PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE
For applications submitted February 1, 2016 and later
PA RT 1: A PP LIC ATI ON G UIDE LI NE S
AND
I N ST RU CTI ONS
GUIDELINES
1.1
FUNDING PRIORITIES ....................................................... 1
1.2
WHO CAN APPLY ............................................................ 1
1.3
FUNDING EXCLUSIONS ...................................................... 2
1.4
MATCHING REQUIREMENTS ................................................ 3
1.5
FUNDING LIMITS AND PROJECT DURATION ............................... 4
1.6
ELIGIBLE EXPENSES ......................................................... 4
1.7
APPLICATION DEADLINE SCHEDULE ....................................... 4
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1.8
HOW TO APPLY .............................................................. 5
1.9
APPLICANT COMPLIANCE .................................................... 6
1.10 REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS .................................................. 6
1.11 APPLICATION CHECKLIST ................................................... 8
REVISED NOVEMBER 2015
CONNECTICUT HUMANITIES FUND | PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE | PART 1 | PAGE 1
GUIDELINES
Connecticut Humanities Fund (CTHF) Public Presentation Grants support humanities-based projects
that help all of us understand and appreciate human history, culture, values and beliefs. They allow us
to analyze our complex society and to make thoughtful, reasoned decisions based on inquiry,
evaluation and empathy.
The Public Presentation grant line supports projects from planning through implementation and the
flexible funding range allows organizations to develop projects of all sizes. There are separate
application forms and requirements for planning projects and implementation projects. The dollar
amount of a grant request determines both the amount of supporting material required and the
deadline for application.
Only one (1) Public Presentation Planning or Implementation Grant can be open at a time.
All Public Presentation Implementation Grant proposals must have significant humanities scholarship
and content incorporated in the public program or exhibition, and must articulate clearly defined goals
that will be achieved during the project. Implementation grants may be awarded to provide
exhibitions, public programs and interpretive digital media projects.
1.1
FUNDING PRIORITIES
Connecticut Humanities (CTH) gives priority to projects that include significant humanities scholarship
and content and do one or more of the following:
1.2
•
Reach broad audiences
•
Address social issues through humanities disciplines
•
Foster collaboration among organizations
•
Encourage heritage tourism
WHO CAN APPLY
An applicant organization must:
•
Be incorporated in the state of Connecticut for at least one year as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization governed by a board of directors that meets regularly OR be a Connecticut
municipality.
•
Provide significant programming and/or services to the public on a regular basis, including
open hours and special events, or function as a professional service organization that supports
humanities program providers
•
Be in compliance on all terms and conditions of all previous Connecticut Humanities grants
Rev. November 2015
CONNECTICUT HUMANITIES FUND | PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE | PART 1 | PAGE 2
The following are not eligible for funding:
•
For-profit organizations
•
Individuals
•
Agencies of the state of Connecticut, including state universities, parks and historic sites
•
Organizations not in compliance with terms and conditions of previous Connecticut Humanities
grants
1.3
FUNDING EXCLUSIONS
The Connecticut Humanities Fund does not support the following projects and expenses under any of
its grant programs:
•
Projects advocating a particular political, philosophical, religious or ideological point of view or
a particular program of social action or change
•
Projects intended primarily to create musical compositions, dance, paintings, sculpture,
poetry, short stories, novels or other artistic products that do not contain a humanities
component
•
Renovation, restoration, rehabilitation or construction of historic sites
•
Conservation treatment that is not directly related to a CTH-funded exhibition
•
Book printing or publication
•
Curricula for classes not accessible to the general public
•
Endowments
•
Individual fellowships, graduate education or university-based projects that require
participants to register for academic credit
•
Acquisition of artifacts, works of art or documents
•
Capital improvements to applicant site and/or facilities
•
Purchases of capital equipment, buildings or land
•
Repayment of loans or debt service
•
Costs associated with social events or fundraising activities
•
Purchase of food, alcohol, refreshments or catering services
•
Retroactive funding for activities undertaken before the start of the proposed grant period
•
Undocumented expenses
•
Overhead expenses, including insurance, taxes, administrative fees, employee benefits and
site operating expenses
•
Honoraria, stipends or professional fees for applicant organization’s board members
•
Honoraria, stipends or professional fees for elected officials
•
Honoraria, stipends or professional fees for active CTH board members and staff
Rev. November 2015
CONNECTICUT HUMANITIES FUND | PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE | PART 1 | PAGE 3
1.4
MATCHING REQUIREMENTS
Public Presentation Implementation Grants must be matched dollar for dollar. Matching funds may
come from in-kind contributions, the applicant organization’s own cash, or external funders.
Organizations receiving Implementation Grants of $24,999 or less must receive 25% of their match
from external sources.
Organizations receiving Implementation Grants of $25,000 or more must receive 50% of their match
from external sources.
A revenue plan identifying anticipated sources of matching funds from external sources must be
submitted with the grant application.
Matching funds from external sources must be secured and
received by the applicant organization prior to the end of a CTH grant period to ensure full final
payment of a CTH grant award.
Matching funds for Implementation Grants are defined as:
1. In-kind contributions made to the applicant organization solely for support of the project,
including:
•
Donated services, including volunteer time dedicated to the project
•
Donated materials and supplies
•
Donated or loaned equipment
•
Donated or loaned rental space not owned by the grantee
2. Cash contributed to the project by the applicant, including:
•
Fees paid directly to consultants
•
Materials, supplies and equipment purchased exclusively for the project
•
Rental fees for equipment and space
•
Contracted services
•
Cash from partners
•
Salaries and wages of applicant and partner staff dedicated to this project
3. External cash contributions from donors and/or third parties specifically for the project in the form
of grants, gifts or bequests. (Note: If an admission or registration fee is required to attend a
grant-funded activity, those fees may not be counted as an external cash contribution.)
Funding from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development or any other
state agency cannot be used for matching purposes.
Rev. November 2015
CONNECTICUT HUMANITIES FUND | PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE | PART 1 | PAGE 4
1.5
FUNDING LIMITS AND PROJECT DURATION
Implementation grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 and may last for up to 24 months. All
Implementation Grant project periods are twenty-four (24) months in duration, beginning on the first
day of the month of award date notification (see chart in section 1.7 below). All CTH grant funded
activities must occur and be completed within the twenty-four (18) month project period. No
extensions are allowed.
1.6
ELIGIBLE EXPENSES
•
Salary and wages directly related to the project for each staff member involved not to exceed
10% of the total grant request
•
Honoraria and fees for consultants, scholars and other outside professionals identified as
members of the project team
•
Travel expenses directly related to the project for members of the project team
•
Technical design services, including graphic, exhibition or website design
•
Purchase and/or rental of equipment, software and intellectual property directly related to the
implementation project
•
Materials used to build exhibitions
•
Office supplies and photocopying or printing (excluding book printing)
•
Advertising and marketing expenses, including postage, production of promotional materials
and advertising expenses
•
Project evaluation expenses
Please note the following expense limits:
1.7
•
Salary and wages: not to exceed 10% of the total grant request
•
Travel Expenses: not more than 20% of total grant request
•
Equipment: not more than 40% of total grant request
•
Photocopying or printing: not more than 40% of total grant request
APPLICATION DEADLINE SCHEDULE
CTH Grant Funding Range
$5,000 - $50,000
Rev. November 2015
Application Date
(first business day of the month)
August
November
February
May
Award Date
November
February
May
July
CONNECTICUT HUMANITIES FUND | PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE | PART 1 | PAGE 5
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1.8
HOW TO APPLY
The application narrative forms were created in Microsoft Word 2007 and the budget forms in
Microsoft Excel 2007. These files should be downloaded and saved to your desktop and then opened
with the appropriate application. The Excel workbooks will have a sheet for each budget area; i.e.,
honoraria, travel, promotion, etc. – see the tabs at the bottom of the workbook. Narrative fields are
limited by the number of characters noted at the top of the field. Characters include punctuation and
spaces.
We strongly urge you to contact Connecticut Humanities staff to discuss your project idea at least one
month in advance of submitting an application. We are eager to help you submit a strong application
and are available to review drafts received at least two weeks before the deadline.
Applications must be received by Connecticut Humanities staff by 4:00 p.m. on the deadline day.
Electronic applications must be submitted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe Acrobat PDF format. To
ensure timely receipt by CTH, electronic applications should be sent to grants@cthumanities.org using
the process outlined below, NOT to individual CTH staff members.
Please submit your application using WeTransfer (www.wetransfer.com) a free file transfer service
that does not require you to sign up for an account or enter personal information.
We Transfer Instructions:
1. Open the WeTransfer site in your browser.
2. Note that the site might open to a full-page ad that looks a lot like a home page. You’ll know
it’s an ad because the popup mentioned in (3) below will be missing. You’ll notice a “skip” link
on the lower right. Click it to go to the home page.
3. On the home page, you should see a small popup box on the left with terms of service. Click “I
agree” to continue.
4. You should see a popup box on the left. Click the “add files” button to attach files for sending.
Enter the grants email address (grants@cthumanities.org) in the “friends email” box. Enter
your email address in the “your email” box.
5. Click “transfer.” Depending on the size of the file, it could take a few minutes for the transfer
to complete.
6. You will receive a confirmation when we download the files on our end.
Please contact Lauren Miller if you have questions about grant application submissions.
Rev. November 2015
CONNECTICUT HUMANITIES FUND | PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE | PART 1 | PAGE 6
1.9
APPLICANT COMPLIANCE
The applicant MUST be designated a 501(c)(3) organization or municipality. All compliance
documents for nonprofits must be for the organization named in the 501(c)(3) letter, not a
department, program or project that is run by the parent organization. Applicants that are
departments of a municipality should include their own governing board or commission list and
budgets that pertain to their department only.
Applicants for Public Presentation Implementation Grants must:
1. Have the most current version of the following documents on file with Connecticut Humanities:

Organizational profile

Current list of board members

Operating budget for current and prior two fiscal years

Most recent audited financial statements or IRS 990 filing for grant requests of $10,000 or
more

IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter
2. Have no other Public Presentation (either Planning or Implementation) Grants open.
3. Be in compliance on all terms and conditions of all previous Connecticut Humanities grants.
4. Complete all of the pages of the application and submit to Connecticut Humanities by 4:00 p.m.
on the deadline date. Include only information requested in the application forms, narrative and
supplemental materials.
1.10
REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS
Implementation Grant applications must include a resume that demonstrates appropriate skills and/or
scholarship for key members of the project team to carry out their role in the project. A resume
should be included for each person for whom CTH grant funding is being sought. Short (one- or twoparagraph) bios of vital team members not paid through CTH funds may also be included.
All Implementation Grant applications must include attachments of sample evaluation materials.
If the project is a collaborative effort managed with other organizations, please include letters from
those partners describing their respective roles in the project. Do not include letters from individuals
and organizations that do not have active roles in the project.
Please note that applications may include pertinent audio and video digital files in standard formats.
Please consult Connecticut Humanities staff for details.
Rev. November 2015
CONNECTICUT HUMANITIES FUND | PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE | PART 1 | PAGE 7
In addition, the following attachments are required, depending on implementation project type:
1. Exhibitions and Historic Site Interpretation
Exhibitions and site interpretation are the physical presentation of humanities content and are
typically installed on a permanent or temporary basis at museums and other public sites. Please
attach the following materials that will help us evaluate the quality and humanities content of an
exhibition or site interpretation:
•
A list or illustrations of key objects or images
•
Sample text for introduction and main section panels and object labels
•
A rendering of the exhibition’s floor plan and sample elevations
•
A brief narrative “walk-through” of the exhibition or site that describes the visitor experience
•
Specific examples of “take-away messages” or learning objectives and how you will convey
them through the exhibition
•
Admission and other fees
2. Presentation Programs
Public presentations include lectures, performances, festivals and guided discussions that engage
audiences in interpreting and examining issues and themes. Include a summary (maximum two
pages) that provides a concise description of the proposed program, including:
•
Title, theme(s) and format of public program(s)
•
Dates and times of program(s)
•
Location and audience capacity of the venue(s)
•
Admission and other fees
•
Name of speakers, educators or presenters
•
If presentation is part of a larger program, include a schedule of events for the date(s)
For film and theater presentations, also include up to two pages that include:
•
A synopsis of the plot or story line
•
Specific examples of “take-away messages” or learning objectives
3. Interpretive Digital Media Projects
Connecticut Humanities invites proposals that convey the humanities through digital media.
Projects eligible for funding include the creation of new websites or updating of existing websites,
creation and dissemination of audio and visual material, mobile applications, Geographic
Information System applications, and data visualization projects.
Rev. November 2015
CONNECTICUT HUMANITIES FUND | PUBLIC PRESENTATION GRANT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE | PART 1 | PAGE 8
Interpretive Digital Media Projects must be well grounded in scholarship and illuminate ideas and
insights central to the humanities. Please provide these attachments for all digital projects:
•
Statement of technologies to be used and justification for selection
•
Justification for choosing any proprietary technologies over open-source options
•
Description of standards (digitization, metadata, public accessibility, privacy) that will be
employed
•
Access or other fees for the public to use the site or app
•
Explanation of how you will obtain permissions for intellectual property you do not own
•
For website and mobile app projects: sample text, screen shots and site map or structural
description for the website
•
1.11
For other media projects: sample text and sample audio/visual components
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Please use this checklist to ensure a complete application.

application cover and certification

applicant contact information

project case statement

project narrative

project background and description

project goals, outcomes and evaluation

humanities content

project audience

marketing and publicity

project team

work plan
Required attachments (see guidelines for specific requirements)

budget forms

project revenue plan for external cash match
Compliance Forms Checklist (Current versions must be on file with CTH)

organization profile

operating budget – current and past two fiscal years

list of board members

IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter

most recent audited financial statements or IRS 990 filing for requests over $10,000

municipality authorization letter for department applying for grant
Rev. November 2015