Guide to Grant

Management

Alabama Humanities Foundation

1100 Ireland Way, Suite 202

Birmingham, Alabama 35205-7001

Phone: 205-558-3997

Fax: 205-558-3981

Alabama Humanities Foundation is pleased to welcome you as project director of an AHF grant. This guide will help you implement a high-quality humanities project, from content, scholars, and program format to publicity, finances and evaluation. AHF Grants Directorserves to assist you at any point during the grant period.

THE HUMANITIES

The humanities can be described as the study of how people process and document the human experience. Since humans have been able, we have used philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history and language to understand and record our world. These modes of expression have become some of the subjects that traditionally fall under the humanities umbrella. Knowledge of these records of human experience gives us the opportunity to feel a sense of connection to those who have come before us, as well as to our contemporaries.

Through exploration of the humanities we learn how to think critically and creatively, to reason and to ask questions. These skills allow us to gain new insights into everything, from poetry and painting to politics, international relations, business models, science and technology. The humanities are essential in order for us to take an active part in civic life.

In terms of the work of AHF, “The term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.” – National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, 1965, as amended.

ALABAMA HUMANTIES FOUNDATION

AHF’s mission is to foster learning, understanding and appreciation of our people, communities and cultures. As the state affiliate of theNational Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), AHF is the premier organization in Alabama driven to expand humanities-based programming to all 67 counties. AHF is the primary source of grants for public humanities programs in Alabama. AHF initiates major programs and events in support of humanities topic and collaborates with other organizations to advance the humanities in both the academic and public arenas.

AHF grants funds provided by the NEHand corporate and private foundations to universities, colleges, schools, libraries, museums, cultural and historical organizations, public entities, and community groups for a wide range of public humanities projects. AHF also conducts its own statewide programs in pursuit of its goals: Museum on Main Street, a partnership project with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service that brings to rural and small cities one-of-a-kind access to prestigious Smithsonian exhibitions, first-rate educational programs, and invaluable community investment; SUPER Teacher Program, a graduate-level, content-based, interdisciplinary professional development program for teachers;Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, a select group of humanities scholars who make free presentations to a wide variety of educational, cultural and civic organizations; PRIME TIME Family Reading Time, an award-winning reading, discussion, and storytelling series based on illustrated children’s books offered at local libraries; Health Care and the Humanities, a humanities-based discussion program for health service organizations; and Literature and the Veteran Experience, a reading and discussion program for U.S. military veterans and active military personnel.

AHF was founded in 1974. A statewide 25-member board of directors, six of which are appointed by the Governor, oversees the organization. AHF is supported by the NEH, the State of Alabama, corporations, foundations, and individuals.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Benchmarks of Quality

Who Does What

Keeping Humanities Central

Details Make All the Difference

Good Communication is Essential

Sample Program Introduction

II.FINANCIAL GUIDELINES

Initial Instructions

Summary of Obligations

Cost-Sharing Contributions

Restrictions

Audit

Commitments and Expenditures

Payments

Grant Adjustment Request (Project/Budget Changes)

Termination of Grant

Instructions for Completing the Final Report

III. SAMPLES AND FORMS

Audience Evaluation Form

Cost Sharing Log Form

In-Kind Contribution Form

Grant Adjustment Request Form

Sample Letter for Qualifying Gifts (for Matching Grants only)

Interim Report Outline (for Major Grants only)

Interim Financial Report (for Major Grants only)

Press Release (Sample)

Project Director’s Mailing List

BENCHMARKS OF QUALITY

We ask of all public humanities projects the degree to which:

  • The content of project activities is rooted in one or more of the humanities disciplines (language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life). Information from these disciplines should be presented to the audience.
  • The activities focus on a topic or subject supported by text(s) or objects(s) of study. These might be written, visual, oral, or artifactual. Books, articles, documents, films, paintings, carvings, lectures, stories, radio and television programs are all examples of possible texts or objects which can be analyzed and discussed in a public humanities program.
  • The methods of the humanities - i.e., critical thinking and interpretation - are evident. Scholars should demonstrate analytical and interpretive skills.
  • Participants who are not scholars in the humanities are encouraged to engage in critical thinking and interpretation through project activities. The project should promote disciplined dialogue.
  • Scholars who are selected to participate in public humanities projects value interaction with non-scholars. These scholars find that engaging in a dialogue with members of the public and with other scholars in the project leads them to think in fresh ways about their subjects.
  • Participants are engaged in project activities. One of the best ways to achieve this is to ensure that representatives of the proposed audience are involved in planning the project. Gimmickry is not desirable. However, the choice of subjects and the use of techniques and formats that appeal to the intended audience are important to the project’s success.

WHO DOES WHAT

  1. Strive for good coordination of project personnel and program participants through:
  • an active advisory committee that offers ideas and assistance;
  • frequent consultations about the project plans with your humanities advisor and with the scholars who will participate in the program;
  • contacts with program participants that keep them informed and prepared.

2.Review the requirements of the Final Grant Report, accessible on the AHF Online Grant Management site, early in the grant project and prepare accordingly.

3.Consider the tasks that will be necessary to carry out the project before assigning dutiesto your project personnel, humanities scholars, and resource persons.

4.Review and discuss the guidelines with project administrators.

5.Meet with your fiscal agent to discuss the requirements for financial management that are given in the grant contract and the Financial Guidelines.

6.Send formal notification to project scholars to inform them that the grant has been awarded and to confirm in writing the arrangements for time, place, honoraria, and type of presentation.

7.Delegate authority. Assign specific duties for implementing the project to specific individuals and regularly follow-up on their progress. Assign the right job to the right person; some people are better at routine or detailed tasks whereas others excel in creative areas.

8.Consider the composition of the expected audience so that you can communicate the interests and background of the audience to the project speakers. The composition of the audience should influence the communication styles of the speakers, the format, and the publicity for the project.

9.Arrange a meeting with each scholar to discuss his/her role in the project. Convey the goals of the Benchmarks of Quality and discuss the scholar’s contribution to the program.

10.Make sure that everyone involved with the project understandsthat this is a humanities program.

11.Arrange a group meeting of the project personnel to discuss the benchmarks, the humanities content of the program, audience interests, program format, and the importance of involving the audience in active consideration of the topic.

KEEPING THE HUMANTIES CENTRAL

1.Enlist the help of a humanities scholar to give a program introduction that identifies AHF and NEH, explains the humanities and the role of the humanities in the program. .

2.Use the expertise of your humanities scholars to:

  • develop a framework for viewing the issue. By addressing questions of a philosophical, historical, religious, or cultural nature, scholars can lend a sense of perspective.
  • ask the fundamental questions and challenge assumptions. Scholars can ask “How” or “What” questions. Humanities scholars should demonstrate critical thinking and interpretive skills, as well as relaying information from their subject areas.

3.Secure a copy or outline of each speaker’s remarks ahead of time. This will help you and other project personnel identify questions that may arise in discussion. This also helps insure that the speaker will be properly prepared.

4.Coordinate each program so that different perspectives are presented on public policy issues. The program must present a balanced examination of the topic, rather than providing conclusions or advocating a particular political position.

5.Arrange the format so that scholars will provide humanities themes.

6.Beware of long personal narratives during discussion! These can too easily become mere reminiscences, if no interpretive commentary or focus is offered. The program moderator and humanities scholars should be constantly on guard to redirect audience discussion toward substantive inquiry when comments and questions begin drifting into “telling another story.”

7. Publicize the program to the public. Send the press release and any printed materials to AHF Public Relations staff to be added to AHF website.

DETAILS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

  1. Choose the most stimulating format and the most accessible and inviting title for the program.
  1. Avoid major scheduling conflicts with other local and national events. Choose the best day and time that will allow public attendance.
  1. Proof promotional materials very closely to make sure that all names are spelled correctly.
  1. Select the best space and location for public attendance.
  • Post signs on the doors
  • Make sure the doors are unlocked
  • Have water for the speakers
  • Set the thermostat on a comfortable temperature
  • Check the lighting
  • Make sure the microphone and ALL audiovisual equipment are working correctly and that the speaker is familiar with them in advance of the program.
  1. Plan time for presentations and discussions.
  • Good humanities programs stimulate active audience participation. Invite comments and questions from the people who attend. You may find it helpful to “plant” people in the audience to ask questions that will break the ice.
  • If you anticipate high attendance, you might consider dividing the audience into discussion groups. Otherwise, audience participation might be limited to a question and answer session.
  • If your program uses a panel format, allow time for an interchange between the panelists and between panelists and audience. Select a strong moderator to keep the program participants from talking over their time limits.
  • Keep the program moving. Plan discussion periods at least every 45 minutes. Keep presentations short. Devise a polite but effective method for stopping speakers who run too long.
  • Attention spans are limited. In general, it is wise to limit presentations to 20-30 minutes, conference sessions to 60-90 minutes, and evening programs to about two hours.
  1. Encourage scholars to prepare handouts for the audience that give information such as key names, places, a chronology of events, or suggested further readings.
  1. In the program introduction, ask the audience to complete an evaluation immediately following the program. You can use AHF Audience Form (see Samples and Forms) or design a form tailored for your project. Remember to credit AHF and NEH support.

COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL

  1. Please keep AHF Grants Director advised of how the project is progressing. Please feel free to make informal calls and send emails updating your progress.
  1. Use fact sheets, postcards, newsletters, phone calls, progress reports, etc. to keep all participants informed and interested.
  1. Hold advisory meetings that are interesting and purposeful; schedule them only when necessary. Treat each meeting like a mini-conference.
  1. Send copies of printed materials and publicity on social media to all participants and to AHF Grants Director. Brochures or flyers should be mailed to project participants and those on the project director’s mailing list.
  1. When the Final Agenda and times for the program are set, send a copy to AHF Grants Director.
  1. Wherever possible, the following disclaimer for AHF grant-funded projects should be used:

The Alabama Humanities Foundation (AHF) funds and conducts programs that encourage dialogue on a variety of humanities topics from diverse points of view. The views and opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of AHF or the National Endowment for the Humanities. AHF grants and AHF-conducted programs do not support social, political, or religious advocacy or plans of action.

  1. Let your representatives in Congress know about your project. Congress is ultimately responsible for the funding for your grant through appropriations to the NEH, and its members are always interested in grants made to organizations in their districts.
  1. Invite your state legislators and local officials. Take advantage of this project to inform state and local elected officials of the beneficial work that your organization and AHF is conducting in their area.
  1. Send thank you notes to all program participants and people who helped with the project. In the case of a humanities scholar, send a copy of your letter to his/her department head or dean.

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION(SAMPLE)

The following is an example of introductory remarks made by Dr. Elaine Martin, a scholar at the University of Alabama, at an AHF-funded program. In introducing your programs, we ask you: 1) credit AHF support;2) explain what the humanities are in general; and 3) explain the role of the humanities in the program. We think this presentation accomplished those three objectives and encourage you to develop a similar introduction using this one as a model.

The three of us here today are all humanists, that is, we study the humanities. The humanities constitute both a field of study and an approach. As a field, they are areas of study and learning that examine human civilization so that people may better understand themselves and each other. As an approach, they are concerned with human understanding as an end in itself. As a contrast, I could mention business, which exists to produce a profit. Traditionally, the findings of humanistic studies have been used only in academia. I once heard someone say that “scholars write books only for each other.” This workshop reflects an effort on the part of the sponsoring organization, the Alabama Humanities Foundation, to bridge this gap between academia (us) and the public (you).

History is one field within the humanities; it is literally the story of the development of the humanities or of human civilization. But it is much more than just a recounting of our past; it also provides us with an interpretation - a way of looking at events in the past. For, ultimately, we have to admit that there is no such thing as an objective historical occurrence. For example, if four of us in this room were each to stand on a different street corner and witness an accident in the middle of an intersection, we would see different things and focus on different aspects when we told our stories later to the police. And so it is with history; it is a very selective story of past events determined largely by the position of the witness, the “streetcorner”, the person’s own past experience, the quality of her eyesight, even her expectations. Christa Wolf, a well known German author, once said of another earlier writer: “She saw a different reality, and she sees reality differently.”

Today in this workshop, we are focusing on the link between the family and history. This might appear quite logical because families consist of people, and history is about people. But we should not at all take this relationship for granted. History is indeed about people, but it has traditionally been only about very specific people.

FINANCIAL

GUIDELINES

INITIAL INSTRUCTIONS

Any organization, regardless of size, can exercise good financial management if a conscientious effort is made to understand what is required. TheGrants Director will gladly discuss compliance with financial requirements and answer your specific questions at any time during the grant period.

WORK TOGETHER WITH YOUR FISCAL MANAGERFROM START TO FINISH

When you receive your grant award letter and grant contract, set up a meeting with your fiscal manager to discuss your responsibilities during the grant period. The two of you should: