NMHC seeks applicants for COVID-19 relief grant program

The Northern Marianas Humanities Council has announced a new grant program for CNMI-based cultural organizations and participants in humanities programming.

Funding for the program is made possible by Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act allocations to the National Endowment for the Humanities. NEH allocated $242,700 to NMHC to distribute among eligible entities and individuals within the CNMI to help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant funds are intended to help organizations sustain their operations and cover fees for individual humanities scholars, experts, and practitioners who are active in projects and activities that advance the humanities.

The NMHC COVID-19 Relief Grants are for immediate relief and planned expenses over the next six months. Organizations may request up to $15,000 and individuals may request up to $10,000. The council will review applications on a rolling, first-come, first-serve basis with initial deadlines set for May 15, 2020, June 19, 2020, and July 31, 2020. Grant eligibility criteria, guidelines and an application form can be found online at www.nmhcouncil.org/COVID-19.

“The council’s COVID-19 Relief Grant will help ensure our cultural organizations, scholars, and practitioners continue the important work of documenting and promoting our local traditions, history, and experiences,” said Leo Pangelinan, executive director of NMHC. “The humanities covers a broad range of disciplines and those involved with its study and practice are integral to the health of our economy and democracy.”

NMHC board chair Robert T. Torres said, “Our community lives on connections and contact with each other in engagement with each other through language, literacy, culture, history, discourse, literature and more. With the isolation today and for our social and emotional wellness, the Humanities serve to keep us connected with each other. This support from our federal partners will greatly help groups and individuals to maintain our libraries, cultural organizations, learning centers and continue to conduct programs and activities for our community. Please take advantage of this opportunity to be creative during COVID for each other through the Humanities.”

Established in 1991 as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation, NMHC exists to develop, promote, and support programs in public humanities in the Commonwealth. Much of its funding comes from the NEH. (PR)