With support from the State of Louisiana, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities has awarded $457,000 in grants to 49 humanities organizations in 27 parishes. Forty-five organizations received general operating grants from the Louisiana Culture Care Fund (LCCF), totaling $425,000, and four organizations received Strategic Partnership grants, totaling $32,000.
The Northwestern State University Folk Festival is a Strategic Partnership grant recipient in the amount of $8,000.
About the Louisiana Culture Care Fund
The LCCF originally launched in 2020 in an effort to help mitigate impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s fund, with support from the State of Louisiana, continues to provide Louisiana’s cultural nonprofits with this vital funding.
“Cultural organizations across our state continue to struggle to reach pre-pandemic levels of support and engagement, further exacerbated by hurricane impacts,” said Erin Voisin, LEH director of grants. “The organizations these grants support engage the public in programming about our shared human experience. They create access points for learning and growing that enable us to connect with our histories, ourselves and one another.”
LCCF funds help organizations remain financially solvent by supporting operational expenses such as staff payroll and benefits, rent, mortgage, insurance and utilities. The grants were awarded to 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural organizations, public libraries and state and federally recognized Tribes with strong humanities focus, such as museums, historic sites and archives, as well as the state’s diverse array of humanities-focused media, festivals and more. Awards ranged between $5,000 and $15,000.
Organizations receiving grants span the farthest corners of the state, from Cameron to Caddo Parishes and East Carroll to Lafourche Parishes.
About Strategic Partnership grants
The LEH also awarded four Strategic Partnership grants, in the amount of $8,000 each, to four organizations producing high-impact humanities programming. These organizations represent long-time, trusted partners in geographically diverse areas of the state.
“The 2023 Strategic Partnership Grants are yet another way that the LEH continues to support the efforts of long-standing partners with a proven track record of success,” said Miranda Restovic, LEH executive director/president. “These large scale, impactful festivals and cultural series bring humanities programming of the highest quality to Louisiana residents.”
The 2023 Strategic Partnership Awardees are Banners at McNeese State University in Calcasieu Parish, the Louisiana Book Festival in East Baton Rouge Parish, the Northwestern State University Folk Festival in Natchitoches Parish and the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival in Orleans Parish.
More details about LEH’s grant programs may be found at www.leh.org/grants. To support the work of the LEH, visit www.leh.org/support-join.
