OUTREACH GUIDELINES:

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 1st of March, June, September and December. Please use the following grid to determine the appropriate deadline for your project:

Outreach Grants are subdivided into three 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. Applicants interested in Planning Grants should consult with LEH staff, as most successful Planning Grant proposals are invited.
• President’s Discretionary Grants: Although applicants are strongly encouraged to plan and submit proposals at an official Outreach Grant deadline, this category is designed to promote the use of already existing materials, such as exhibits or films, which are drawn from either the Louisiana Humanities Resource Center (LHRC), the Texas Humanities Resource Center (THRC) http://www.public-humanities.org, or the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service (SITES) http://www.si.edu/sites. The LHRC can be accessed at any library through the Louisiana State Library. Eligible videos are listed every other year in the Winter issue of Louisiana Cultural Vistas. It is also accessible through the LEH website http://www.leh.org. These grants are limited to $1,000 and should be of short duration (less than three months). Applications are made using an Outreach Grant form. There is no fixed deadline for a President’s Discretionary grant. Applications are accepted anytime and are reviewed by the LEH staff under the supervision of the President. Given the modest size of this grant, no preliminary application is necessary or suggested. Applicants will be notified within a week of submission as to whether their project is funded.
  

The final application consists of:

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 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.

Preliminary Application Submission: A preliminary application is due no less than four weeks prior to the deadline if the applicant wishes to request the full $2,500 in funding. Preliminary applications should be developed using the Preliminary Application Worksheet found on the Web page of the appropriate grant type, and should be submitted to the appropriate LEH staff member via email. These attributes are then communicated to the project director in writing. This written response is followed by telephone consultations as needed and, where necessary and feasible, a personal meeting. Applicants who do not submit preliminary applications are eligible for only $2,000 in funding.

Final Proposal Submission: No proposal should exceed 14 pages in length (7 pages
if double-sided). Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on the appropriate deadline. If the deadline falls on a weekend, proposals will be due at 11:59 p.m. on the following business day.
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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. 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.