MHC Excited to Administer New Round of Cultural Heritage Grants from the Legacy Amendment

During this new legislative biennium, the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) is glad to announce that we’ll be administering over $1.5 million in new competitive Legacy funds and will have the opportunity to work with and learn from diverse communities across the state in this process.

For several years, MHC has been tasked by the Minnesota State Legislature to administer legislatively-named grants for non-profits across the state. These grants support organizations who use the humanities to amplify and enrich Minnesota’s cultural heritage. It has been a privilege to support so many organizations who contribute to the educational and cultural richness of this place we call Minnesota.

It is so important to MHC that our competitive processes be as fair, open, and inclusive as possible. We want to do it right, and we’ll need your help. We prioritize learning from and with those around us. To us, success means offering grants that address and reflect the needs of communities served by the applicant seeking funding. Currently, and over the next few months, we are taking time to plan and co-create these new opportunities with communities to engage a diversity of voices and experiences in our process.

The first two rounds of grants will focus on four key areas:

• Hmong culture
• Somali culture
• Minnesota’s cultural heritage
• Children’s museums in Minnesota

The Hmong, Somali, and cultural heritage funds will be distributed in two rounds of competitive grants in the first year of the legislative biennium. During the first round, approximately $50,000 for each of the three areas will be dispensed through micro-grants — $500-$2,000 per award. During the second round, the remaining funds will be awarded in larger amounts.

Over $600,000 in children’s museum funds will be distributed in one round in 2019.

UPDATED TIMELINE:

Round 1: (Hmong, Somali, cultural heritage, and children’s museums)

Aug. – Sept. 2019 – Design micro-grants and children’s museum grants
Oct. – Dec. 2019 – Micro-grants and children’s museum grants open
Nov. – Dec. 2019 – Micro-grants awarded and children’s museum grants open
Jan. 2020 – Children’s museum grants awarded

Round 2: (Hmong, Somali, and cultural heritage grants only)

Jan. – April 2020 – Larger grants open
May 2020 – All micro-grants completed, larger grants awarded
June 2021 – All larger grants completed

Additional Rounds TBA

The humanities help us connect with one another, and explore and celebrate our differences; they help us learn about ourselves and others. So sharpen your pencils! We can’t wait to work with you to better tell and forge Minnesota’s stories.

Learn More