Opportunity Information: Apply for 20160512 PY
Apply for 20160512 PY
- The NEH in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Common Heritage" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.149.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 11, 2016 and posted on Mar 11, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 12, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $12,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Common Heritage grant opportunity is designed to help communities preserve and share the kinds of historical materials that often live outside formal archives, such as items kept in families, personal collections, and local organizations. The central idea is that Americas story is not only documented in museums, libraries, and archives, but also in everyday places: photo albums, letters, home movies, artworks, and personal records. Common Heritage supports projects that bring these materials into view, protect them through digitization, and interpret them through humanities-based public programming so the wider community can better understand its own history and culture.
At the heart of a Common Heritage project is a community digitization day, typically a day-long, publicly advertised event hosted by a local cultural institution. Community members are invited to bring in historical materials, and trained project staff digitize the items on site. Staff also capture descriptive information directly from the people who own the materials, such as what the item is, who created it, when and where it was made, and why it matters to the family or community. Participants keep their originals and receive a free digital copy to take home. If the owner grants permission, the host institution may also keep a digital copy for its collection, helping the institution build a richer record of local history that includes voices and materials that might otherwise never be preserved or accessible.
The program is not limited to scanning photographs. It is intended to accommodate a wide range of culturally significant items, including historical documents, family correspondence, artworks, artifacts, and audiovisual recordings. The goal is both preservation and access: creating quality digital surrogates that can endure and be shared, while also documenting the community knowledge attached to those objects. In practice, this means projects must plan for both the technical work of digitization and the human work of gathering context from contributors in ways that respect their perspectives and experiences.
Common Heritage also requires robust public programming that uses these materials to deepen public understanding of the communitys heritage. NEH emphasizes humanities perspectives, so programming should go beyond simply displaying items and should help audiences interpret what the materials reveal about the communitys shared experiences, differences, changes over time, and cultural traditions. Supported activities can include lectures, panel discussions, reading and discussion sessions, special tours, film screenings paired with discussion, presentations by historians, curator talks that respond to items brought in by the public, workshops on preserving family materials, and activities designed for children and families. These programs can occur before, during, and/or after the digitization day, and applicants may choose to organize the project around a theme, though doing so is optional.
Applicants are expected to take full responsibility for planning, promotion, and event logistics, including making sure the event attracts broad participation and can handle digitizing a diverse range of materials. If partnerships are needed to make the project successful, such as collaborating with local libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, or other community groups, the applicant organization is responsible for recruiting and coordinating those partners. NEH specifically encourages applications from small and medium-sized institutions, including those that have not previously received NEH funding, reflecting the programs emphasis on community-centered heritage work and expanding participation in federal humanities support.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary federal grant in the humanities (CFDA 45.149) offered by NEH. Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled colleges and universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit categories listed). For the specific opportunity details provided, the funding opportunity number is 20160512 PY, the award ceiling listed is $12,000, and the closing date shown is May 12, 2016, with the opportunity posted March 11, 2016.
Common Heritage (NEH) Grant Opportunity - FAQs
What is the NEH Common Heritage grant designed to support?
The Common Heritage grant supports community-centered projects that preserve and share historical materials that often sit outside formal archives. The focus is on bringing items from families, personal collections, and local organizations into view through digitization and humanities-based public programming so the broader community can better understand its own history and culture.
What kinds of historical materials is the program interested in?
The program is meant to accommodate a wide range of culturally significant items, not just photographs. Examples include photo albums, letters, family correspondence, historical documents, home movies and other audiovisual recordings, artworks, personal records, and certain artifacts.
What is a "community digitization day" in this program?
A community digitization day is typically a day-long, publicly advertised event hosted by a local cultural institution. Community members bring historical materials, and trained project staff digitize items on site while collecting descriptive information from the owners.
Do contributors have to give up their original items?
No. Participants keep their original materials. They receive a free digital copy to take home.
Can the host institution keep copies of the digitized materials?
Yes, if the owner grants permission. In that case, the host institution may keep a digital copy for its collection to help build a richer record of local history that includes materials and voices that might otherwise not be preserved or accessible.
What information is collected about items during digitization?
Project staff capture descriptive information directly from the people who own the materials. This can include what the item is, who created it, when and where it was made, and why it matters to the family or community.
Is the goal only to scan items and put them online?
No. The goal is both preservation and access, which includes creating quality digital surrogates and documenting the community knowledge attached to those objects. Projects must plan for the technical work of digitization and the human work of gathering context in ways that respect contributors' perspectives and experiences.
What does NEH mean by "humanities-based public programming"?
Public programming should use the digitized materials to deepen public understanding of the community's heritage. NEH emphasizes humanities perspectives, so programs should go beyond simply displaying items and should help audiences interpret what the materials reveal about shared experiences, differences, change over time, and cultural traditions.
What types of public programs can be supported under this opportunity?
Supported activities can include lectures, panel discussions, reading and discussion sessions, special tours, film screenings paired with discussion, presentations by historians, curator talks responding to items brought in by the public, workshops on preserving family materials, and activities designed for children and families.
When can public programming take place relative to the digitization day?
Programming can occur before, during, and/or after the digitization day.
Do projects need to have a theme?
Applicants may choose to organize the project around a theme, but doing so is optional.
Who is responsible for planning and promoting the digitization event?
The applicant organization is expected to take full responsibility for planning, promotion, and event logistics, including ensuring the event attracts broad participation and can handle digitizing a diverse range of materials.
Are partnerships allowed or encouraged?
Yes. If partnerships are needed to make the project successful, the applicant organization is responsible for recruiting and coordinating partners such as local libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, or other community groups.
Is this opportunity geared toward certain types of institutions?
NEH specifically encourages applications from small and medium-sized institutions, including those that have not previously received NEH funding. This reflects the program's emphasis on community-centered heritage work and expanding participation in federal humanities support.
What federal agency offers this grant?
The grant is offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
What type of federal grant is this?
This opportunity is described as a discretionary federal grant in the humanities.
What is the CFDA number listed for this program?
The CFDA number provided is 45.149.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state, county, and local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled colleges and universities; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in the nonprofit categories listed).
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number listed is 20160512 PY.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed is $12,000.
What are the key dates provided for this opportunity?
The opportunity was posted on March 11, 2016, and the closing date shown is May 12, 2016.
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