Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) Grants
Final Report
One of the last steps in the Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) grant process is to submit a final report for your grant. The online form is now available for you to submit here.
Overview
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed The American Rescue Plan Act. Part of this legislation appropriated funds to the National Endowment for the Humanities to support COVID-19 recovery efforts in the humanities sector. SHARP grants are funded by NEH and therefore have many of the same guidelines as Ohio Humanities Grants. The purpose of SHARP grants are to:
- Help the humanities sector recover from the impacts of the COVID pandemic (financial and operational) and build capacity for the future.
- Fund projects that will help Ohioans in our collective recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes projects that document the COVID-19 pandemic and help communities process the impact of the trauma on individuals and communities.
This funding must be distributed by November 30, 2021.
Application Timeline: The initial round of applications is now closed. The second round of SHARP applications will be accepted between October 1 and October 15, 2021.
Notification: Successful second round applicants will be notified by November 15, 2021.
Amount: Organizations with paid staff impacted by COVID-19 may request up to 6 months of operating expenses (no more than $10,000). Organizations without staff, or operated by volunteers, may request up to 3 months operating costs (no more than $5,000).
Date projects must be completed: SHARP grants will run for 6 months from the date of award unless otherwise requested in the application. No immediate emergency grant will be operative for more than 9 months.
Click here to review the guidelines for SHARP grants.
Click here to review the SHARP Application Requirements and Application.
SHARP Grants Webinar
Please note that the current cap is now $10,000 as opposed to the $20,000 mentioned in the webinar.
For additional information on the application process, please view the webinar above. A copy of the webinar PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded HERE.
Getting Started
Writing a successful grant proposal takes time. Check out these tips for getting started—especially if this is your first time seeking a grant from us:
1. Understand that SHARP grants are for public humanities programming.
Ohio Humanities offers grants to support bringing humanities programming to public audiences across the state. The “humanities” include the study of history, literature, languages, philosophy, archaeology, ethics, jurisprudence, comparative religion, and world cultures. The humanities also encompass art history, theory, and criticism—but not the creation, display or performance of art—and aspects of the social sciences that use historical or philosophical approaches.
2. Make sure your organization is eligible to apply.
To be eligible for an Ohio Humanities SHARP grant, you must apply on behalf of a governmental or nonprofit organization located in the state of Ohio—such as a public library, museum, historical society, or community organization—that has experienced financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including reduction, loss, or furlough of staff or a loss of annual operating revenue.
SHARP grants are not available to individuals, for-profit organizations, political or advocacy organizations, K-12 schools, or for activities supported by other federal funds. Please review the grant details for some other important exceptions.
Organizations may be required to provide proof of nonprofit status, including a 501(c)(3) letter, an IRS 990 form, or a copy of the Agent Notification Form for Unincorporated Nonprofit Associations from the Ohio Secretary of State.
3. Review the application guidelines.
If your organization or program may be eligible for a SHARP grant, be sure to carefully review the grant guidelines, which include more details about the types of activities we will support with the grant, the size of awards available, and the questions included on the application and final report.
4. Ask us for help!
We highly encourage potential applicants to contact us during the applicant process. We’re here to help you submit a successful application.
5. Complete an application.
Applications for the second round of SHARP support will be accepted between October 1 and October 15, 2021.