Climate Smart Humanities Organizations
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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Matching required: Yes, 1:1 non-federal, third-party gifts must be raised by March 31, 2025
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Application available (anticipated)
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As energy costs rise and natural disasters become more frequent, humanities organizations - such as museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and colleges and universities - face an enormous task: to anticipate operational, physical, and financial impacts of climate-related events on their institutions, while also reducing their own impact on the environment. Climate Smart Humanities Organizations supports these efforts by offering federal matching funds for comprehensive organizational assessments that lead to strategic climate action and adaptation plans.
Through the Climate Smart program, your humanities organization can undertake activities such as energy audits, risk assessments, and meetings with consultants. The resulting climate smart plan helps you establish goals and prioritize actions that reduce your organization’s impacts on the environment through mitigation and vulnerability from extreme events through adaptation. Together, mitigation and adaptation can inform a robust road map that addresses climate challenges, protects assets, and facilitates collaboration between internal and external stakeholders. Strategic planning for climate change is an essential part of sustaining humanities organizations’ operations and activities—becoming climate smart.
Individual organizations can apply for themselves or lead a consortium of organizations collaborating on strategic climate smart planning.
Awards in this program are made with federal matching funds and require fundraising of third-party, non-federal gifts at a ratio of one to one.
Watch the Climate Smart Humanities Organizations webinar
- 59-minute presentation
- Closed captions available
Download a transcript of the webinar (PDF)
Download the webinar slides (PDF)
Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity to ensure you understand the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this grant and that you are prepared to write the most effective application.
Application Materials
Climate Smart Humanities Organizations Notice of Funding Opportunity September 2023 (PDF)
Grants.gov application package for Climate Smart Humanities Organizations
Program Resources
Climate Smart Humanities Organizations Frequently Asked Questions, 2023 (coming soon)
Federal Matching Funds Guidelines
Certification of Gifts/Pledges (PDF)
Instructions for the Supplementary Cover Sheet for NEH Grant Programs
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Follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and in the Grants.gov instructions.
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