Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) Grants
Overview
Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) grants will provide direct support to public humanities organizations that have been challenged by the pandemic and the resulting economic crisis.
Matching funds, either cash or in-kind, are not required. Approved organizations will receive 100 percent of the award after returning the award notification to Ohio Humanities.
Application Timeline: Applications for Immediate Emergency Grants will be accessible on Monday, July 12, 2021, with an application deadline of Monday, August 2. Afterwards, additional deadlines may be announced pending the availability of funds.
Notification: Initial round notification by August 27
Amount: Organizations with paid staff impacted by COVID-19 may request up to 6 months of operating expenses (no more than $20,000). Organizations without staff, or operated by volunteers, may request up to 3 months operating costs (no more than $5,000).
Date projects must be completed: SHARP grants will run for 6 months from the date of award unless otherwise requested in the application. No immediate emergency grant will be operative for more than 9 months.
Ohio Humanities will host a SHARP Grants Webinar: The webinar will be online on July 22 from 3:00 - 4:30 pm. Register HERE. A copy of the webinar PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded HERE.
Click here to review the guidelines for SHARP grants.
Getting Started
Writing a successful grant proposal takes time. Check out these tips for getting started—especially if this is your first time seeking a grant from us:
1. Understand that SHARP grants are for public humanities organizations.
Ohio Humanities offers grants for organizations that provide humanities programming to public audiences across the state. The “humanities” include the study of history, literature, languages, philosophy, archaeology, ethics, jurisprudence, comparative religion, and world cultures. The humanities also encompass art history, theory, and criticism—but not the creation, display or performance of art—and aspects of the social sciences that use historical or philosophical approaches.
2. Make sure your organization is eligible to apply.
To be eligible for an Ohio Humanities SHARP grant, you must apply on behalf of a nonprofit organization located in the state of Ohio—such as a public library, museum, historical society, or community organization—that has experienced financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including reduction, loss, or furlough of staff or a loss of annual operating revenue.
SHARP grants are not available to individuals, for-profit organizations, political or advocacy organizations, K-12 schools, or for activities supported by other federal funds. Please review the grant details for some other important exceptions.
Organizations may be required to provide proof of nonprofit status, including a 501(c)(3) letter, an IRS 990 form, or a copy of the Agent Notification Form for Unincorporated Nonprofit Associations from the Ohio Secretary of State.
3. Review the application guidelines.
If your organization or program may be eligible for a SHARP grant, be sure to carefully review the grant guidelines, which include more details about the types of activities we will support with the grant, the size of awards available, and the questions included on the application and final report.
4. Ask us for help!
If you have questions about applying for a grant, contact us. We’re here to help you submit a successful application.
5. Complete an application.
The application form will be available by July 12, 2021. The first round of applications are due on August 2, 2021. The form will ask for some basic information about your organization and programming, including your intended audience and the impact of COVID-19 on your organization.
If you have any questions, please contact us here.