Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs
Active
- Assistance listing
- 45.164
- Grant awards
- 2,965 $468,656,948 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance type
-
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 59-0200-0-1-503
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The National Endowment for the Humanities funds permanent exhibitions, traveling exhibitions, and long-term interpretive programs at historic sites under the Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs program (CFDA 45.164), with the most recent grant award issued on September 1, 2026.
The program supports projects that engage general audiences with humanities scholarship through in-person exhibitions and historic site interpretations. Funded projects include permanent exhibitions on view for at least three years, single-site temporary exhibitions open to the public for a minimum of two months, traveling exhibitions available at two or more U.S. venues, and long-term interpretive programs at historic sites presented to the public for at least three years. Interpretive programs encompass living history presentations, guided tours, exhibitions, and public programs. Recipients may request a one-year no-cost extension 30 days before the end of the performance period.
All 2,965 awards in the portfolio are Project Grants. The National Endowment for the Humanities accounts for 2,917 awards and $463 million in federal dollars obligated; the National Endowment for the Arts makes up the remaining 48 awards and $5.6 million. Combined federal dollars obligated total $468.7 million. Recent award activity shows 65 to 86 grants per year over the past five years, with consistent funding extending back to 1995.
Recent awards span permanent and traveling exhibitions, planning initiatives, and heritage site interpretation. Canterbury Shaker Village received $75 thousand to develop a comprehensive plan for new interpretation and permanent exhibitions on Shaker entrepreneurship and economic innovation. The Intrepid Museum secured $750 thousand for a permanent exhibition on USS Intrepid's 2nd Deck. Ohio State University's Chase Center received $5 million for civic education programming and facility development. The Great Books and Civic Renewal Initiative was awarded $10 million for educational and public-facing programming.
Two opportunities are currently open. Public Humanities Projects (due September 10, 2025) supports permanent and traveling exhibitions and historic site interpretations focused on American Military History and Valor, The American Dream and Economic Freedom, American Exceptionalism in World Affairs, or the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, with planning and implementation funding levels available. Public Impact Projects Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary (due July 9, 2025) supports scholarship-based public programs at cultural organizations that celebrate the Declaration of Independence's people, events, ideas, and legacies.
Eligible applicants include U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits, public and 501(c)(3) accredited institutions of higher education, state and local governmental agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments.
Objective and description
- Objective
This program supports projects that engage general audiences with ideas from humanities scholarship through in-person exhibitions and historic site interpretations.
- Description
Projects may create permanent exhibitions (on view for at least three years), single-site temporary exhibitions (open to the public for a minimum of two months), or traveling exhibitions that will be available to public audiences in at least two venues in the United States. Projects may also develop long-term interpretive programs for historic sites, houses, neighborhoods, and regions that are intended to be presented to the public for at least three years. Such projects might include living history presentations, guided tours, exhibitions, and public programs.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Eligible applicants include U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, public and 501(c)(3) accredited institutions of higher education, state and local governmental agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments.
- Beneficiary eligibility
U.S. nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, public and 501(c)(3) accredited institutions of higher education, state and local governmental agencies, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Varies by program. See B2 in the relevant Notice of Funding of Funding Opportunity.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
See the NOFO for the review criteria.
- Award procedure
NEH staff review all applications for eligibility, completeness, and responsiveness. The agency then conducts a peer review process for all applications that pass this initial screening. Peer reviewers are experts in their fields with knowledge and expertise relevant to the activities that the program supports. NEH instructs peer reviewers to evaluate applications according to established review criteria. Peer reviewers must comply with federal ethics rules governing conflicts of interest. NEH program officers supplement the peer reviewers' comments to address matters of fact or significant points that the peer reviewers have overlooked. They then make funding recommendations to the National Council on the Humanities and the NEH Chairman. The National Council meets at least twice each year to review applications and advise the NEH Chairman. By law, the Chairman has the sole authority to make final funding decisions.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Approximately 9-12 months after the application deadline.
- Renewals
Recipients may request a one-year no-cost extension 30 days before the end of the period of performance.
Grant opportunities
Show 39 more
Latest 49 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 2,965 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mid-America Arts Alliance | $13,256,088 | 3% |
| 2 | The Center For Independent Documentary, Inc. | $10,684,041 | 2% |
| 3 | Wnet | $10,520,191 | 2% |
| 4 | The Tikvah Fund | $10,429,105 | 2% |
| 5 | University Of Texas At Austin | $10,195,835 | 2% |
| 6 | American Library Association | $9,065,150 | 2% |
| 7 | Film Makers Collaborative Incorporated | $8,678,324 | 2% |
| 8 | Wgbh Educational Foundation | $8,380,000 | 2% |
| 9 | City Lore Inc. | $7,748,688 | 2% |
| 10 | The Catticus Corporation | $5,983,500 | 1% |
10 of 932 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $42,768,981 |
| FY2025 | $6,056,827 |
| FY2024 | $16,245,893 |
| FY2023 | $18,172,858 |
| FY2022 | $40,404,421 |
| FY2021 | $35,903,915 |
| FY2020 | $30,134,994 |
| FY2019 | $12,718,574 |
| FY2018 | $17,532,380 |
| FY2017 | $13,150,964 |
| FY2016 | $18,465,634 |
| FY2015 | $18,599,444 |
| FY2014 | $14,570,470 |
| FY2013 | $14,480,591 |
| FY2012 | $17,009,727 |
| FY2011 | $16,668,132 |
| FY2010 | $19,135,860 |
| FY2009 | $15,635,142 |
| FY2008 | $10,813,340 |
| FY2007 | $11,808,159 |
| FY2006 | $11,884,757 |
| FY2005 | $10,897,722 |
| FY2004 | $16,918,554 |
| FY2003 | $11,641,329 |
| FY2002 | $13,151,966 |
| FY2001 | $14,586,314 |
Show all 26
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 45.164?
Assistance Listing 45.164 is Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs, a federal grant program run by National Endowment for the Humanities.
What is the CFDA number for Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs?
Its CFDA number is 45.164: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 45.164 awarded?
2,965 grant awards under 45.164 have obligated $468,656,948 in federal funds to 932 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 45.164?
The recipients obligated the most under Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs are Mid-America Arts Alliance ($13,256,088), The Center For Independent Documentary, Inc. ($10,684,041) and Wnet ($10,520,191).
How much did 45.164 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 45.164 obligated $6,056,827 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 45.164?
None of the latest 49 opportunities under 45.164 is open now. The latest, National Garden of American Heroes: Statues, was posted on April 24, 2025.
On GovTribe
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