Grant Deadlines & Overview - California Humanities

California Humanities offers grants to eligible nonprofit organizations and public agencies in four categories: documentary media, with the California Documentary Project; public humanities events, with Humanities for All; public library engagement, with the Library Innovation Lab, and middle grades education, with Civics + Humanities Middle Grades Grants. Learn more about each category and how to apply below.

California Documentary Project

funds humanities-based media.

Humanities for All

funds locally-initiated public humanities projects.

Library Innovation Lab

supports libraries in engaging immigrant communities.

Every year, we host online information sessions with details about funding opportunities at California Humanities.

Join us at an upcoming Grantseeker Workshop!

These one hour online sessions provide a high level overview of all California Humanities grants, with tips for writing strong applications and the latest deadlines. Meet Program Officers and ask live questions over Zoom. Learn how to get feedback on your program ideas.

Send questions to Kirsten Vega at kvega@calhum.org.

Grants at a Glance

Grant Program	Next Deadline	Annual Deadlines	Award Notification	Features	Contact
California Documentary Project NextGen Grant	On hold for 2024	On hold for 2024	Two months after submission	Requests up to $15,000 12 month grant 1:1 match At least one Humanities Advisor	John Lightfoot Director of Media & Journalism Programs jlightfoot@calhum.org
California Documentary Project Production Grant	November 1, 2024	November	Four months after submission	Requests up to $50,000 36 month grant 1:1 match At least two Humanities Advisors
California Documentary Project Research and Development Grant	November 1, 2024	November	Four months after submission	$15,000 24 month grant 1:1 match At least three Humanities Advisors
Civics + Humanities Middle Grades Implementation Grant	To be announced	February	Two months after submission	$7,500-$15,000 18 month grant 1:1 match At least one Humanities Advisor	Kirsten Vega Associate Program Officer kvega@calhum.org
Civics + Humanities Middle Grades Planning Grant	To be announced	February	Two months after submission	$5,000 12 month grant No match At least one Humanities Advisor	Kirsten Vega Associate Program Officer kvega@calhum.org
Humanities for All Project Grant	July 15, 2024	January and July	Four months after submission	$10,00-$25,000 24 month grant 1:1 match At least one Humanities Advisor	Felicia Kelley Project and Evaluation Director fkelley@calhum.org
Humanities for All Quick Grant	Starting May 1, 2024, applications will be accepted at any time.	Starting May 1, 2024, applications will be accepted at any time.	8-10 weeks after application submission	$1,000-$5,000 12 month grant No match Humanities Advisor is optional	Lucena Lau Valle Program Officer lvalle@calhum.org
Library Innovation Lab	February 2025	February	One month after submission	up to $5,500 10 month grant 1:1 match Open to California public libraries and library-serving organizations	Felicia Kelley Project and Evaluation Director fkelley@calhum.org