Quick Grants

Part1:ApplicationGuidelinesandInstructions

Guidelines

1.1Program Formats...... 1

1.2Funding Priorities...... 2

1.3Who Can Apply...... 1

1.4Eligible Expenses...... 2

1.5Matching Requirements...... 3

1.6Funding Limits and Project Duration...... 3

1.7Funding Exclusions...... 4

1.8Application Deadline Schedule...... 4

Application Instructions

1.9How to Apply...... 5

1.10Applicant Compliance...... 6

1.11Application Checklist...... 6

Revised November 2015

Revised November 2015

Quick Grants| Part 1| Page 1

Guidelines

Quick Grantssupport a wide range of community-oriented, public programs that help us understandand appreciate human history, culture, values, and beliefs. Quick Grants may fund implementation of small exhibitions, discussion-based public programs, local history tours, and “One Book” community reading projects. All Quick Grant proposals must demonstrate significant humanities scholarship and content and must be:

•Open to the general public

•Free or low-cost to attend

•Clearly interpretive and based in the humanities

Quick Grants can fund stand-alone projects or expand and enrich other public presentations such as exhibitions or performances as long as they are not already being funded by a CTH grant or being used as a cash match in another CTH grant.

Please note:

  • Organizations may have only one (1) Quick Grant open at a time.
  • Organizations may receive up to two (2) Quick Grants per calendar year and CTH must approve their final report on the first grant prior to receiving a second award.
  • No planning activities can be funded through a Quick Grant.
  • Program Formats

Small Exhibitions: These projects explore humanities themes through interpretive, museum-style in-person or online exhibits. Both formats require written, interpretive text to accompany the exhibit’s objects and images.

Discussion-based Public Programs:These projects help the public better understand humanities topics and themes through discussion. Project formats may include lectures, symposia, community conversations, town hall meetings, pre- or post-performance talkback sessions, author talks, film talks, etc. Whatever the format, the program should feature opportunities for the audience to ask questions and actively engage with the presenters and topic being discussed.

Local History Tours: These projects explore humanities themes at several different locations or sites in a community, or between multiple towns. Program formats may include walking or bus tours. These programs should be led by a trained interpreter(s) who presents humanities-based program content to tour participants and provides opportunities for questions.

“One Book” Community ReadingProjects: These projects focus on the power of the written word to help people understand their world. These programs go beyond traditional book club formats to connect a community through a common reading experience with discussion and further learning about topics in the book.These programs may inspire action in your community or simply focus on deeper reflection on literature and learning.

Note: Regardless of program format, projects that help the public better understand and contextualize local community issues, current events, relate the past to the present, and/or are Connecticut focused are especially encouraged.

1.2Funding Priorities

Connecticut Humanities (CTH) gives priority to projects that include significant humanities scholarship and content and do one or more of the following:

•Reach broad audiences

•Address social issues through humanities disciplines

•Foster collaboration among organizations

•Encourage heritage tourism

1.3Whocan Apply

Anapplicant organization must:

•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 OR be a municipality in the state of Connecticut

•Provide significant programs and/or services to the public on a regular basis, including open hours and special events; or function as a professional serviceorganization that supports humanities program providers

•Be in compliance with all terms and conditions of previous Connecticut Humanities grants

The following are not eligible for funding:

•For-profit organizations

•Individuals

•Agencies of the state of Connecticut, including state universities, state parks and state historic sites

•Organizations not in compliance with terms and conditions of previous Connecticut Humanities grants

1.4Eligible Expenses

•Purchase of materials and rental of equipment needed to produce the exhibit

•Design and production of interpretive exhibition labels and panels

•Expenses for video recordings, audio recordings, or photography used in the exhibit or program

•Printed programs, brochures or other educational material associated with the exhibit or program

•Transportation between sites (for multi-venue tours)

•Film screening fees

•Book purchase for titles used in “One Book” Community Reading Projects

•Equipment rental needed for public programs

•Venue rental (other than properties/ spaces owned by the applicant organization)

•Direct promotion and advertising expenses

•Honoraria/ Consultant/ Performer fees (cannot be applicant organization staff or board members), including:

  • Exhibit fabricator fees
  • Speaker or moderator fees
  • Discussion leader honoraria
  • Performer fees

•Speaker/performer travel expenses

1.5Matching Requirements

Quick Grants must be matched dollar for dollar. Matching funds may come from in-kind contributions, the applicant organization’s own cash, or external funders.

Matching funds for Quick Grants are defined as:

  1. In-kind contributions made to the applicant organization solely for support of the project, including:

•Donated services, including volunteer time dedicated to the project

•Donated materials and supplies

•Donated or loaned equipment

•Donated or loaned rental space not owned by the grantee

  1. Cash contributed to the project by the applicant, including:

•Fees paid directly to consultants

•Materials, supplies and equipment purchased exclusively for the project

•Rental fees for equipment and space

•Contracted services

•Cash from partners

•Salaries and wages of applicant and partner staff dedicated to this project

  1. External cash contributions from donors and/or third parties specifically for the project in the form of grants, gifts or bequests. (Note: If an admission or registration fee is required to attend a grant-funded activity, those fees may not be counted as an external cash contribution.)

Funding from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development or any other state agency cannot be used for matching purposes.

1.6Funding Limits and Project Duration

Awards may not exceed $4,999. All Quick Grant project periods are six (6) months in duration, beginning on the first day of the month following application submission. All CTH grant funded activities must occur and be completed within the Quick Grant six (6) month project period. No extensions are allowed.

1.7Funding Exclusions

The list of projects and expenses that Connecticut Humanities does not support through its grant programs includes, but is not limited to:

•Projects advocating a particular political, philosophical, religious or ideological point of view or a particular program of social action or change

•Projects intended primarily to create musical compositions, dance, paintings, sculpture, poetry, short stories, novels or other artistic products that do not contain a humanities component

•Renovation, restoration, rehabilitation or construction of historic sites

•Conservation treatment that is not directly related to a CTH-funded exhibition

•Book printing or publication

•Curricula for classes not accessible to the general public

•Endowments

•Individual fellowships, graduate education or university-based projects that require participants to register for academic credit

•Acquisition of artifacts, works of art or documents

•Capital improvements to applicant site and/or facilities

•Purchases of capital equipment, buildings or land

•Repayment of loans or debt service

•Costs associated with social events or fundraising activities

•Purchase of food, alcohol, refreshments or catering services

•Retroactive funding for activities undertaken before the start of the proposed grant period

•Undocumented expenses

•Overhead expenses, including insurance, taxes, administrative fees, employee benefits and site operating expenses

•Honoraria, stipends or professional fees for applicant organization’s board members

•Honoraria, stipends or professional fees for elected officials

•Honoraria, stipends or professional fees for current CTH board members and staff

Note: The following funding exclusions apply specifically to Quick Grant funded projects:

•Salary, honoraria, stipends, or professional fees for applicant organization staff (full- or part-time)

•Project planning activities (Please refer to CTH’s Project Planning grant line for planning projects)

•Capacity building activities (Please refer to CTH’s Capacity Building grant line for capacity projects)

1.8Application Deadline Schedule

Applications are due to CTH on the first workday of each month. Award notifications are made approximately one month following a deadline.

Revised November 2015

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Application Instructions

1.9How to Apply

The application narrative forms were created in Microsoft Word 2010 and the budget forms in Microsoft Excel 2010. These files should be downloaded and saved to your desktop and then opened with the appropriate application. The Excel workbooks will have a sheet for each budget area; i.e., honoraria, travel, promotion, etc. – see the tabs at the bottom of the workbook.Narrative fields are limited by the number of characters noted at the top of the field. Characters include punctuation and spaces.

We strongly urge you to contact Connecticut Humanities staff to discuss your project idea at least one month in advance of submitting an application. We are eager to help you submit a strong application and are available to review draft applications received at least two weeks before the deadline.

Applications must be received at Connecticut Humanities by 4:00 p.m. on the deadline day (first workday of each month).

Electronic applications must be submitted in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe Acrobat PDF format. To ensure timely receipt by CTH, electronic applications should be sent to using the process outlined below, NOT to individual CTH staff members. Note: once application materials have been received at they are considered final submissions and applications will not be altered from that point onward. Incomplete applications will be rejected, so please review the application checklist (Section 1.11 below) to be sure you have fully completed the required forms.

Please submit your application using WeTransfer ( a free file transfer service that does not require you to sign up for an account or enter personal information.

We Transfer Instructions:

  1. Open the WeTransfer site in your browser(
  2. Note that the site might open to a full-page ad that looks a lot like a home page. You’ll know it’s an ad because the popup mentioned in (3) below will be missing. Close the ad.
  3. On the home page, you should see a small popup box on the left with terms of service. Click “I agree” to continue.
  4. You should see a popup box on the left. Click the “add files” button to attach files for sending. Enter the grants email address () in the “friends email” box. Enter your email address in the “your email” box. Adding a message is optional.
  5. Click “transfer.” Depending on the size of the file, it could take a few minutes for the transfer to complete.
  6. You will receive a confirmation when we download the files on our end.

Please contact Scott Wands (; 860-685-7579)or Lauren Miller (;860-685-7578)if you have questions about grant application submissions.

1.10Applicant Compliance

In order to apply for a Quick Grant, applicants must:

  1. Send or have the most current version of the following documents on file with Connecticut Humanities:

•Organizational Profile Form

•List of board members (or commission members for municipal departments)

•Operating budget for current and previous fiscal year

•IRS 501(c)(3) determination letterOR, for applications from municipalities, a municipal authorization letter from the city/town authorizing the municipal department to submit a grant application to CTH

  1. Be in compliance with all terms and conditions of previous Connecticut Humanities grants.
  2. Have no other Quick Grants open.
  3. Complete all sections of the application and submit to Connecticut Humanities by 4:00 pm on the deadline date (first workday of each month). Include only information requested in section 1.11.
  4. ApplicationChecklists

The following quick checklist of required items is provided to help ensure you submit a complete application.After submission, CTH program officers review applications for completeness and adherence to specific grant category guidelines. Click here to see a copy of the Application Quality Control checklist we use.

Revised November 2015

Quick Grants| Part 1| Page 1

Quick Grant Application Form (Word document), which includes:

  • Application Cover and Certification Page
  • Project Narrative
  • Project Personnel Qualifications & Responsibilities

Quick Grant Budget Form (Excel Workbook)

Applicant compliance forms(Submit Updated Forms Each Fiscal Year)

CTH Organizational ProfileForm (Word document)

List oforganization’s currentfiscal year’s board members

Organization’s operating budget for current and previous fiscal year

IRS 501(c)(3) determination letterwith EIN number OR Municipal Authorization letter

Again, we strongly urge you to contact Connecticut Humanities staff to discuss your project idea at least one month in advance of submitting an application. We are eager to help you submit a strong application and are available to review draft applications received at least two weeks before the deadline.Scott Wands (; 860-685-7579) or Lauren Miller (;860-685-7578)

Revised November 2015