We will ask that each project supported by a Forgotten Illinois grant generate a media product that can be published online (e.g., one or more video or audio recordings, photographs, text, etc.), whether or not the creation of that media product is the primary goal of the project. Applicants who would like assistance in generating media products will be invited to collaborate with a media production partner identified by Illinois Humanities. Applicants who wish to work with a media production partner identified by Illinois Humanities should indicate that within their applications. Illinois Humanities will produce an online exhibit featuring all of the media products generated by Forgotten Illinois projects.

We also invite one or more commentators to write (an) essay(s) examining how the various projects illuminate aspects of Illinois’s identity. The three grants categories are

Scholarly research (up to $2,500)

Mini-grants to enable grantees to conduct research on specific chapters in Illinois history.

• This category is defined broadly: Projects examining topics pertaining to any geographic location within Illinois or any period in its history (including its history prior to statehood) will be considered, but applicants will need to make a convincing case that the subject matter is relevant for Illinoisans beyond the scholarly community or the specific community (however defined) with which the subject matter is associated.Example: A project devoted to the sinking of the steamboat Columbia, giving attention to the ramifications of the tragedy, such as its long-term impact upon regulation of river transportation.  A project examining African American gospel music in coal mining communities might yield hypotheses about the relationship between economic circumstances and cultural transmission.
• The product of this research may take any form – e.g., a virtual or physical exhibition, an audio or video documentary, a journal article or book chapter, a series of lectures or discussions, etc. – so long as it is accessible to the public.
• The term “scholarly” is defined broadly here to encompass not only the work of academically affiliated, professional researchers but also that of local historians and journalists, community tradition bearers, etc., provided that the research evinces an appropriate degree of care and rigor.

Artistic interpretation (up to $2,500)

Mini-grants to enable grantees to produce works of art that reflect or comment upon historic incidents, individuals and influences. –current bullet points

• Examples: Music, poetry, or theatrical productions exploring the history of migrant labor in a particular county, the experiences of a volunteer infantry unit during the Civil War, or a local political rivalry that might offer valuable lessons for the present.
• Applicants would need to explain how the proposed work of art would bring its historical subject matter alive and to identify the audience(s) for whom it is intended.

School-based activity (up to $1,000)

Mini-grants to enable elementary, middle, and high school teachers and students to undertake active learning projects addressing chapters in their local history.

• Example: A school class might conduct archival or oral history research in collaboration with a local historical society or a classroom across town to produce entries for a citywide or regional history fair competition.
• Schools would have to make an effective case that their proposed work is more ambitious, and community-facing, than normal school- or classroom-based activity.

Media production partners (up to $1,000)

Illinois Humanities will conduct a by-invitation search for several media partners in different regions of the state of Illinois. The potential media production partners will be eligible for mini-grants to produce multimedia work documenting the classroom activities, presentations, exhibitions, and other projects undertaken by Forgotten Illinois grantee partners.

• Media production partners in various regions will work with grantee partners who request assistance to ensure that all projects are documented and publicized effectively.
• Candidates might include university-based digital humanities programs, journalism schools, documentary film outfits, and other storytellers.
• If you are interested in learning more, reach out to Mark Hallett, program manager for grants and partnerships with Illinois Humanities, at mark.hallett@ilhumanities.org.

Seeking commentators (up to $1,000)

Illinois Humanities also will seek proposals from potential commentators who would carefully review all projects supported by Forgotten Illinois grants and write an essay identifying thematic connections among them and addressing the broad question of what all of them, individually and collectively, can teach us about Illinois’s identity.

• Scholars, journalists, and writers of creative non-fiction with substantial knowledge of Illinois history and culture are invited to apply. A comprehensive, multifaceted view of Illinois history and culture is an essential qualification.
• The kind of essay that we envision is a work of synthesis resembling those that often serve as the introductions of symposium volumes. We are open to discussion about the length of the essay. We will publish it online in conjunction with our online exhibition of media products generated by the Forgotten Illinois projects. It may be published in one or more other venues, depending upon its suitability for those venues.
• Those who wish to apply should provide a résumé or CV, as well as a proposal indicating, in 500 words or less, the reasons for their interest in this project, their knowledge of Illinois history and culture, and the amount of funding they request (up to $1,000).
• Résumés/CVs and proposals should be e-mailed to Mark Hallett, program manager for grants and partnerships with Illinois Humanities, at mark.hallett@ilhumanities.org by May 15, 2018.

The deadlines for  Forgotten Illinois Action Grants are 5PM CST on January 15, May 15, and September 15.

In the case of all Grants categories, we make ourselves available to review grant applications or a list of project ideas, before proposals are submitted. We request that you send in drafts, or a menu of ideas, at least a full month before the deadline. Do so by emailing Mark Hallett at mark.hallett@ilhumanities.org.

We are making grants available to support Forgotten Illinois activities during all three of our 2018 grant cycles: by 5PM on January 15, 2018, May 15, 2018, and September 15, 2018. Applicants should use the Action category from the Vision, Action, and Multiplier (VAM) Grants form, and answer “Yes” to the question “Is this a “Forgotten Illinois” grant?”. They should also indicate whether they are applying in the scholarly research, artistic interpretation, or school-based activity category in the project narrative.”

We ask all Grant recipients to document their initiatives or events by shooting photos, recording audio, or video, and writing up a brief blog post on how the project went. We want to share with others the great work that grantees are carrying out.

Evaluation is important to us, and we are eager to see how grant applicants define success and plan to measure progress toward it. We ask grant applicants to describe in precise terms the desired outcome of a project, how they will know if it was successful, and how it will serve their organization. Illinois Humanities is working with humanities scholar Danielle Allen at Harvard’s Humanities and Liberal Arts Assessment Lab on evaluation and assessment with grantees. This opportunity means that grantees that are interested will be eligible for consulting on their evaluation work.

Why does Illinois Humanities have a grantmaking program?

Illinois Humanities has been making grants since its inception in 1974. In the past 44 years, Illinois Humanities has made nearly 2,800 grants for a total of $17 million. We are proud to have helped support dozens of documentary films, conferences, exhibits, training programs, oral history projects, and scores of other activities. We are firm believers in the many organizations and individuals throughout the state of Illinois that value the humanities, culture, and dialogue as community-building activities, and wish to help them to fulfill their missions, carry out high-quality programming, and grow their organizations. We are indebted to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly for the support that allows this grantmaking program to exist.

What is your definition of the humanities?

The humanities are the examination of what it means to be human through the interpretation and discussion of all forms of thought, interest and expression.

We value traditional humanities disciplines, such as art history, literature, history, and philosophy. However, our emphasis on the public humanities means that we look at the humanities as more than an academic discipline. For us, the public humanities are a mode of inquiry and conversation that aims to engage, support, or challenge the ideals, beliefs, tensions, and prejudices of the communities in which we live. We believe that important thought can happen outside of the academy – in neighborhood institutions, schools, churches, and at kitchen tables across the country.

We are especially interested in instances of the public humanities that promote civic engagement – in raising critical issues facing everyday people and conducted with the hope of increasing their thirst for staying engaged. Take a look at our focus areas, for instance – Arts, Business, Media & Journalism, and Public Policy – where the disciplines at the heart of programming may or may not fall under the traditional humanities categories. Rather than being defined by rigid disciplinary boundaries, it is the humanistic lens, which emphasizes curiosity, questioning, and dialogue, that matters.

Does your organization have a working definition of the public humanities? Share it with us – we’re eager to explore how others are addressing this complex question.

With the changes in your grantmaking guidelines, are there things you used to fund that you are no longer funding?

More than anything, we have added several categories. We’ve kept the planning grants (now called Vision) and the Project grants (now called Action) and added the two new categories of Multiplier Grants (our biggest grant category, for collaborations) and Illinois Speaks Micro-Grants (to help spark public dialogue at the community level throughout the state).

The two categories we have dropped are General Operating grants and Media Projects. We believe our budget is too small to make much of a difference from the standpoint of general operating support – though we may revisit this later. Media projects continue to be a primary focus of our work and our grantmaking program. Documentary film, storytelling, oral history, journalism, and other forms of media are the lifeblood of much humanities work. We’ve taken away ‘media’ as a category, but hope to continue to see great media initiatives in other categories. We just aren’t treating them with their own category at this time. View a sampling of film projects funded by Illinois Humanities.

How has the process changed?

Plenty has changed. We’ve gone digital. We’ve reduced the number of deadlines from four to three. We’re paying out all grant awards in a single payment. Also, with the Vision, Action, or Multiplier (VAM) Grants, we’re requesting Letters of Inquiry (LOI’s) first, and then with a select group of applicants moving on to a Full Proposal. It is worth noting that if we ask for a Full Proposal, the turnaround time will be very short.

Can an organization have more than one active grant with Illinois Humanities at a time?

In general, Illinois Humanities will have one open grant with any single entity at a given time. There are two exceptions to this rule: If your organization acts as fiscal agent for another, you can still have a project grant that is funded by Illinois Humanities. The other exception is that a single group can have a VAM Grant but also receive support to host Illinois Speaks conversations.

Who can apply?

Nonprofit organizations can apply for Illinois Humanities grants. This includes 501c3 organizations and nonprofits under state law, as well as libraries, schools, faith-based organizations and universities. We do not accept grant applications from individuals or for-profit companies. If you are unsure about whether you can apply, reach out to us.

Recipient: Galena Jo Daviess County Historical Society & Museum – Galena, IL

Project Description: We propose to create a 50-minute presentation for students in grades 5-8 throughout the Illinois Driftless region. Each presentation would include viewing of the 27-minute Emmy Award-winning documentary, “Mysteries of the Driftless,” followed by a 20-minute program highlighting unique Driftless attributes in the students’ own backyards.

The presentation will foster a sense of awe and appreciation for the prehistoric land they inhabit, and the people who called it home. Teachers resources to encourage further discovery: 6-8 lesson plans for Driftless geology, hydrology, botany, history and archaeology; a list of area geological sites for field trips.

Recipient: Fox Tales International – Bishop Hill, IL

Project Description: Exploring a series of Forgotten Illinois stories that shaped both state and federal policies towards American Indians and based on the transcriptions of speeches that Territorial Governor Ninian Edwards and Pottawatomie Chief Gomo delivered at Cahokia, we will create a performance that challenges listeners, launching a conversation encouraging them to formulate their own point of view.

We will present performances all along the Edward’s Trace, including Cahokia, Edwardsville, Springfield, Elkhart, Peoria, and Chillicothe. We will film the program and create interactive lesson plans that bring the humanities to life with curriculum tied to state standards.

Recipient: Fort de Chartres – Prairie Du Rocher, IL

Project Description: Les Amis proposed publication- French Colonial Fort de Chartres, a Journey in Time- is a 38-page line-art publication, by award-winning artist Tom Willcockson, focusing on the region’s little-known history of a colonial stone fort and exploring the complex reality of French colonialism in the 1700s.

In this Illinois Bicentennial year, a review of the region’s mixed historic societies and cultures can resonate, provoking reflection and discussion of cultural traditions through present time. This unique publication will make accessible a long-neglected chapter of the Middle Mississippi Valley to children and adults, at schools, libraries, and to the general public.

Recipient: Antonio Delgado – Chicago, IL

Project Description: A video documentary will be produced for public presentations and various Public Television outlets. It seeks to improve public perceptions of Illinois’ Latino populations by highlighting their historical positive contributions The project director has been researching the proposed history topic for 6 years. He has accumulated a substantial variety of period images that will visually highlight missing pages of American History to the growth and development of Chicago and the State of Illinois.

Recipient: Kaskaskia Cahokia Trail Coalition – Waterloo, IL

Project Description: The Kaskaskia Cahokia Trail Coalition has been working to actively promote, preserve and maintain Illinois’ First Road: The Kaskaskia Cahokia Trail. In 2014 a full color brochure was printed, but quickly flew off the shelves and we would like to print a new booklet form brochure that will give even more information about the history along the trail.

Recipient: Zachary M. Jack – Naperville, IL

Project Description: When many Illinoisans hear the word “suffrage” or read about the spectacular votes-for-women movement of the early twentieth century, they mistakenly identify New York and other Eastern Seaboard states as the principle progenitors and popularizers of that progressive movement.

In fact, one of the most forgotten and little understood aspects of Illinois history and culture is the pioneering role our state played in the enfranchisement of women. As a follow-up to the preliminary project narrative I submitted last year I am proposing to write a researched historical stage play of forgotten Illinois that brings the one-of-a kind pioneers of the Illinois suffrage movement to life for an all-ages audience.