Grant Requirement FAQs

• Are there requirements that grants must meet?
  Yes. All Wyoming Humanities grants have the same basic requirements.
• Who counts as a humanities professional?
  ‍This should be someone who is an acknowledged expert in a humanities field related to your project. Typically, a humanities professional will have an advanced degree (MA or above) in a humanities subject. Depending on your project, other humanities practitioners may also be appropriate. Some examples of humanities professionals include: Humanities scholars and teachers, Tribal elders and tradition bearers, Humanities writers and researchers. Please note that an MFA degree is a Fine Arts/Studio Arts Degree and will not be accepted as evidence of humanities qualifications.
• Are there requirements for what the humanities professional will do for my project?
  ‍The humanities professional should encourage dialogue, analysis, and critical thinking in your project. They might help to conceive and design the project, shape the program’s content, make a public presentation, lead a discussion, write interpretive materials for brochures, script treatments, etc., or review exhibition text, copy for catalogues or brochures, etc.
• What’s the difference between “in cash” and “in kind” cost share?
  “In cash” include the actual dollars and organizational resources (e.g., staff time) that the sponsoring organization(s) directs to the project. Cash contributions also include money contributed to the sponsoring organization(s)from sources such as local and state governments, businesses, foundations, and individuals.“ In kind” cost may include time and materials, office space and equipment, travel, donated services and other non-cash donations. If a lower-than-normal fee is charged for goods or services, the dollar value of the discount can be considered as an in-kind contribution to the project.
• Can I use grant funds to pay for salaries?
  ‍Yes, but with limits. The project director, fiscal agent, and clerical support staff may be paid from grant funds provided that such work is outside of their normal duties for which they are being compensated by an employer; provided that at least one half of their time working on the project is a cost share (either in-cash or in-kind); and provided that the amount requested for payment to such personnel is less than one-half of the total amount requested from WYH.
• Do you award grants for preservation?
  ‍Generally, no. Unless a significant portion of your requested grant funds will be devoted to engaging the public with those preservation artifacts, preservation projects are not eligible for WYH grants.
• Do you award grants for advocacy?
  No. Your program must avoid advocacy of a single position to be eligible for a Wyoming Humanities grant.
• How often can an organization apply for funding?
  Because WYH values making grants available to as many organizations as possible throughout the state, organizations and university and community college departments are limited to winning two grants as the sponsoring organization per fiscal year( Nov. 1 – Oct. 31).

Grant Application FAQs

• Will Wyoming Humanities give feedback on a grant draft?
  ‍Absolutely! Staff is happy to work with you as you develop your idea into a project; however, we cannot guarantee first reads on drafts less than two week from the submittal date.
• How do I apply?
  ‍Wyoming Humanities uses an online grant application system, which you can access below. If you haven’t already, you will need to register for a user name and login as well as submit information about your organization. Do not register yourself as associated with any other organization other than your own.
• What do I do if I’m using a fiscal sponsor?
  ‍You should still register under your own organization. Information regarding fiscal sponsors is asked within the application.
• What should be in my Letter of Intent (LOI)?
  ‍The LOI is intended to make sure it’s worth your time to fill out a full application. You should include a general description of the proposed project that emphasizes its humanities content, as well as its start date and the amount of funds you are requesting.
• How long will it take after I submit my Letter of Intent before I get access to the full grant application?
  Staff generally tries to respond to LOIs within two working days of submission. Sometimes we get busy, though, so it’s best to give yourself 5 working days.
• I can’t find a humanities professional in my area.
  Try talking with staff at your local library and/or community college; they can often help you locate someone. Wyoming Humanities staff can also help recommend someone or point you to someone who can.
• What does “fiscal agent” mean?
  ‍This is the person who will be managing the grant money: receiving, disbursing, and accounting for all grant and cost-share funds. If there is a sponsoring organization, the fiscal agent should generally be associated with that organization (usually the board treasurer or fiscal staff person). Whenever possible, the Project Director should NOT serve as the fiscal agent.
• What are some examples of how projects have used the humanities?
  There are quite a few. The key thing our grant evaluators are looking for is that you have a clear idea of how your program will not just present humanities content to its audience, but what it will ask your audience to do with that content (e.g., Explore how a law still impacts lives today? Reassess a historical event? Demonstrate the impact drama can have on its audience members?)
  
  For instance, an application to host a speaker on the Wyoming Black 14 indicated the talk would help its audience consider present-day issues: “From Black Lives Matter protests to the player protests at NFL games, this national conversation stems from the same issues that John Griffin and the rest of the Black 14 dealt with in the Fall of 1969. We believe conflict can't be resolved without understanding its roots, how it rose, and the forces that shaped it.”
  
  Another application, asking for support for a documentary about three Wind River children who were sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, emphasized that the film told a history still not well known: “Highlighting a little-known historical chapter in the nation’s treatment of Native Americans, the film views the conflict of cultures through the prism of Indian boarding schools, a movement begun in the 19th century that continues today. The film challenges stereotypes with a portrait of Northern Arapaho tribal members who turn the tables on the ‘victim’ narrative and take control of their history.”
• What do you mean by “Expanding the Wyoming Narrative to Promote Engaged Communities”?
  From our interactions with citizens and cultural organizations around Wyoming, we find there is a need and desire to explore the lesser known narratives that make Wyoming a unique place and to investigate pre-conceived notions about our past and present. This exploration helps to elevate voices from diverse backgrounds and makes connections within and across groups, from those who share a cultural heritage or interest to those who live in the same town or region. In other words, Wyoming Humanities is especially committed to funding projects that explore our state’s unknown stories and/or take a closer look at well-known stories. In the process, these projects will ideally make or strengthen connections within and between groups of people in Wyoming.
• What happens after a grant is awarded?
  When you receive the email notification that you’ve been awarded a grant, you’ll need to log back into the granting system to: e-sign the grant contract and download WYH’s logo and agree to use it in promotional material for your event, including contacting your organization’s state legislators. You should also make sure the Wyoming Humanities Director of Grants is aware of all public programs affiliated with your grant; we understand that days and times may need to change, but do let us know for our own records and advertising. Once your grant is completed, you’ll submit a final grant report, which provides WYH with attendance numbers, tells us how the program did (and how you might improve it in the future),and reports on grant finances and cost-share.
  
  Please note: You’ll need to hang on to receipts for all grant funds and cost share for three years after the grant ends, in case you are randomly audited by WYH.

Download the Grant FAQs