Press Release

ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL AWARDS MINI GRANTS

Applications for next round of mini grants due April 15

Applications for next round of major grants due July 15

CHICAGO – The Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors has awarded a total of $12,941 to six nonprofit organizations for development and production of public humanities projects. Funded programs include a series of lectures reexamining the influence of the Taíno Indians on the cultural heritage of Caribbean countries, to be held at DePaul University; a book documenting and discussing the work of the Chicago performance group Industry of the Ordinary; and a program series on different practices associated with the burial of the dead, to be held in Springfield.

Community support for these projects totaled $34,518. A list of grants and the organizations that are sponsoring these programs are listed below:


  • Permanent Eastland Disaster Display: Eastland Disaster Historical Society, Arlington Heights ($2,000)
  • History Day Camp: McLean County Museum of History, Bloomington ($2,500)
  • Industry of the Ordinary Textbook: Links Hall, Chicago ($2,000)
  • The Taíno Project Lecture Series: Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, Chicago ($2,500)
  • Frances Willard Statue 100th Anniversary Celebration: Frances Willard Historical Association, Evanston ($2,500)
  • Museum of Funeral Customs 2005 Program Series: Museum of Funeral Customs, Springfield ($1,441)

The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) invites nonprofit organizations to apply for its next cycle of mini grants of up to $2,000 by its April 15, 2005 deadline. The deadline for the next cycle of major grants (up to $10,000) is July 15, 2005. Any non-profit group, organization, or institution is eligible to receive financial support from the Illinois Humanities Council for a public project in the humanities, including documentary films, local and community history projects, literary symposia, and oral history projects. Mini Grants are restricted to organizations with annual budgets under $1 million dollars or organizations applying for new or experimental programs. The IHC makes it a priority to fund projects developed by, for, or aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences.

Potential applicants may review and download grant applications and guidelines by visiting www.prairie.org and clicking on “Educational Programs and Grants.” Copies of the grant information may also be requested by calling 312.422.5580 or by sending an email to ihc@prairie.org. IHC program officers are available for consultation at this number as well, and new applicants are encouraged to seek consultation.

For further information about the IHC or the grants program, please contact us at 312.422.5580 or visit our website at www.prairie.org.



The Illinois Humanities Council is an educational organization dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Through its programs and grants, the IHC promotes greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. Organized as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973, the IHC is now a private nonprofit (501 [c] 3) organization that is funded by contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations; by the Illinois General Assembly; and by the NEH.

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