Illinois Humanities is celebrating 50 years of connecting Illinoisans through free public programs, grants, and events that make the public humanities accessible for all.
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Save the Humanities
Our Impact in 2024
For 50 years, Illinois Humanities has worked throughout the state to make the public humanities accessible to all. Through grants, partnerships, and public programs, we have worked with groups of all sizes, disciplines, and stages of development to increase their local and statewide impact and support the state’s cultural ecosystem.
Explore the map to discover our vast network of grantee partners across the state and connect with a public humanities organization near you. Below, see a snapshot of how Illinois Humanities grants and programs provide free and transformative humanities experiences for all Illinoisans.
4,050
Illinoisans in 47 counties engaged with culture, history, and contemporary social issues through free Road Scholars Speakers presentations
200 %
increase in visitors to Museum on Main Street, our traveling Smithsonian exhibition showcasing local heritage across seven Illinois towns
988
youth poets statewide participated in our annual Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards
13 %
growth in applications to the Odyssey Project/Proyecto Odisea, our free college program empowering adult learners in a supportive educational community
Recent Grantee Partners
Activate History Microgrants (FY2025)
- Jourdan Brunson, $1,000
- CIRCA Pintig, $1,000
- Crossing Borders Music, $1,000
- The Emerald Avenue Foundation, Inc., $1,000
- First Christian Church, $1,000
- Forgottonia Project - Joey Brewer, $750
- Gaylord Building Historic Site, $1,000
- Geneseo Public Library District
- The Hub-Arts and Cultural Center, $750
- Kayla Lucas, $750
- Charles McGregory, $1,000
- OH Art Foundation, $1,000
- Open Space Arts, $1,000
- Antonio Ramirez, $1,000
- Chinella Robinson, $1,000
- Matthew Schlerf, $1,000
- Sherry Leah Sparks, $750
- Anderson Taylor, $850
- Gladys De La Torre, $1,000
- Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, $1,000
- Untold Histories, $1,000
- Yul Ailea Stites, $1,000
General Operating Grants (FY2025)
- Cairo Historical Preservation Project, $10,000.00
- Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium DBA Cultural Access Collaborative, $10,000.00
- contratiempo nfp, $10,000.00
- Guild Literary Complex, $10,000.00
- Haitian American Museum of Chicago, $10,000.00
- Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, $10,000.00
- Madison County Historical Society Inc, $10,000.00
- MAKE Literary Productions, NFP, $10,000.00
- Metro East Literacy Project, $10,000.00
- National Museum of Gospel Music, $10,000.00
- Perceptions Theatre, $10,000.00
- South Macon Public Library, $10,000.00
- Stephenson County Historical Society, $10,000.00
- The RealiTea ProjecT Inc., $10,000.00
Envisioning Justice Grants (FY2025)
- Michael Adebayo, $5,000.00
- Carlos J Acosta, $5,000.00
- BCAI Cultural Arts & Humanities, $6,000.00
- Beyond Prisons / Build Communities Not Prisons, $5,000.00
- Chicago Books to Women in Prison, $7,000.00
- Chicago Torture Justice Center, $10,000.00
- Coalition to Decarcerate Illinois, $10,000.00
- The Community Archive, $10,000.00
- Abdul Hasib, $5,000.00
- Illinois Workers in Action, $10,000.00
- Hannah Johnson, $10,000.00
- Knox College, $10,000.00
- Knox College, $8,000.00
- Legacy Training, Inc., $10,000.00
- Legacy Training, Inc., $6,000.00
- Midwest Books to Prisoners, $10,000.00
- Millikin University, $8,000.00
- King Moosa, $5,000.00
- Rainbow Cafe LGBTQ Center, $5,000.00
- Reparations Media, $10,000.00
- Sam Smith, $10,000.00
- Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative, $10,000.00
- Crushion Stubbs, $5,000.00
- Walls Turned Sideways, $10,000.00
Project Grants (FY2025)
- American Indian Center, $10,100.00
- Black Alphabet, $4,250.00
- Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, $10,250.00
- Federación de Clubes Michoacános en Illinois/Casas Michoacán, $4,250.00
- First Nations Film and Video Festival Inc, $10,100.00
- Garvey Tubman Cultural Arts and Research Center, $10,100.00
- Illinois Heartland Library System, $7,344.00
- Mendota Museum & Historical Society, $10,250.00
- Mezcla Media Collective, $4,250.00
- Narratives, $4,100.00
- The Community Archive, $10,250.00
Featured Event
Cook County
Contact
Suite 650, 125 South Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60603
312.422.5580 312.374.6787 Fax
Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
Illinois Humanities respects the privacy of its audiences and will at no time sell or distribute personal information to any party not directly affiliated with Illinois Humanities and its programs.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.
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