PLEASE NOTE: Due to funding cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities, Ohio Humanities' grants are currently paused. Spark Grant and Ignite Grant applications are currently postponed until further notice. We will continue to make targeted investments in funding and programs, and we are doubling down on our existing efforts to diversify revenue. Click here for more information, and stay tuned for more updates. Questions? Email us at grants@ohiohumanities.org.

Since 1972, Ohio Humanities’ grant program has sparked critical public humanities work throughout our state. By funding engaging programs that center the humanities, Ohio Humanities helps inspire conversations about our state’s shared histories and cultures. Our goal is to support projects that make the humanities central to creating and sustaining vibrant communities. 

We invite applications for project grants from non-profit and governmental organizations across the state. If you’re thinking of applying for an Ohio Humanities grant, check out the information below to see if we might be a good fit:

We fund projects that center the humanities. But what are the “humanities?" For us, the humanities tell the stories of our shared human experience, strengthen communities, and help bridge divides. This includes the study of history, literature, languages, philosophy, archaeology, ethics, jurisprudence, comparative religion, world cultures, folklore, ethnic and gender studies, and aspects of the social sciences that use historical or philosophical approaches. We also consider art history, theory, and criticism as humanities subjects, but not the creation, display, or performance of art. 

What do we fund?

Ohio Humanities grants support the research, preparation, production, and presentation of public programs. The most competitive grant proposals focus on the “public” in “public humanities.” We fund projects that make the humanities widely and easily accessible to the general public, and they should offer ample opportunity for community members to engage in conversations about the humanities.

What are our funding priorities?

Ohio Humanities recently hosted a webinar to discuss our funding priorities for 2025. You can watch a recording of the webinar here.