Exhibition Grants

Announcing Our New Exhibition Grants

Exhibition grants

Exhibition grants fund up to $2,500 of the costs associated with the rental of a Humanities Texas traveling exhibition and related programming. These small grants are easy to apply for and administer and are available on a rolling basis throughout the year.

All applicants must book and confirm an exhibition using the online rental form before submitting an application for funding.

Eligible organizations

Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to, museums, libraries, cultural centers, historical associations, city governments, county judge offices, community colleges, and school districts in Texas.

Applicants must have an active, publicly searchable System for Award Management Unique Entity ID (SAM UEI). Visit www.SAM.gov to check your registration status. Refer to our applicant help document for assistance with the SAM UEI.

Eligible programming

Exhibition grants support the cost of renting a Humanities Texas traveling exhibition and associated humanities-based public programming. Humanities content, themes, and topics include, but are not limited to, the following: history, literature, heritage, art history, philosophy, social sciences, and contemporary society and culture.

Programs that accompany the exhibition can take many different formats, such as book discussions, conferences, lectures and panel discussions, exhibitions, festivals, film screenings, living history, media productions, oral history, workshops, and educational digital and web media.

All funded programs are firmly grounded in the humanities and are directed to the general public, both adults and young people, outside of the regular school or college classroom. Programs targeting special audiences such as K–12 teachers, ethnic and community groups, or professional groups are also welcome.

Eligible costs

Exhibition grants can cover the rental of a Humanities Texas traveling exhibition and related program expenditures, including personnel, consultants, honorarium, travel, promotion, program evaluation.

Apply

Humanities Texas has transitioned to an online application system. All applicants must submit their applications via the grants portal. If you cannot access the portal, please contact our grants team. If you do not have reliable internet service or have other accessibility needs, please email our team or call us at 512.440.1991. Please read the grant guidelines document for more information on our grants program.

• Grant guidelines
• Exhibition grant detailed budget template
• Exhibition grant model detailed budget
• Exhibition grant application transcript
• Grant ranking rubric

Application deadlines

Exhibition grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but applications must be received at least six weeks before the grant period start date. The grant period must begin the first day of the month that promotion and/or project activities begin. You must book and confirm an exhibition through the Humanities Texas exhibition program prior to applying for a grant. Decisions are made within ten business days after submission of an eligible application.

Application best practices

To ensure your application is competitive, grants staff recommend the following considerations when crafting your proposal:

• You must book and confirm a Humanities Texas traveling exhibition before applying.
• Include planning and promotion in your proposal.
• Verify you are selecting an eligible grant period (must begin on the first of the month, at least six weeks from the date you apply).

How funding decisions are made

The Humanities Texas executive director and staff, with the authorization of the Board of Directors, review mini-grants. Projects are evaluated based on Humanities Texas's organizational mission and grants guidelines. Of particular importance are the quality of each project's conception and design, the strength of its humanities component, and the extent to which it will meet the intellectual, cultural, or professional needs and interests of its target audience(s) in Texas. Priority is given to applications from Texas-based organizations, organizations located in underserved counties, and organizations that have not received funding in the past ten years. Refer to the grant ranking rubric for more information on how grant applications are scored.