Mass Humanities Grants
Communities around Massachusetts have important stories to tell and vital issues to discuss. Mass Humanities funds the development of thought-provoking public humanities projects for Massachusetts audiences, bringing people together to explore the history, culture, values and beliefs that matter to communities in our state.
The primary goals of our grants program are to:
- Ensure the humanities are part of the Bay State’s social fabric. The humanities thrive in Massachusetts because of its incredible diversity, innovative institutions, and ingenious people. Our grants tease out that excellence, helping nonprofits reach their potential and catalyzing projects that help Massachusetts residents better understand each other, think critically, and bring the wisdom of the humanities to bear when planning for the future.
- Uncover new stories and new perspectives. We believe that the humanities are for everyone, but only a limited slice of the population usually engages with humanities programs. To help change that, we prioritize funding projects that engage people with limited access to humanities programming.
- Build capacity in small nonprofits and government organizations. Our grantees include community organizations, libraries, town offices, historical societies, museums, and others. Our program officers will work with you closely on project design, planning, and grant writing, helping bring your ideas to fruition.
Mass Humanities grants are made possible through the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mass Cultural Council, and the generosity of our donors.
As Mass Humanities supports organizations surviving and recovering from the effects of the COVID19 pandemic, we have shifted our grant making. We will update this page with information and links to our current opportunities.
Most recently we awarded $251,499 for in Digital Capacity Grants for projects that make the humanities digitally accessible to the public and enable grantees to enhance their digital skills.
See what we’ve been supporting:
This year, Mass Humanities will not be offering Local History Grants (Research Inventory or Scholar in Residence) and Discussion Grants. We will continue to develop programs and opportunities that support local historical societies and communities conversations.