With funding from Congress through the CARES Act, the Mississippi Humanities Council is launching an emergency grant program to help support cultural organizations that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis. These CARES Emergency Grants will provide unrestricted operational expenses up to $20,000 for humanities-focused cultural nonprofit organizations in Mississippi for up to two months.
During the COVID-19 crisis, state humanities councils are uniquely positioned to provide emergency CARES Act funding to museums, historic sites, and other nonprofit organizations affected by the pandemic. The humanities councils serve the smallest and most vulnerable communities and institutions and are able to reach areas that receive few other cultural resources. To meet this need, the National Endowment for the Humanities has distributed 40 percent of its national CARES Act appropriation, or $30 million, directly to the state councils to support grants to eligible entities for general operating support and humanities programming in direct response to the COVID-19 crisis. The Mississippi Humanities Council has received $460,000 to distribute through CARES Emergency Grants to help support payroll and other general operations expenses. Matching funds are not required with these emergency grants.
“Since our mission is to serve the people of Mississippi, we are grateful to have these federal emergency stimulus funds to support the cultural organizations that enrich our state’s way of life,” said Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. “Our top priority is to help ensure the institutions that safeguard our state’s rich cultural heritage survive this crisis.”
More details, including grant guidelines and applications, are now available on the Humanities Council’s website: mshumanities.org. Starting April 22, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Since the MHC is now working from home, contact Stuart Rockoff via email (srockoff@mhc.state.ms.us) for more information.