HC’s Community History Grants Program is designed to support a community’s efforts to record, preserve and publicly share important aspects of its history. Whether your community is a neighborhood, village, county, or region, learning about the past is an important step toward discovering a shared heritage, understanding diversity, bridging generations, fostering community pride and civic responsibility, and planning for the future. This brochure explains what kinds of community history projects OHC will support and how you can apply for grant funds.

Community History proposals may be for any of four categories:
    Basic Research and Presentation
   Oral History
   Cataloging/Indexing
   Care of Collections
A project may combine more than one category.

A project may investigate and present a significant cultural or historical theme in the state, region, or community, using primary source materials found in local historical societies, public libraries, county courthouses, private collections, or other sources. Modes of presentation could include exhibits, dramatic presentations, town meetings, publications, tours, and audio-visual productions, among others.

A project may record oral history interviews on audio and/or videotape, and transcribe them. Such a program should have well-defined objectives and focus on a single theme.

A project may involve the organization and description of documents, tapes, photographs, artifacts, or resource materials, with the goal of making those materials more accessible to the public. Similarly, such documents could be digitized to make them accessible electronically. Projects should focus on collections that will lead to interpretation of significant themes in community history and should go beyond the creation of simple inventories or lists. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with a local public library. The public must be informed of the successful completion of the project and a copy of the catalogue or index must be made available to a public library or similar institution.

A project may involve cleaning, preserving, and providing for the public use of unique photographs, artifacts, and manuscripts.