Now Available: NEH Emergency Grants for Hurricane Relief

NEH Chairman’s Emergency Grants Available for Humanities Institutions Impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

Museums, archives, colleges, libraries, and historical societies encouraged to apply for grants of up to $30,000

Credit: Photo by Master Sgt. Jason Robertson, Air Force Public Affairs Agency

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 7, 2017) — The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) invites institutions impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma to apply for fast-track emergency grants to preserve and protect humanities collections at libraries, museums, colleges, universities, historical societies, and other cultural organizations.

Cultural institutions in FEMA-designated disaster areas of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and other impacted states and U.S. territories can apply immediately for NEH Chairman’s Emergency Grants of up to $30,000 to preserve documents, books, photographs, art works, historical objects, sculptures, and structures damaged by the hurricane and subsequent flooding. Applications for emergency grants are available here.

NEH will award up to $1 million in emergency grants. These funds may be used for activities such as drying, cleaning, and packing humanities collections, transferring artifacts to temporary storage, or consulting with conservators and preservation professionals.

Additionally, all current NEH grantees impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma may apply to change the scope of their grants to repurpose the agency’s funding to focus on critical needs.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received by NEH’s Division of Preservation and Access. To submit an application, or for additional information, please contact the division at (202) 606-8570 or preservation@neh.gov.


National Endowment for the Humanities: Founded in 1965, the National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government, dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov.