Cal Humanities

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

"The understanding of a culture comes from hearing the language, tasting the food, seeing personal interactions, experiencing the traditions, and so much more when it is in context."

— Elizabeth Laval & Candice Pendergrass, Sikh Youth Public History Project

Humanities for All Quick Grants

Humanities for All Quick Grants

Humanities for All is a grant program that supports locally-initiated public humanities projects. This program responds to the needs and interests of Californians, encourages greater public participation in humanities programming, particularly by new and/or underserved audiences. It aims to promote understanding and empathy among all our state’s peoples in order to cultivate a thriving democracy.

Application Opens Application Deadline Grant Period
January 15, 2024 February 15, 2024 May 1, 2024-April 30, 2025



Quick Grants

Quick Grants (between $1,000 and $5,000) are awarded three times a year (February, June, October) to small-scale public humanities programs and projects which take place within one year from the award date. Projects should be grounded in the humanities, show potential to provide high quality humanities learning experiences for participants and audiences, and demonstrate capacity for successful implementation.

Appropriate formats include virtual and in-person community dialogues, reading and film discussion groups, oral history workshops, non-fiction workshops, speaker series, and many more activities based in humanities disciplines. Any California-based nonprofit organization or non-federal public agency is eligible to apply. Note: A cash or in-kind match of the award is NOT required. 

See a list of recently supported Quick Grants.

Deadline February 15, 2024

Guidelines will be available in January 2024. For more information, contact Program Officer Lucena Lau Valle. at lvalle@calhum.org.

  • Sample Proposals (Download Prior Rounds) 
  • Current grantees, please use the Grant Portal button at top of the page.