Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants
Office of Challenge Programs
THE DEADLINE FOR THIS CYCLE HAS PASSED.
Updated guidelines will be posted in advance of the next deadline. In the meantime, please use these guidelines to get a sense of what is involved in assembling an application.
Grant Snapshot
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The mission of this Challenge Grants program is to strengthen the institutional base of the humanities by enabling infrastructure development and capacity building. Awards aim to help institutions secure long-term support for their core activities and expand efforts to preserve and create access to outstanding humanities materials. Applications are welcome from colleges and universities, museums, public libraries, research institutions, historical societies and historic sites, scholarly associations, state humanities councils, and other public and nonprofit humanities entities. Programs that involve collaboration among multiple institutions are eligible as well, but one institution must serve as the lead applicant of record that will be legally, programmatically, and fiscally responsible for the award.
Through these awards organizations can increase their humanities capacity through capital expenditures to support the design, purchase, construction, restoration, or renovation of facilities for humanities activities and the purchase of equipment and software. Such expenditures bring long-term benefits to the institution and to the humanities more broadly.
Challenge grants may also support long-term humanities projects with funds invested in a restricted, short-term endowment or other investment fund (or spend-down fund) that generate expendable earnings to support and enhance ongoing humanities activities. Eligible activities include the preservation and conservation of humanities materials, and the sustaining of digital infrastructure for the humanities.
Fundraising is a critical part of NEH Challenge grant awards: up to 10 percent of total funds (federal matching funds plus certified gifts) may be used for fundraising costs during the period of performance.
Challenge funds (both federal matching funds and required nonfederal gifts) must enhance the humanities in the long term. Challenge grants should not merely replace funds already being expended, but instead should reflect careful strategic planning to strengthen and enrich an institution’s humanities activities. Institutions may use challenge funds to meet both ongoing and one-time humanities-related costs, provided that the long-term benefit of the expenditure can be demonstrated.
As soon as you know you're ready to apply for this grant, make sure you register for a SAM number/DUNS number, and for a grants.gov account as this is vital to the grants process. If you already have registered for these items, make sure they are up to date.
Begin by reading the full grant guidelines and studying the application. The files are linked below. You want to ensure you understand all the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this grant and are prepared to write the most effective application.
Download Application Materials
Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants Guidelines (PDF)
Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants Guidelines (DOC)
Grants.gov application package for Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants
Budget Resources
Challenge Grants Sample Financial Summary, 2019 (PDF)
Program Resources
SF-429-A Real Property Status Report (PDF)
Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants Frequently Asked Questions, May 2019 (PDF)
Assurances for Construction Programs (PDF)
Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (PDF)
Certification Regarding Lobbying (PDF) *
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form (PDF)
Certification of Matching Gifts for NEH Challenge Grants Form, 2019 (PDF)
Do's and Dont's in Administering an NEH Challenge Grant
* This document may not open in your web browser. If this is the case, right click on the link to save the PDF to your desktop.
Sample Application Narratives
Alexandria Archive Institute, Data Literacy and Community Building in Digital Heritage (PDF)
Cabell County Public Library, Construction of a New Branch Library (PDF)
Dubuque County Historical Society, Preservation and Restoration through Campus Improvements (PDF)
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Multidisciplinary Display of Permanent Collection Artwork (PDF)
Reynolda House Roof Renovation (PDF)
University of California, San Diego, Construction of the Institute of Arts and Humanities (PDF)
Be sure to follow the instructions outlined in the guidelines and in the grants.gov instructions.
You will receive a confirmation from grants.gov when you've successfully submitted your application.
After you submit your application, Grants.gov will send you up to five e-mail messages confirming receipt of your application. These messages represent different stages in the application acceptance process. You should verify that you have received all confirmation messages. Please note that email filters may send these messages to your spam or junk folder.