Press Release

ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL ANNOUNCES APRIL 9 IHC GRANT APPLICATION WORKSHOP IN MACOMB

Grant seekers invited to attend workshop on application process for Illinois Humanities Council Community Grants

CHICAGO – The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) invites grant applicants to a free IHC Community Grants Application Workshop on Thursday, April 9, 2009 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  This workshop will be held at the University Union Heritage Room at Western Illinois University (1 University Circle, Macomb).

Any nonprofit group, organization, or institution in Illinois is eligible to apply for financial support from the IHC for a public project in the humanities.  Registration is required. To register for this workshop, please contact the IHC at 312.422.5580, send an e-mail to ihc@prairie.org, or visit http://www.prairie.org/. For campus maps and parking information, individuals should contact Danette Phelps, 309.298.1191 or via email at DL-Phelps@wiu.edu.  Space is limited, therefore only one representative per organization will be allowed and preference will be given to first-time applicants.

Ryan Lewis, IHC program officer, will staff the meeting and field questions about guidelines for major and mini grants for various types of projects, including local and community history projects, oral history projects, documentary film projects, and reading/discussion programs, for example. The next deadlines for mini grant proposals (up to $2,500) are April 15 and July 15, 2009; the next deadline for major grant proposals (up to $10,000) is July 15, 2009.

The IHC puts a priority on funding projects developed by, for, or aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences.  These include-but are not limited to-residents of rural communities, men and women with little formal education, inner city or other underserved youth (in after-school or weekend programs), people who are economically disadvantaged, or the elderly.  The IHC especially invites applications from organizations that serve these communities and strongly encourages other applicants to extend their programs to include such audiences.  The IHC also encourages applications for projects about American history and culture.

For more information on the IHC Community Grants Program, visit www.prairie.org/grants, e-mail ihc@prairie.org, or call 312.422.5580.

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

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