In an effort to stave off the detrimental financial effects of COVID-19 in Louisiana, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities is launching a new grant program that will provide emergency relief funding to humanities organizations impacted by the pandemic.

The program, known as the Louisiana Culture Care Fund, is financially supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and will award applicants between $3,000 and $20,000.

The window to apply for funding opens Monday, May 4.

With the passage of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act economic stabilization plan, the NEH received $75 million in emergency funding. 

Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants will be available to 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural organizations in Louisiana with a strong humanities focus, such as museums, historic sites and archives. 

The NEH defines the humanities as including the fields of history, philosophy, literature, foreign languages, linguistics, comparative religion, ethics, archaeology, jurisprudence, art history, theory and criticism and philosophical and historical approaches to social sciences. For more information about how the humanities are defined, visit www.neh.gov/about.

The funds are designated for operational expenses, including staff retention (payroll and benefits), rent, mortgage and utilities. Awards will be based on the annual operating budget of the applicant organization. Applications will not open until Monday, May 4, providing organizations time to review the necessary documentation and prepare their application. A sample application may be found here.

The LEH especially encourages applications from rural and underserved areas of the state, but applications are welcome regardless of an organization’s size and location. The granting period will run through June 30, 2020, or until funds are expended. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and organizations will receive notification of award or rejection within 10 days of submission.

For more information about the Louisiana Culture Care Fund visit www.leh.org.