Challenge Grants
Agency: National Endowment for the Humanities
Assistance Listings
- 45.130 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Challenge Grants
Archived opportunityLast Updated: May 13, 2026
View version history on Grants.gov
Description
NEH challenge grants are capacity-building grants, intended to help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements in and support for their humanities programs and resources. Through these awards, many organizations and institutions have been able to increase their humanities capacity and secure the permanent support of an endowment. Grants may be used to establish or enhance endowments or spend-down funds that generate expendable earnings to support ongoing program activities. Challenge grants may also provide capital directly supporting the procurement of long-lasting objects, such...
as acquisitions for archives and collections, the purchase of equipment, and the construction or renovation of facilities needed for humanities activities. Funds spent directly must be shown to bring long-term benefits to the institution and to the humanities more broadly. Grantee institutions may also expend up to 10 percent of grant funds to defray costs of fundraising to meet the NEH challenge.Because of the matching requirement, these NEH grants also strengthen the humanities by encouraging nonfederal sources of support. Applications are welcome from colleges and universities, museums, public libraries, research institutions, historical societies and historic sites, scholarly associations, state humanities councils, and other nonprofit entities. Programs that involve collaboration among multiple institutions are eligible as well, but one institution must serve as the lead agent and formal applicant of record.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants
Nonprofit
- Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)
- Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
Miscellaneous
- Other
Government
- Special district governments
- County governments
- State governments
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
- City or township governments
Education
- Public and state institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
Additional information
With the exception of elementary and secondary schools (public or private) and school districts, any U.S. nonprofit institution (public agency, private nonprofit organization, federally recognized Indian tribal government) working wholly or in part with the humanities may apply for a challenge grant. Affiliated institutions (for example, a university museum) should consult with NEH staff on questions of separate eligibility. Institutions that support research, education, preservation, and public programming in humanities disciplines are eligible to apply for an NEH challenge grant.
NEH generally does not award grants to other federal entities or to applicants whose projects are so closely intertwined with a federal entity that the project takes on characteristics of the federal entitys own authorized activities. This does not preclude applicants from using grant funds from, or sites and materials controlled by, other federal entities in their projects.
Grantor contact information
Description
Office of Challenge Grants
National Endowment for the Humanities
Room 420
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20506
202-606-8309
challenge@neh.gov
Documents
No documents are currently available.
Link to additional information
Archived: June 1, 2012
Award
$--
Program Funding
--
Expected awards
$--
Award Minimum
$1,000,000
Award Maximum
Funding opportunity number:
20120502-CH
Cost sharing or matching requirement:
No
Funding instrument type:
Grant
Opportunity Category:
Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
--
Category of Funding Activity:
Humanities
Category Explanation:
--
History
Version:
1
Posted date:
February 29, 2012
Archive date:
June 1, 2012
