Resources for Your Organization
The Resources page was created to help local historical societies, museums and libraries find other means of funding they so desperately need.
The Statewide Grants Program was launched in July of 2020. Results from our survey of 120 historical societies, small museums, and libraries in Nebraska indicate that over 90% of these organizations provided at least one type of educational program for school aged children in their community. Almost half of the organizations also maintain at least one historic building. There is great value to Nebraska communities by these mostly volunteer run organizations that are points of light across the state. The investment in cultural preservation will assure that history, arts and culture in all our communities will be accessible to future generations.
In the spring of 2021, the Foundation’s first grant cycle, 98 grant applications were submitted requesting funding for archival boxes for artifact storage, to expand children’s programming, for speakers, computer systems to manage membership, display cases to add new exhibits, funds to attend workshops and educational programs that advance programming on a local level, scanners (which run about $1,000) to digitize important photographs, documents and newspapers, shelving units, paint to revitalize exhibit spaces, digital display equipment to better tell the stories of our shared history and so much more.
We are aggressively fundraising to support this program so that we may offer another grant cycle later in the year.
Make your donation to the Statewide Grants Program here.
The mission of Humanities Nebraska is to help Nebraskans explore what connects us and makes us human.
Their vision: Nebraskans possess the knowledge, understanding, and empathy to cultivate a more informed, thoughtful, and just society.
Humanities Nebraska was established as a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973. Over the last four decades, Humanities Nebraska programming has evolved and expanded to include:
- Grants to nonprofit organizations conducting public humanities programs
- A Speakers Bureau with nearly 300 humanities programs available
- Chautauqua with scholars portraying historic figures
- Capitol Forum on America’s Future for high school students
- Prime Time Family Reading Time, a reading and discussion program
- Nebraska Warrior Writers, a workshop for veterans and active duty military led by professional instructors
- Museum on Main Street exhibitions from the Smithsonian
- Governor’s Lecture in the Humanities, an event bringing a prominent humanities speaker to Nebraska every year
- National History Day: Nebraska a year-long education program that engages students in grades 6-12 in the process of discovery and interpretation of historical topics, co-sponsored with Nebraska Wesleyan University
Learn more about grant opportunities and Humanities Nebraska programs by clicking the links below.
Humanities Nebraska will consider applications for
programs to serve schools, museums, libraries and other nonprofit organizations:
- Exhibits (both creation and traveling)
- Speakers
- Museum events for the public
Humanities Nebraska isn’t able to fund or is unlikely to fund popular requests that the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation may fund:
- Collection preservation including archival boxes and shelving
- Building maintenance, repairs and improvements
- Support for professional development
publications - Computer systems
- Scanners for digitization
The Nebraska Arts Council in its present form was established in 1974 by an act of the Nebraska Legislature. It is governed by a board of 15 Nebraska citizens appointed by the Governor of Nebraska, and managed by 10 staff members. The Nebraska Arts Council is funded by the State of Nebraska, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, which is a unique partnership among the State of Nebraska and private contributors.
The mission of the Nebraska Arts Council is to promote, cultivate and sustain the arts for the people of Nebraska. In doing so, the Nebraska Arts Council provides grants and services to artists, organizations and communities that:
- Build creative and proactive leadership in the arts
- Forge partnerships that create and expand opportunities for the arts
- Cultivate new resources needed to sustain the arts in Nebraska
- Establish the arts as basic to education and lifelong learning
- Use the arts as a catalyst for understanding among cultures
- Advocate for increased awareness and access to the arts
Learn more about Nebraska Arts Council grant opportunities, eligibility and how to apply by clicking the link below.
