Next Mini grant deadlines are April 15th & July 15; Next major grant deadline is July 15

CHICAGO – The Illinois Humanities Council Board of Directors has awarded a total of $9,895 to five nonprofit organizations for development and production of public humanities projects.  Funded programs include an international poetry festival (Evanston), an oral history of the Cambodian immigrant experience (Chicago), a re-creation of the play Lincoln saw on the night of his assassination (Galesburg), an ensemble of senior playwrights and performers (Chicago) and a folk lecture-concert series aimed at seniors (Skokie). Community support for these projects totaled $38,635.  A complete list of grants and the organizations that are sponsoring these programs is listed below:

• UniVerse of Free Expression: A Festival of International Poetry: UniVerse of Poetry, Evanston ($2,000)
• SSC Cultural Educational Exchange Project: Snapshot City, Chicago ($2,500)
• And How Was the Play, Mrs. Lincoln?: The Orpheum Theatre, Galesburg ($1,920)
• Time of Your Life Players Drama/Discussion for Seniors: Time of Your Life Players, Chicago ($1,475)
• Folksongs for Seniors: A Lecture-Concert Series: Skokie Theatre Music Foundation, Skokie ($2,000)

The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) invites nonprofit organizations to apply for its next cycle of grants. Upcoming application deadlines for mini grants (up to $2,500) are April 15 and July 15, 2009.  The application deadline for major grants (up to $10,000) is July 15, 2009.  Any non-profit group, organization, or institution is eligible to apply for 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 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.  The IHC also encourages applications for projects about American history and culture.

Potential applicants may review and download grant applications and guidelines by visiting www.prairie.org/grants. 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 and submit a draft proposal prior to the final deadline.

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(IHC) 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 (NEH) 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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