(Use the Outreach Grant Application Form)

The Outreach Grant program is intended to support small projects and to familiarize new applicants with the procedures involved in running humanities programs. Outreach Grant deadlines fall on the 15th of January, March, May, July, September, and November. Outreach Grants are subdivided into two groups:

• Programs of short duration and modest cost–such grants have a funding ceiling of $2,500 and a grant period of 90 days. Applicants are recommended to apply at least two months prior to the proposed project activities. Outreach Grant applicants who submit preliminary applications at least 4 weeks before the deadline are eligible for $2,500 in funding; applicants who do not submit a preliminary proposal are limited to $2,000 in funding.
  
  
• Planning Grants for large-scale humanities programs--such projects have a funding ceiling of $1,000 and a 90-day grant period. Eligible costs include scholar/consultant honoraria and travel, and supplies. Planning grants should result in the submission of a LEH Public Humanities Grant application or a proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities.
  

The final application consists of 4 primary parts:

• The Face Sheet provides information about the sponsoring organization and has space for the required signatures of applicants. Space is provided for an abstract or summary of the proposed project and for an audience estimate.
  
  
• The Project Narrative of the application provides LEH Board and staff members with descriptions of the project timetable, the humanities content of the proposed program, the humanities scholars participating in the project (as well as how their expertise will apply to the project), the projected audience and publicity plans, and the evaluation apparatus employed to assess the project’s success or failure in light of the goals stated in the original application.
  
  
• The Budget Summary requires an itemization of the intended use of LEH funds. This budget supplies the LEH Board and staff members with an overview of all funds and services to be used to conduct the program, including the applicant cost-share. Applicants should attach a budget narrative to explain the budget summary when necessary; it should include rates of calculation or other information too detailed for the summary page.
  
  
• The Support Materials section should include resumes of the project director, project staff, and participating scholars. Other items to be included are letters of support from sponsoring and supporting institutions, letters from institutions and organizations impacted by the program, and letters from supportive and interested individuals.

Final Proposal Submission: One copy of a draft application is due no less than four weeks prior to the deadline if the applicant wishes to request the full $2,500 in funding. Applicants who do not submit preliminary applications are eligible for only $2,000 in funding. No proposal should exceed 14 pages in length (7 pages if double-sided). Six copies, including one with original signatures, must be received in the LEH office by 5 p.m. on the day of the selected deadline. All pages should be numbered sequentially. Proposals must be collated and either stapled or paper clipped. DO NOT bind or rubber band proposals. DO NOT place
proposals in individual folders or envelopes. The Face Sheet must be the cover page of each proposal. The proposal must be ordered exactly as laid out by the grant application form: 1) Face Sheet, 2) Background Information, 3) Project Narrative, 4) Budget and 5) Support Materials.

Review Process: A rotating panel of five LEH Board members reviews the grants individually and forwards funding decisions to the staff within 30 days of the submission date with one exception—applications received at the May 15 deadline have a grant term beginning July 1. There are four possible responses:

1. Fund in full as proposed;
2. Fund with conditions;
3. Reject/resubmit; or
4. Reject.

All applications not approved for funding may be resubmitted at future deadlines. All funding decisions are made by a simple majority vote of the present and voting LEH Board members; the staff does not vote on proposals. Decisions to accept or reject proposals are contingent upon the number and quality of proposals received, and the availability of grant funds.

For more information, contact:
John Kemp, kemp@leh.org • 504.620.2481
Walker Lasiter, lasiter@leh.org • 504.620.2631
Rachel Norman, norman@leh.org • 504.620.2479
Erik Charpentier, PhD, charpentier@leh.org • 504.620.2478