Arts and Cultural Heritage Grants Program – Cultural Heritage and Identity Competitive Grants (State Fiscal Years 2020-2021)
The Minnesota State Legislature asked the Minnesota Humanities Center to award arts and cultural heritage grants to the American Indian, immigrant, Hmong, and Somali communities through the competitive grant process. A small portion of the appropriation was reserved by the Humanities Center for direct expenses related to administering the grant. These Cultural Heritage and Identity funds will be distributed in three rounds of competitive grants in the first year of the 2019-2021 legislative biennium (through June 2020) and a fourth round in the second year of the legislative biennium (through June 2021). Over the course of the first two rounds, microgrants will be awarded — up to $5,000 per award. During the third round, the remaining funds will be awarded in larger amounts.
$850,000 the first year and $850,000 the second year are for a competitive grants program to provide grants to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of Minnesota.
The Minnesota Humanities Center must operate a competitive grants program to provide grants to programs that preserve and honor the cultural heritage of Minnesota or that provide education and student outreach on cultural diversity or to programs that empower communities to build their identity and culture. Priority must be given to grants for individuals and organizations working to create, celebrate, and teach indigenous arts and cultural activities and arts organizations and programs preserving, sharing, and educating on the arts and cultural heritage of immigrant communities in Minnesota.
(1) Of this amount, $250,000 the first year is for a grant to one or more community organizations that provide arts and cultural heritage programming celebrating Hmong heritage.
(2) Of this amount, $250,000 the first year is for a grant to one or more community organizations that provide arts and cultural heritage programming celebrating Somali heritage.