Michigan is a state with many stories. Some have been told often, and others not at all. With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Michigan Humanities Council’s Heritage Grants Program supports projects that explore local histories of race, ethnicity, and cultural identity in Michigan. These competitive grants will be awarded to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to support exhibits, digital projects, oral history programs, documentaries, cultural ceremonies, community conversations, and other activities that aim to share the history, experiences, vitality, and authentic voices of cultural identity groups in Michigan. By exploring history, projects should aim to examine connections between past inequities, present-day barriers to success, and opportunities for advancing racial equity today.
MHC Staff will offer feedback on draft proposals submitted between December 1, 2015 and January 25, 2016. The final application deadline is March 21, 2016 at 5:00 pm. Grants will be awarded in early June, 2016. The maximum grant request is $25,000. Detailed guidelines can be found here. We welcome creativity and encourage applicants to think beyond the general ideas above. Organizations must be a 501c3 nonprofit or partner with an organization that is in order to be eligible. MHC may be able to help smaller organizations partner with a 501c3. Larger organizations such as colleges and universities will need to demonstrate evidence of meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships with community organizations in their final application to have a competitive proposal. Individuals are not eligible.
When we hear, see, or remember only one story, we risk misunderstanding the cultural heritage of our state. Heritage Grants are intended to promote a deeper understanding of our past by empowering groups whose stories are often not told or remain unseen to share the history of Michigan from their perspective. There is never only a single story about a group of people or a place. Heritage Grants support projects that bring the authentic voices of cultural identity groups to the foreground and help the people of our state understand cultural differences.
Questions and inquiries should be directed to Joe Cialdella (jcialdella@mihumanities.org).
