Open Forum

The National Endowment for the Humanities is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Climate Smart Humanities Organizations grant program! This program supports climate-informed strategic planning at humanities organizations such as museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and colleges and universities.

As climate related pressures become an ever-encroaching threat to natural and cultural landscapes, it is paramount for humanities organizations across the nation to have comprehensive climate-minded strategic plans in place. It is important to not only plan for future climate-related threats, but also create plans that utilize sustainable, low carbon energy sources to adapt to and mitigate current climate pressures.

This program offers up to $300,000 in federal matching funds to be matched 1:1 by third-party, nonfederal sources. Successful applicants will create comprehensive organizational assessments that lead to institutional climate-informed strategic plans. Assessment types include mitigation, which looks for ways to reduce an institution's impact on the environment, and adaptation, which looks for ways to protect the organization from climate impacts.

Projects should propose to undertake a range of assessment activities including, but not limited to, comprehensive energy audits, climate risk assessments, and carbon footprint calculations. These efforts should include institutional staff at all levels and may also rely upon outside consultants, experts, and community partners.

The result of the grant will be a climate smart strategic plan that establishes goals and prioritized actions to reduce the organization's impacts on the environment and/or vulnerability from extreme events, while supporting work in the humanities over the long term.

Eligible organizations can apply on behalf of their own institution or lead a community-based consortium of collaborating cultural organizations.

Want to learn more? Please join our upcoming informational webinar on June 25th at 2pm Eastern! Registration is free; please sign up using this link.

More questions? Check out our program page here.

Want to talk directly to a program officer? Contact us at challenge@neh.gov.

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