Indiana Humanities Council

IHC Humanities Initiative Grant Packet

Contents of Grant Packet

Why Immigration?
Section 1: Grant Guidelines
    A. Grant Purposes
    B. Eligibility
        1. Requirements
        2. Restrictions
    C. General Requirements for ALL Grant Applications
    D. Description of Special Priority Program
        1. Humanities Programs
        2. Civic Discussion Forums
        3. Resource Connection Opportunities
Section 2: Application Process
    A. Application Instructions
        1. Cover Sheet
        2. Narrative Questions
        3. Budget
        4. Required Attachments
    B. Submission Instructions
    C. Review Procedures and Notification
    D. Assistance
Frequently Asked Questions
Grant Application Form

Why Immigration?

The Secrets of America

These States are the amplest poem,
Here is not merely a nation but a teeming Nation of nations,
Walt Whitman

When Whitman was born in 1819, the country could hardly have been described as a “teeming Nation of nations.” Immigrants from the two relatively tiny countries of Great Britain and the Netherlands made up the overwhelming majority of Americans. During his own lifetime Whitman witnessed the arrival of scores of Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Potato Famine; Scottish immigrants filing into the Carolinas; and a handful of Czechs from the Bohemian region clear-cutting and plowing the American frontier regions of modern day Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska, preparing the country’s most bountiful agricultural region. By the time of Whitman’s death in 1892 the first wave of German immigrants had reached the nation’s shores, filling up Midwestern cities as fast as they could be erected.

Between the years of 1820 and 1979, 50 million immigrants settled in America, overcoming great odds and utilizing their reserves of courage, fortitude, and determination to build a better life for themselves in the Land of Opportunity. President Kennedy, who wrote, “What Alexis de Tocqueville saw in America was a society of immigrants, each of whom had begun life anew, on an equal footing. This is the secret of America: a nation of people with the fresh memory of old traditions who dare to explore new frontiers,” changed America’s immigration laws, opening opportunities to the developing world.

The rapidly globalizing world continues to offer opportunities to people everywhere, both abroad and at home, both to new immigrants and to established communities. America’s schools attract the best and the brightest from almost every country. Our economy attracts every stripe of employee from top-paid CEOs to tradesmen. Declining birth rates and the “brain drain” have meant that, without immigration, over the last ten years the population in Indiana would have declined by thousands. But we would be naïve to think that immigration has arrived without bringing new challenges as well.

We become accustomed to our lives. Change is exciting but it is also frightening, and when change happens fast we may miss the opportunity to relish in the joy of learning new things.

In our ongoing effort to make sense of the world through the application of the humanities to the most critical issues of Hoosiers’ lives, we are dedicating 2008 to the exploration of immigration. We will be pursuing this goal through our work with the Task Force on Foreign Languages and our other programs. We are also going to be pursuing this work with the help of partners old and new; and, with the aid of our grant program, with you. The Indiana Humanities Council is proud to release this year’s request for proposals for the 2008 calendar year for programs relating to the theme of immigration, old and new, as it has shaped and is shaping your community. Every community has its own story to tell, we want to help you tell it. What are the secrets of your community’s strength?

SECTION 1 – GRANT GUIDELINES

A. Grant Purposes
Humanities Initiative Grants are awarded to conduct public programs dealing with the humanities. These grants respond to initiatives from not-for-profit organizations that wish to sponsor public programs such as town hall meetings, panels, workshops, lectures, reading and discussion programs, film discussion programs, festivals, and production of humanities resources.

Funding for these grants is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency.

B. Eligibility

1. Requirements

To be eligible for any grant from the Indiana Humanities Council, an applicant must be a not-for-profit organization with tax-exempt status in the state of Indiana. (Schools and Government entities are eligible). Grants will not be made to individuals.

In carrying out the grant, applicants must:

Retain auditable records of grant funds and local donations of cash and in-kind contributions and services.
Comply with basic state and federal nondiscriminatory statutes.
Report significant changes in the project to the Council.
Submit an expenditure and evaluation report at the conclusion of the project.
Share any income produced by the project with the Council or apply it to the project.
Grant to the Indiana Humanities Council a royalty-free, non-exclusive license to publish or otherwise use any product(s) from the project.

2. Restrictions

Indiana Humanities Council grants will not be made for any of the following purposes:

Political action or advocacy
Social services
Construction or renovation
Property or major equipment purchases
Religious practices or training
Scholarships
Performance of art unless presenting subject matter in the humanities
Publication of books
Operating expenses
Microfilming newspapers
Alcoholic beverages

C. General Requirements for ALL Grant Applications

All proposals must meet the following requirements to be considered. These will be used to evaluate, rate, and rank the grant.

Contain a strong focus on the humanities. The Council is interested in activities that use the humanities to broaden our perspective on important contemporary issues in Hoosier life. For the purposes of Humanities Initiative Grants the Indiana Humanities Council uses the definition of the humanities provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities which states that the humanities includes activities in at least one of the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Language
- History
- Philosophy
- Archaeology
- Comparative Religion
- Ethics
- Law
- Folklore
- Culture
- Social Sciences*
- Theory, History, and Criticism of the Performing and Visual Arts
*those aspects of the social sciences—such as economics, political science, and sociology—that employ historical or philosophical approaches

Include humanities scholars in project planning and implementation. Humanities scholars are individuals with particular training or experience qualifying them as professionals in one or more of the academic disciplines of the humanities. Scholars may have advanced degrees (M.A. or Ph.D.) in a humanities field of study and/or regular appointments at an institution of higher learning, or they may have developed equivalent expertise through professional training, experience, or immersion in a particular cultural tradition.
Be intended for a public or school audience. Although sponsoring organizations may design programs for target audiences, the programs must be accessible to people outside of the organization's membership.
Be presented in a site that is accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Be founded on an excellent and viable idea. Applicants must show evidence of ability to implement that idea and execute it within the grant period.
Not exceed $2,000 in requested funding. Grant requests can be made for up to $2000; however, after reviewing the grant proposal the Council may decide to award less than the requested amount.
Demonstrate an equivalent matching value in cash or in-kind contributions from other sources. Matching funds must come from non-federal sources and ideally will demonstrate some level of community support or need for the project. NOTE: This is a dollar-for-dollar match, which means that, although the IHC may grant less than the requested amount, the application should demonstrate matching funds up to the requested amount.
Be postmarked no later than the deadline dates shown below to be considered in that round.
Applicants must submit one(1) complete copy of the Cover Sheet and Application, including required attachments, by email or three (3) complete paper copies to

Nancy N. Conner, Ph.D.
Director of Grants
Indiana Humanities Council
1500 North Delaware Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-2419

Round	Deadline	Decision
One	February 1, 2008 (postmark)	February 15, 2008
Two	May 1, 2008 (postmark)	May 15, 2008
Three	September 2, 2008 (postmark)	September 15, 2008

D. Requirements for Grant Applications for Special Priority Programs

In awarding Humanities Initiative Grants during 2008, the Council will give highest priority to proposals involving the theme of immigration. Immigration has a different significance each of us. Furthermore immigration impacts different communities in different ways. As a result it is difficult to prescribe what program(s) may be most beneficial to your community. Some may be seeking ways to integrate new cultures into an established setting. Some groups will be best served by discussing the opportunities and challenges presented by new immigration. Some groups may have already developed ideas, concepts, or programs that have helped them which they now want to share. The Council encourages all grant applicants to consider the three broad outlines given below while developing programs during 2008. Option 1 includes any format type, e.g. book, film, or art discussions, literacy programs, cultural fairs or festivals etc., not covered by Options 2 or 3. Options 2 and 3 more specifically relate to programming already underway at the Council.

1. Humanities Programs

Broadly-speaking, any program that both meets the criteria discussed previously and deals with immigration—old or new—may be considered for Special Priority. However, the IHC is looking to partner with organizations that have a clear intent to work with the Council in furtherance of its goals. With that in mind a few of the above criteria bear repeating. Immigration-themed programs should be certain to deal strictly within the humanities disciplines. [For a list of these disciplines see Section 1C-1 above.] Programs should be sure to integrate the work of at least one humanities scholar, where a “scholar” is defined under 1C-2 and where “integrate” means that the scholar’s expertise is integral to the success of the program.

Programs should also encourage broad collaboration across the entire community. Highest priority will be given to proposals that demonstrate how this collaboration can become a long term integration of immigrants into community development activities.

For some guidance as to the kinds of topics the Council is excited to explore this year, please see the Civic Discussion Forums section below.

2. Civic Discussion Forums

Public forums create community bonds by providing an outlet to share opinions: educating our neighbors as to who we are and what we believe and being educated in return. Not only do we increase our wisdom in this way, we develop bonds: with our fellow citizens and with the community as a whole.

The Indiana Humanities Council has been conducting civic conversations since its inception and we see the benefits of these events as a crucial measure of our success. As a result, civic conversations dealing with this year’s theme of immigration will be considered for Special Priority.

A Special Priority civic discussion forum is an event convening a broad base of community stakeholders for the purpose of discussing issues related to immigration from a humanities perspective. The event should incorporate humanities scholars into the program and enable attendees to participate in open discussion. As stipulated in the General Requirements (1C-3) Civic Forums must be open to a public or school audience.

Although other topics may be approved, the IHC would like to see some or all of the following issues addressed in the forums:

a. To what extent is today’s immigration into the United States consistent with the classic model of immigration throughout our national history, for example, in terms of need for laborers, conflict with native population, restrictive legislation?

b. Immigration from Europe in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries resulted in assimilation, absorption of minority groups into the main population. Later groups, especially those of different races, were not so able to assimilate but did acculturate or adapt to the majority culture. What cultural factors suggest that contemporary immigrants will or will not assimilate/acculturate?

c. Immigration is often triggered by “push-pull” factors, both events or conditions in the source country that push people out and advantageous or attractive features that pull people to the destination country. How do those factors operate in the case of the latest waves of immigration to Indiana?

d. Diaspora studies have pointed to the importance of relationships to both the “homeland” and the “hostland” among immigrants. Is there a continuing tie to the homeland (country of origin) among modern immigrants, and how does this connection affect American foreign policy? What is the situation for immigrants in the hostland (U.S.) in terms of personal, organizational, governmental and educational relations?

e. What is the nature of immigrant communities in the U.S. and in Indiana? Along what lines are there divisions? On what issues are they unified? Do they revolve around existing institutions, such as the church?

f. What are the current conditions for immigrants in Indiana, as opposed to other states? Historically, Indiana has been less welcoming and less economically promising than neighboring Midwestern states. Is this still true? Also, what lines of communication and cooperation exist between Indiana’s immigrant communities and those in other regions of the United States?

g. What type of exchange takes place between immigrant culture and the mainstream culture in the United States? What impact are new immigrants having on American art, literature, media, cuisine, religion, beliefs, and values? How do cultural viewpoints held by immigrant families align with educational attainment and middle class views of economic success?

h. Most immigrants to the US speak another language besides English as their native tongue. How well do different immigrant populations assimilate the hostland language? Are there significant language barriers and if so does this mean the status of English will change? How is language adoption and learning incorporated into education and business practices in Indiana? What is the cultural significance of a native language for its speakers?

3. Creation of Immigration-Related Materials for the Resource Connection

The Council wishes to expand the volume of material available within the Resource Connection. To this end, projects which help to create new material related to the immigration theme for inclusion in the Resource Connection are also given special priority in the review process.

SECTION 2 – APPLICATION PROCESS

A. Application Instructions

A well-prepared application influences the review process. Miscalculated budgets, incomplete evaluation criteria, nondescriptive narratives, narratives that are not responsive to application criteria, project designs that will fail to achieve stated objectives, or failure to itemize income/expenses may result in a negative review and no funding.

1. Cover Sheet

Project Title: Make it brief, self-explanatory, and appealing.

Sponsoring Organization: The not-for-profit group assuming full responsibility for the grant and to whom the grant check should be payable.

Project Co-Sponsor(s): Groups that will play important roles but are not the actual recipients of the grant.

Project Director: The one person responsible for the overall management of the grant. The project director must be prepared to serve as the primary liaison to the Indiana Humanities Council. All correspondence, checks, notices, etc. will be sent to the project director.

Tax Exempt Status: Enter the Indiana Not-for-Profit Tax Exemption number on the cover sheet. Organizations do not need to have IRS 501(c)3 status.

Official Signatures: If submitting your application through the mail, please submit at least one copy bearing the original signatures, in ink, of the sponsoring group official and the project director. By email, we will accept the signed, scanned, and emailed application.

2. Narrative Questions

Respond to the following questions. Keep answers concise, but do not omit important details. Total narrative should not exceed four (4) pages.

Note for Special Priority Applicants: Be sure to check the box on the application that indicates you are applying for Special Priority and which of the three format options your program falls under (Section D). Also, while writing your narrative, especially parts (a) and (b), be sure to indicate how your project meets the Special Priority requirements.

a. Project Description and Rationale
First, describe your project. Second, explain how it applies to the Grant Purposes. If you are applying under the Special Priority category, explain how your project meets the requirements for this category.

Also provide evidence of your ability to implement the project by describing your organization, the project personnel and their roles, scholars or experts (such as historians or presenters), cooperating organizations or agencies, public programs or target audiences (including an estimate of attendance for each event), and publicity plans.

b. Needs and Outcomes
Discuss the need for your project and explain why you believe your idea is an excellent way of fulfilling institutional or community needs.

Also describe the expected outcomes of the project. These might include goals to be achieved, materials that will be produced, distribution plans, and evaluation methods.

c. Timetable
Outline the timetable for the project, including the planning phase, the implementation phase or schedule of events, and the evaluation/reporting phase.

3. Budget

Provide a line-item budget for the project, using the Budget Format (below) as a guide. Please note the following:

The column entitled “Grant” should reflect funding you are requesting from IHC.

The columns entitled “Matching - Cash” should reflect cash for project expenses that comes from either the sponsoring group or its donors and collaborators.

The column entitled “Matching – In-Kind” should reflect the dollar value of commodities given to the project instead of money. Examples include volunteer time, use of meeting rooms, or supplies. Compute the in-kind value according to the actual pay scale of persons engaged in comparable work, the actual rental value for the room, other actual purchase value of the supplies.

Federal dollars cannot be used for matching purposes.

Line items for alcoholic beverages, whether Grant or Cost Share, are prohibited.

Reimbursement for airfare, per diem, and hotel should be kept at reasonable rates. Mileage should be reimbursed at no more than the current IRS standard rate.
If any budget items need an explanation, please attach one.

4. Required Attachments

Attach resumes (preferably one or two pages each) for the project director and experts.
Attach 1-5 letters of support from co-sponsors, experts, and interested community groups.
Attach a list of the sponsoring organization's board members.

PLEASE NOTE: All materials submitted with the application, including books, photographs, and any other items, become the property of the Indiana Humanities Council. They will not be returned to the applicant.

If you would like an acknowledgment of receipt, attach a note to your application.

B. Submission Instructions

Materials may be printed out and mailed to:

Nancy N. Conner, Ph.D.
Director of Grants
Indiana Humanities Council
1500 North Delaware Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-2419

Round	Deadline	Decision
One	February 1, 2008 (postmark)	February 15, 2008
Two	May 1, 2008 (postmark)	May 15, 2008
Three	September 2, 2008 (postmark)	September 15, 2008

For online submission:

In a text editor (like MicroSoft Word) Answer the narrative questions.
Fill out your budget.
Cut and paste in all required resumes.
Save the combined document in Word or PDF format.
Open the Humanities Initiative Grant Cover Sheet PDF and complete it.
At the top of the PDF there is an option to Print or Submit by Email:

Print a copy for your records.
Then hit the "Submit by Email" button.

Your email editor should open automatically.

The "To:" and "Subject" fields will already be filled in.
The cover sheet will already be attached.
Attach the Word or PDF file of your completed application.

Send the email.

Please refer to the Application checklist to make sure that all materials have been gathered.

C. REVIEW PROCEDURES AND NOTIFICATION

Grant applications will be reviewed by Council Board members, community leaders, subject matter experts, and/or panelists chosen by partnering organizations, such as the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

You will be notified about the status of your grant application by letter within 30 days of the decision date for the grant.

D. ASSISTANCE

Staff members are available by telephone, fax, or e-mail to answer specific questions about your application. You may also make an appointment to see a staff member at the IHC office.

Contact Nancy Conner, phone 638.1500 x or 800.675.8897, fax 317.634.9503,