To be eligible for an Ohio Humanities Alliance grant, you must apply on behalf of a nonprofit organization—such as a public library, museum, historical society, or community organization— located in the state of Ohio 

All applicants and grantees working with the Ohio Humanities Alliance must have a UEI number issued by the federal government through the Sam.gov system. Acquiring this number is free. Do not follow any links that ask for payment to acquire the number.

All applicants are required to include their UEI on the application. Please visit https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei to acquire your number. 

In addition to being a state-recognized non-profit, organizations must meet two other major criteria:  

• The organization is not solely a fiscal agent | sponsor for the project. The sponsoring organization for an Ohio Humanities Alliance grant must make a material and substantive contribution to the humanities work of the project.  
• The organization does not currently have an open grant with Ohio Humanities. Large organizations with semi-autonomous departments or locations—like universities, public library systems, or park systems—may receive a waiver for this limitation.  

Successful applicants will demonstrate that their projects adhere to three major public humanities principles: 

• They are focused on the humanities. We fund projects that deepen our understanding of what it means to be human. Programs should encourage participants to thoughtfully consider how a humanities discipline can create and sustain vibrant communities.  
• They are designed for the benefit of the public. Projects must be open to the public. Although you can target a specific audience in your promotional materials, everyone in the community should have an equal opportunity to attend. (We do consider programs held in prisons and schools to be public, so there is no requirement to open them to a broader audience.) Although you may charge an admission fee to sponsored events, we prefer that organizations offer a free or reduced admission fee for those who need it. 
• They employ a balanced viewpoint. Public programs should encourage open conversations among speakers and audience members. Our funded projects cannot discriminate against persons or groups, and they cannot promote a particular political, religious, or ideological point of view. In other words, projects should strive to provide fair consideration and expression to alternative viewpoints.

Public humanities professionals are integral to every project that we fund. We consider a “humanities professional” to be a person with humanities expertise. This might be someone with an advanced humanities degree—like an MA, MLS, or PhD—or it could be a local historian, educator, or culture bearer. Regardless of educational background, these individuals should ensure accuracy in the project, provide relevant context, and contribute to the interpretative work of the project from a humanities perspective.

We fund the labor necessary for public programs, as well as the research, preparation, production, and presentation for these events. We prefer projects that use OHA funds for humanities experts and the staff to execute a successful project rather than on equipment. You can find our full budget guidelines in the descriptions of each specific grant type. There are three important considerations to know upfront: 

• Ohio Humanities requires a $1-to-$1 cost share from sponsoring organizations. Each dollar from the Ohio Humanities Alliance must be matched with either cash or an in-kind contribution. 
• No more than 20% of an OHA grant can be used on equipment.
• Organizations may include 15% of the OHA grant funds for indirect costs (de minimis rate).