Relief Operating Grant Application Guidelines

Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan Relief and Recovery Grants are designed to meet the emergency needs of Nevada’s humanities-focused nonprofit organizations across the state who have experienced hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is intended to help Nevada’s humanities-focused organizations prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevada Humanities is offering two types of American Rescue Plan Act supported grants: 

1. Relief Operating Grants are designed to provide short-term operating support for Nevada nonprofit humanities organizations; and

2. Recovery Program Grants are designed to provide immediate capacity building and programmatic support that will enable organizations that undertake public humanities programming to respond to the current and longer-term challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Eligibility for Relief Operating Grants general operating support is limited to Nevada 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and organizations with humanities-focused mission statements or groups with a federally recognized Nevada tribal affiliation with humanities-focused mission statements.

Eligibility for Recovery Program Grants capacity building and programmatic support is limited to Nevada 501(c)(3) nonprofit humanities and cultural organizations, and government entities such as local and tribal governments, museums, libraries, schools, educational institutions, and other nonprofit or governmental humanities organizations, to support humanities-focused projects and programs. Grant awards will not be made to individuals. Applicants and their projects must be located within the geographic boundary of the State of Nevada. Eligibility, funding, and application details for Relief Operating Grants are outlined here, and Recovery Program Grants are outlined here.

Organizations that are eligible to apply for Relief Operating Grants and Recovery Program Grants may apply for, and potentially receive funding, in both funding streams. Receipt of these funds will also not affect your eligibility for current and future Nevada Humanities project grants.

These grants are provided by Nevada Humanities and funded by Congress and the American Rescue Plan Act through the National Endowment for the Humanities. Applicants are encouraged to seek out additional American Rescue Plan Act funding opportunities for which they may qualify. 

Program Summary

Relief Operating Grants are intended to provide short-term general operating support for Nevada’s nonprofit humanities and cultural organizations with humanities-focused mission statements who have experienced hardship resulting from the COVID-19 health emergency. This funding is intended to help Nevada’s humanities-focused organizations prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes public humanities organizations with federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and organizations or groups with a federally recognized Nevada tribal affiliation.

Relief Operating Grants
Purpose: Organizational general operating support
Application Deadline: October 1, 2021
Award Date: Mid-November 2021
Period of Performance: December 1, 2021 - March 31, 2022
Final Report Due: June 30, 2022

What Relief Operating Grant funds may support: 

• Salaries, taxes, and benefits for permanent staff

• Honoraria and professional fees for contractual personnel that are essential to an organization's humanities work

• Rent or mortgage payments 

• Utilities, insurance, and other facilities costs 

• Personal Protective Equipment, equipment, and supplies related to preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic (note that equipment costs may not exceed 20% of total project costs)

Note that Relief Operating Grants only support direct operating expenses such as: salary, taxes, and benefits for permanent employees; honoraria for contractual personnel; rent or mortgage payments; insurance, utilities, facilities costs; PPE; equipment, supplies, etc. 

What Relief Operating Grant funds will not support:

• The development of new programs or projects 

• Costs incurred prior to the start of the grant’s Period of Performance

• Organizations without a DUNS number 

• Unallowable expenses as defined in 2 CFR 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles 

• Indirect costs

• Overlapping project costs with any other pending or approved application(s) for federal  funding and/or approved federal awards 

• Funds for activities supported by other non-NEH federal funds 

• Purchase of land or facilities, construction, renovation, or capital improvements 

• The preservation, organization, or description of materials that are not regularly accessible for research, education, or public programming 

• Promotion of a particular political, religious, or ideological point of view 

• Advocacy or promotion of a particular program of social or political action 

• Support of specific public policies or legislation 

• Lobbying 

• Equipment costs in excess of 20% of the project budget

• Projects and expenses that fall outside of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences (including  the creation or performance of art; creative writing, autobiographies, memoirs, and  creative nonfiction; and quantitative social science research or policy studies) 

• Purchase of food or beverages, archival and library acquisitions, academic fees or other degree-related expenses, courses, travel, book publication costs, cancelation costs, for-profit activities, capital expenses, environmental sustainability, eliminating or reducing existent debt or endowment contributions, prizes and awards, the regranting of funds, private and non-ADA accessible events/programs 

Who is eligible to apply?

To meet the eligibility requirements for application your organization must: 

• Have a humanities-focused mission. If your mission falls outside of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences and includes, the creation or performance of art; creative writing; the writing of autobiographies, memoirs, and creative nonfiction; and quantitative social science research or policy studies, your organization is not eligible to receive Relief Operating Grant funding for general operating costs. Your organizational mission must be humanities-focused. 

• Offer public humanities programs that are accessible to Nevadans and open to the public.

• Be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or be a humanities organization/group affiliated with a federally recognized Nevada tribe with verified tribal authorization from either the tribal administrator or by tribal resolution allowing the applicant use of the tribal DUNS number for the application. 

• Have had federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization status for at least two years prior to August 1, 2021. 

• Maintain a primary business address in Nevada and serve Nevada residents.

• File a form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-N e-Postcard.

• Have annual operating revenue of at least $10,000 as reflected in your most recent fiscal audit and/or form 990. 

• Have a DUNS number. While not required to complete your application, your organization is required to have a DUNS number to receive Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan Relief and Recovery Grant funds.

Who is not eligible for funding?

• Individuals

• Organizations with less than $10,000 in annual income 

• Organizations whose mission falls outside of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences and includes the creation or performance of art; creative writing; the writing of autobiographies, memoirs, and creative nonfiction; and quantitative social science research or policy studies.

• Organizations that were incorporated or recognized as 501 (c)(3) nonprofits after August 1, 2019

• Organizations that do not maintain a primary business address in Nevada and serve Nevadans

• Organizations without DUNS numbers

• Organizations that do not file federal income tax returns

• Organizations that have been suspended or debarred or are delinquent on federal debt

• Religious organizations 

• Social service and humanitarian agencies that do not have humanities-focused missions and demonstrate significant humanities programming as part of their mission and operations 

• Public or private K-12 schools 

• Institutions of higher education including universities, colleges, and academic departments (museums, archives, university presses, and public-facing humanities centers affiliated with a college or university that have their own 501(c)(3) status and their own DUNS number not affiliated with an institution of higher education may apply for Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan grants if they meet the eligibility requirements) 

• Chapters of national organizations 

• Government agencies 

• Fiscally sponsored entities 

• Foreign entities

• For-profit entities

• Nonprofit charitable organizations designated as private foundations by the IRS

• Political or advocacy organizations 

Relief Operating Grants Funding Levels

You may request Relief Operating Grant funds up to the following amounts as defined by your most recent annual operating revenue outlined in your most recent audit or Form 990. 

No funding match or cost share is required.

Review and Criteria

Applications will be processed by Nevada Humanities staff and evaluated by a special committee of the Nevada Humanities Board of Trustees, which will make recommendations to the full Nevada Humanities Board of Trustees for approval. Applications will be evaluated in the context of the overall pool of requests, considering: 

• Applicant eligibility

• Strength of the organization’s humanities focus and mission 

• Strength of the organization’s public facing humanities programming 

• Strength of service to underserved demographics 

• Impact of the COVID-19 emergency on the organization

• The level of need identified in the application 

• Demand and availability of funding 

• Ability to ensure compliance with federal regulations guiding the use of federal funds 

Priority will be given to organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or less and those that serve underrepresented populations or communities, but all types and sizes of eligible organizations are welcome to apply. Relief Operating Grant decisions will be announced mid-November 2021. We regret that feedback cannot be given on draft applications or grant decisions. 

Relief Operating Grants Application Deadline and Project Period of Performance

Relief Operating Grants Application Portal Opens to the Public: August 21, 2021 
Relief Operating Grants Application Portal Closes: October 1, 2021
Relief Operating Grant applications must be completed and submitted online on/or before 11:59 PM PDT on October 1, 2021. 

Eligible organizations are able to apply for and potentially receive funding for both a Relief Operating Grant and a Recovery Program Grant; however, each organization may only submit one application in each of the Relief and Recovery grant categories. 

The Nevada Humanities Relief Operating Grant period of performance is December 1, 2021 - March 31, 2022. You must expend the allocated grant within this window of time, and you must expend all of the funds before March 31, 2022. A final report is due to Nevada Humanities on or before June 30, 2022. 

If you received a previous project grant from Nevada Humanities and meet the eligibility requirements for Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan Relief and Recovery Grants, you may apply for these grant funds. Receipt of these funds will not affect your eligibility for future FY2022 Nevada Humanities project grants. 

Distribution of Funds

Nevada Humanities reserves the right to award full or partial funding based on the total amount of grant funds available and the award criteria noted in the grant guidelines. Nevada Humanities will award 100% of the grant funds at the beginning of the grant period. Nevada Humanities will begin the payment process upon receipt of completed and signed award documents and the Nevada Humanities Cash Request Form; funds will be sent as quickly as possible. This process will be expedited for organizations who provide direct deposit bank information when requested. Others will receive a check directed to their primary organizational address. Please note that the awarding and distribution of Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan Relief and Recovery Grants is subject to the availability of funds. 

Reporting

Organizations will be required to sign a Grant Agreement upon notification of funding. Funds will not be disbursed until a signed Grant Agreement is returned to Nevada Humanities. A final report confirming and describing the use of funds will be due on or before June 30, 2022. The final report will include: 

• Narrative report describing the use, impact, and outcomes of Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan Relief Operating Grant funds

• Project budget that lists all Relief Operating Grant expenditures and supporting documentation demonstrating the use of Relief Operating Grant funds

• Data including audience served, kinds of humanities programs implemented by the organization during the period of performance, number of people benefitting from Relief Operating Grant funds, and number of jobs preserved or created with Relief Operating Grant funds 

• Certification of compliance with federal regulations governing the expenditure and use of federal funds 

• Copies of letters from your organization to Nevada’s U.S. representatives and senators thanking them for supporting Nevada Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and your organization 

Acknowledgement of Support

Recipients of Nevada Humanities grant funds must acknowledge Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities as donors in their current fiscal year in all printed and electronic materials, including advertisements and publicity materials, and whenever written or verbal presentations are made by including the credit line and logos provided.

How to Apply

To apply for a Relief Operating Grant, register through the Nevada Humanities online grant system here, where you can also continue an open application, view your awards, and submit your final report. The online grant system will open on August 21, 2021. You must apply for a Relief Operating Grant using Nevada Humanities online grant system. No hand-delivered, faxed, or email applications will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by the October 1, 2021, deadline. 

Fully review these guidelines and the Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan Relief Operating Grant and Recovery Program Grant Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) before starting and submitting your application. You are responsible for providing all of the required documents and information. Each organization will create an organizational account, then you may input the narrative answers for each question, complete and upload your project budget in the form provided, submit the required financial documents and support materials, and certify federal compliance. Additional supplemental materials, such as letters of support, are not required. A sample of the online application can be viewed here. 

Documents and Information Required

• EIN Tax ID number 

• DUNS number 

• SAM registration (optional but encouraged to provide) 

• Date of 501(c)(3) nonprofit determination 

• Federal IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit determination letter 

• Most recent audited financial statements - or, if your organization does not have an audit, your most recently filed Form 990 or 990-EZ or 990-N e-Postcard 

• Annual operating revenue of at least $10,000 as reflected in your most recent audited financial statements or Form 990 

• Annual audience served by your organization 

• Narrative questions to be answered 

Preview the application questions and budget form here.

Note that if you are applying for both a Relief Operating Grant and a Recovery Program Grant you must create and submit a different budget for each application with applicable and unique expenses appropriate to each grant stream. You may not duplicate costs in each application. 

As required by federal guidelines, all organizations receiving federal funds are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and are encouraged to have an active SAM registration. You may complete and submit your Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan application if your DUNS number request is in process, but you will not be able to receive awarded grant funds until you provide this number to Nevada Humanities. It may take a few days to receive your DUNS number (demand has been high), so please anticipate this when submitting your application. Please allow plenty of time to process your request. Learn more about the DUNS number requirement here. 

You may also complete your application process while your SAM registration is pending. Register for SAM here.  There is no cost to register for either federal program. 

Note that by April 2022, the federal government will stop using the DUNS number to uniquely identify organizations and entities registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). At that point, organizations and entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) created in SAM.gov. They will no longer have to go to a third-party website to obtain their identifier. Active registrants will have their UEI assigned and viewable within SAM.gov. There is no action for registered entities to take prior to April 2022. Prior to April 2022, applicants for Nevada Humanities funding will need to follow the usual procedures for acquiring a DUNS number listed above. We will update this information as we learn more about the new process after April 2022. Read more information here. 

What Are the Humanities?

At Nevada Humanities our emphasis is on the public humanities. We understand the humanities to be how people process, document, express, comprehend, and live the human experience, and that through the wide breadth of human learning, civic, social, and cultural activities, everyone participates in and has access to the humanities. 

While we value traditional academic humanities disciplines (such as linguistics, literature, history, jurisprudence, philosophy, archaeology, comparative religion and belief, ethics, the history, criticism and theory of the arts, etc.), we also see the humanities as encompassing a wide range of activities and creative expressions that contribute to our individual and collective sense of being human. These include: social and cultural traditions and practices; civic and community engagement; expressions of identity; our understanding of history; our worldview and sense of place; the consideration of the meaning of life; the reasons for our thoughts and actions; the examination of the values and principles that inform our cultures, laws, and government; contextual and educational approaches to the creative process and the arts; and much more. 

Projects supported by Nevada Humanities may utilize academic and/or public humanities tools and perspectives. For the purposes of this American Rescue Plan Act funding opportunity, projects and expenses that fall outside of the humanities and the humanistic social sciences (including the creation or performance of art; creative writing, autobiographies, memoirs, and  creative nonfiction; and quantitative social science research or policy studies) are not eligible for funding. 

What Is a Humanities Organization and What Are Public Humanities Programs?

A humanities organization has a mission explicitly connected to the humanities along with a track record of specifically working in the humanities, as opposed to a group that occasionally tackles or delves into humanities-based themes or activities. Humanities organizations include, but are not limited to, historical societies and heritage groups, historic homes and sites, archives, oral history programs, folklife organizations, cultural centers, museums, nonprofit libraries, literary organizations, nonprofit education organizations, historic preservation groups, nonprofit media groups that report on culture, other cultural nonprofits with core missions or activities that center on developing and implementing public humanities programming.

Public humanities programs come in all shapes, sizes, and formats. Examples include, but are not limited to: interpretive exhibitions, preservation and access projects, dialogue and discussion programs, heritage programs and interpretation, folklife programs, public walking tours, film and media projects, podcasts, oral histories, and other creative formats (in-person and virtual) designed for sharing ideas, research, and engaging the public in community conversations.

Questions and Assistance

To request assistance with your application, contact Nevada Humanities’ grant coordinator Bobbie Ann Howell at bahowell@nevadahumanities.org or Aliza Berlin at apantoja@nevadahumanities.org. We regret that we will be unable to provide feedback on draft applications or grant decisions.

Nevada Humanities American Rescue Plan Relief and Recovery Grants are provided by Nevada Humanities and funded by Congress and the American Rescue Plan Act 2021 through the National Endowment for the Humanities.