rental, postage, travel, etc.) that expense is considered in the "Cash" column. When goods or services are donated, as in the case of volunteer time, that amount is considered in the "in-kind" column.

What are indirect costs?

Indirect costs are expenses that aren’t allocated to a specific program or directly itemized. Indirect costs support overall administrative, facilities, and general costs. A program’s budget may include direct costs like materials or salaries, and non-itemized indirect costs such as electricity, janitorial services, and administrative costs.

Humanities Texas allows an indirect cost rate of 10% of the modified total direct costs requested. A higher rate can be used only if the applicant has a federally negotiated rate.

To calculate a 10% de minimis IDC rate, sum all of your direct costs and multiply by 0.1. The resulting amount could be your de minimis IDC request (subject to approval by staff). IDC costs should not be itemized in the budget, the description can simply read “De minimis request.”

Can I use my own budget form?

No. Applicants must use the current budget template (editable Excel document) provided in the budget task of the online application. Locked cells protect existing formulas. If you do not use our template, grants staff will request it.

Should the budget cover the entire program or only that portion that Humanities Texas is being asked to fund?

The budget should provide a picture of the entire program, as well as the role of the Humanities Texas funds. When necessary, the program description should explain how funds will be raised for the entire program.

Can I use a fiscal sponsor to receive funding for my program?

Fiscal sponsors are not eligible to receive Humanities Texas funding. The applicant organization must contribute substantively to the success of the program and will assume programmatic, financial, and legal responsibilities.

Grant period

How often can an organization apply for funding? Can a group submit more than one proposal in a year?

We don't limit the frequency or number of applications, but we will not award a proposal with a grant period that overlaps with an existing, open grant. See the grant period section below.

What is a grant period?

Your grant period should encompass all aspects of your program, from early promotion to final expenditures and evaluations. Grant periods always begin on the first day of the month and end on the last day. Grant periods must range from two to twelve months. If you seek funding for multiple programs throughout the year, the proposed grant periods for those programs may not overlap.

Can I request an extension?

Extensions to the grant period can be requested in the post-award stage and are subject to staff approval. This type of grant period extension would be considered a no-cost extension. Humanities Texas does not offer continuation or extension grants (i.e. we do not award additional funds for an open grant).

Application

Should programming be free?

While we encourage free programming, we understand that offering programming free of charge is not always feasible. If there are any fees associated with your program, we encourage you to make efforts to mitigate costs.

What is the difference between the LOI and the full application?

The letter of intent is a scaled-down pre-application form. The LOI asks for high-level details about your project and applicant organization. It consists of a web form and short narrative responses. If the LOI is approved, Humanities Texas will invite you to submit the full application, which consists of a 7-page proposal narrative, detailed budget, and supplementary materials.

Must I submit an electronic application?

Yes. An applicant must submit an online grant application form and attach the required documents as outlined in the guidelines and application instructions. If you have accessibility needs, please contact staff. What is a letter of intent (LOI)?

Promotion

How do I properly credit Humanities Texas in my promotional material?

This information is in the grant agreement. All promotional materials should include the HTx logo and the following:

• This program is supported by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.”
• Any acknowledgment must also include the following statement: “Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this {article, book, exhibition, film, program, database, report, Web resource}, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities Texas."