Connecticut Humanities and the Connecticut Office of the Arts are partnering to provide relief funding to nonprofit arts, humanities, and cultural organizations that are:

• continuing to provide arts and humanities programs and services but are facing financial hardship resulting from COVID-19,
• committed to advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work in their mission and operations,
• committed to the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community.

These grants are funded through the generosity of the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA).

Connecticut’s cultural sector is responsible for more than 100,000 jobs, $2.2 billion in tax revenue, and $960 million in state and local taxes in the state.

According to Dr. Jason Mancini, Executive Director at CT Humanities, “Connecticut’s nonprofit cultural organizations are essential to animating the stories of who we are — informed by our past and imagining our future. We are grateful to CHEFA for supporting our work to provide critical relief to the cultural sector. With support from CHEFA, our new partnership with the Office of the Arts affirms our shared organizational and financial commitment to supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in our state.”

Connecticut Humanities and the CT Office of the Arts will be re-granting a total of $85,000 to cultural organizations across Connecticut. Each grant award made will be in the amount of $5,000. Grants may be used for general operating expenses and no funding match is required.

“It’s rare that a private foundation, a Humanities Council and the state government work together to create a funding partnership. In addition to their generosity, CHEFA has demonstrated true leadership in advancing a path forward for these strategic initiatives. It is more critical now than ever to work together to address the multiple pandemics facing our world today – not only COVID-19, but equity, justice and access to financial support,” says Elizabeth Shapiro, Director of the Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Letters of Intent will be accepted starting Thursday, October 1, and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants selected to proceed with the full application will be given an opportunity to expand on their work in relation to the following review criteria:

• Negative impact of COVID-19 and continuity of operations and sustainability during the pandemic,
• Strength of arts and humanities programming and activities,
• Dedication to and understanding of DEI,
• Commitment to the BIPOC community.

If invited to apply, applications are due no later than Monday, November 16 by 11:59 pm.

To be eligible, an applicant organization must:

• Be a Connecticut-based federally recognized tribe or be incorporated in the state of Connecticut for at least one year as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors that meets regularly,
• Provide significant programs and/or services to the public on a regular basis, including open hours and special events,
• Be in compliance with all terms and conditions of previous CT Humanities and CT Office of the Arts grants.

View the CT Humanities Cultural Relief Grants webpage for an application preview and full guidelines. Applications must be submitted using Connecticut Humanities’ online grant portal.