NEH Grant Programs
Dissemination Projects
Dissemination Projects bring humanities-based public programming to twenty or more venues across a broad geographic region. Applicants proposing Dissemination Projects must apply to the America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations program, for either a planning grant or an implementation grant.
Organizations can apply for grants of up to $75,000 for planning and $400,000 for implementation to create a humanities project intended to travel to twenty or more venues. A venue wishing to host a project that received an implementation grant could subsequently apply to NEH (using separate application guidelines) for grants of up to $2,500 to support additional humanities programming at the venue and training for project personnel involved in hosting the project.
  • Formats can include but are not limited to exhibitions, film or book discussion groups, and interpreted theater or musical performances.
  • New projects are eligible, as are previously funded NEH projects that have been expanded for presentation in new formats.
  • Applicants must explain the criteria and the process for selecting the host venues.
  • Projects must include a training workshop for representatives from all host venues. Grantees are also expected to provide support materials (such as programming and marketing ideas, bibliographies, curricular materials, etc.) to host venues.
Applicants requesting planning grants for Dissemination Projects must provide the following information:
  1. an explanation of the criteria and process that will be used to select the host venues;
  2. an explanation of the project’s anticipated geographic breadth and audience reach; and
  3. examples of the humanities public programming that might occur at the various venues.
Applicants requesting implementation grants for Dissemination Projects must provide the following information:
  1. a detailed explanation of the criteria and process that will be used to select the host venues;
  2. an explanation of the project’s anticipated geographic breadth and audience reach;
  3. a description of the training workshop, including an explanation of the interpretive themes and content that will be conveyed to participants, an agenda, and the biographies and résumés of the participating scholars and the project team; and
  4. examples of the humanities public programming that might occur at the various venues.
Please specifically state in the application that you are applying for a Dissemination Project grant. Because these grants are complex, prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact a program officer before applying.
Sample projects
A national history museum received a $350,000 implementation grant to rework an artifact-based exhibition into a smaller traveling panel exhibition that included a few significant artifacts and an audio tour. The cost of sending the panel exhibition to twenty-five venues across the country as well as training programs for personnel at the host venues was included in the implementation grant. Through a subsequent NEH grant opportunity, eligible institutions applied for $2,500 grants from NEH to create and conduct at least two public programs in complementary formats while hosting the exhibition.
A theater company received a $75,000 planning grant to develop a series of reading and performance discussion programs to be conducted at sites across seven states. The theater company used the planning grant to convene a group of scholars to further develop the humanities content, refine the theatrical pieces to be performed, and conduct front-end audience evaluations. The grant was also used to develop a project website that would accompany the project.
A filmmaker, who produced an NEH-funded television documentary, partnered with a library association to create a series of reading and film discussion programs at thirty libraries. The partnership received a $200,000 implementation grant. The library association held three regional workshops to provide ideas for public programming, interpretations of the film, and advice on reaching out to the libraries’ communities. Through a subsequent grant opportunity, sixty eligible libraries applied for and thirty received grants of $2,500 from NEH to pay for the staff training and at least three scholar-led public programs at each center.
A jazz heritage society received a $400,000 implementation grant to create a series of musical performance and discussion programs to be performed at fifty youth centers in three states. Seventy eligible venues applied for and fifty received grants of $2,500 from NEH. These venues subsequently hosted a series of five jazz performances, followed by discussions led by scholars and musicians focusing on the larger cultural meaning and context of the musical works. The project also created a website at which participants could explore the music and its history through games, question-and-answer sessions, and other interactive activities.