Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants: Capital Projects

Background
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Office of Challenge Programs is accepting applications for Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants: Capital Projects. This program supports the purchase, design, construction, restoration, or renovation of buildings or sites of national, historical, architectural, or cultural significance and facilities that house humanities collections or are used for humanities activities. Projects are financed through a combination of federal matching funds and related fundraising from nonfederal third parties. Proposals must enhance the institution’s long-term impact on the humanities and build on careful strategic planning.

Grant Details
The program strengthens the institutional base of the humanities by helping organizations secure and sustain their core buildings, sites, collections, and/or humanities activities for the long term. The program supports capital projects through a combination of federal matching funds and related fundraising from nonfederal third parties.

Proposed projects must enhance the institution’s long-term impact on the humanities and build on careful strategic planning. Awards support the purchase of real property or equipment and the design, construction, restoration, or renovation of buildings or sites of historical, architectural, or cultural significance and other facilities that house humanities collections or are used for humanities activities.

Activities may include hiring consultants who specialize in fundraising, historic preservation, project planning, developing schematics and construction drawings, construction, purchasing and installing related permanently affixed or moveable equipment for monitoring and protecting collections (whether on exhibit or in storage), purchasing and installing critical building systems such as electrical, climate control, security, life safety, lighting, utilities, telecommunications, energy management.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; accredited institutions of higher education (public or nonprofit); state and local governments and their agencies; federally recognized Native American Tribal governments.

Period of Performance
Level 1 grants have a period of performance up to two years while Level 2 grants have a period of performance from two to five years. The period of performance must begin between March 1, 2024, and June 1, 2024.

Grant Value
Approximately $6,500,000 is available with approximately 15-20 grants anticipated to be awarded. Funding ranges from up to $150,000 for Level 1 grants to Chair’s Special Awards ranging from $500,001 to $1,000,000.