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May 12, 2021 / New Orleans, Louisiana — In an effort to ensure the survival of Louisiana’s critical cultural institutions and assist in their recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) has relaunched the Louisiana Culture Care Fundv, a grant program providing funding to humanities organizations and other cultural entities. With funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), awards will range between $3,000 and $20,000, and applications will open Friday, May 21.

With the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the NEH received $135 million in supplemental funding. Approximately $51.6 million of the NEH funds were then distributed to the state and territorial humanities councils to support humanities organizations and other cultural organizations in their jurisdictions. These additional funds will allow the NEH and LEH to assist in sustaining the humanities through the American Rescue Plan.

“It has been a challenging year for humanities-based institutions across Louisiana. After receiving and distributing more than $480,000 last year in grants through the LCCF, we are grateful to our friends and colleagues at the NEH and the Federation of State Humanities Councils for working to secure additional funds that will continue to heal and strengthen Louisiana’s humanities infrastructure,” said Miranda Restovic, executive director and president of the LEH. “We are fortunate to live in one of the most culturally rich states in the country and will work quickly to distribute American Rescue Plan funds to the organizations that help preserve, promote and interpret our diverse cultural heritage.”

Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants are available to nonprofit cultural organizations with a strong humanities focus, including but not limited to museums, historic sites, archives, media groups and festivals. Nonprofit entities with 501(c)(3) status, public-facing organizations operating within accredited institutions of higher learning, state and local government agencies and federally recognized Native American tribal governments in Louisiana are eligible to apply. 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 such as staff retention (payroll and benefits), rent, insurance, mortgage and utilities. Award amounts will be based on the annual operating budget of the applicant organization. Applications will not open until Friday, May 21, to provide organizations time to review the necessary documentation and prepare their applications. A sample application may be found here.

The granting period will run through July 9, 2021, or until funds are expended. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and organizations will receive notification of award or rejection within 30 days of submission. The LEH will host Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants info sessions on May 21 at 10 a.m. and June 16 at 2 p.m. Interested applicants may register for one of the grants info sessions here.

For more information about the Louisiana Culture Care Fund, including eligibility requirements, visit www.leh.org. Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants for general operating support are one of three upcoming LEH grant programs. Further details about the other two grant rograms—Rebirth and Rebirth Festivals grants—will be announced at leh.org in June.

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About Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities to all residents of the state. Guided by the vision that everyone can realize their full potential through the humanities, LEH partners with communities, institutions and individuals to provide grant-supported outreach programs, literacy initiatives for all ages, publications, film and radio documentaries, museum exhibitions, public lectures, library projects, 64 Parishes magazine and other diverse public humanities programming. For more information, visit www.leh.org.

Disclaimer: Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed by organizations receiving funds do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.