NEH Increasing Funding for Community College Programs

The National Endowment for the Humanities recognizes that while community colleges often provide the first exposure to the humanities for many students, they often do not have large development offices and resources to seek out and successfully apply for available opportunities.   In the January 14 Inside Higher Ed article, "Humanities Push for Community Colleges," Andy Guess describes how has responded to the to a "persistent gap between the number of grant applications received from community colleges as opposed to four-year and research institutions," by introducing more flexibility in Challenge Grant offerings to two-year institutions, and, as a result, the amount provided to community colleges and their faculty for projects has increased by 35% in the last 5 years.  Typical first-time grants ranged from $30,000 to $1,000,000 over four years. 

• NEH Challenge Grant Information: www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/challenge.html