CHICAGO, IL – March 24, 2015 – The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) Board of Directors has awarded a total of $48,470 to 12 nonprofit organizations across Illinois for development and production of public humanities projects. The grantees are: 

• Selma at 50: Still Marching – Chicago Theological Seminary ($5,000) Funding to support an April, 2015, conference to trace a thread through the legacy of civil rights activism to contemporary movements.
• General Support Grant – Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park ($5,000) Funding to support efforts to digitize the artifacts and archives in the collection including letters, poems, photographs and more in partnership with the Oak Park Library and the Illinois State Library System.
• “CAUGHT IN THE SWEEP OF HISTORY: EGYPT AND THE CIVIL WAR” – General John A. Logan Museum ($5,000) Funding to support the final part in a three-part series on the history of Southern Illinois and the Civil War.
• LATINA/O AUTHORS BOOK FAIR – El Beisman ($5,000) Funding to support a Latina/o authors book fair, including lectures, workshops, readings and panels at multiple venues throughout the Chicago area.
• “THE S-WORD” – The Kindling Group ($5,000) Funding to continue to produce a feature-length documentary film that studies the history and evolution of American Socialism and its presence in society today.
• CIMMFEST – Chicago International Movies and Music Festival ($5,000) Funding for multidisciplinary programming at the 2015 CIMMfest festival that celebrates music through the lens of movies.
• GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT – The New Colony ($3,000) Funding for an improvisational theater in Chicago that emphasizes collaborative story-building between performers and audiences.
• GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT – The Haitian American Museum of Chicago ($2,500) Funding for the Museum’s 2015 exhibit on Haitian Vodou Flags, an important set of artifacts in Vodou religion and Haitian culture.
• EXPLORE THE RIVER SUMMER EDUCATION SERIES – River Action, Inc. ($5,000) Funding for the annual Explore the River Education Series which consists of presentations about various Mississippi River-related topics in conjunction with water taxi excursions and walking tours of the Quad Cities riverfront.
• LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM – Apple River Fort State Historic Site ($1,760) Funding to revise Apple River’s living history program, focusing on historical accuracy and visitor engagement.
• PRAIRIE HUMANITIES SERIES – 2015 Lincoln Funeral Coalition ($3,600) Funding for a series of seven presentations to memorialize President Lincoln’s death at various locations in Springfield.

Any nonprofit group, organization or institution is eligible for financial support from the IHC. The IHC funds public projects in the humanities, including documentary films, local and community history projects, literary symposia, and oral history projects. Nonprofits with annual budgets of $250,000 or less can apply for technical assistance grants, and nonprofits with a  primary focus on the humanities can apply for general support grants. The deadline for the next application cycle is April 15, 2015.

Potential applicants may review and download grant applications and guidelines by visitingwww.prairie.org/grants. Please call 312.422.5580 or send an email to ihc@prairie.org. IHC program officers are available for consultations, and new applicants are encouraged to contact program officers for grant advice.

About the Illinois Humanities Council

The Illinois Humanities Council is an independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, with a mission to strengthen society by fueling inquiry and conversation about the ideas and works that shape our culture. 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.