WHAT DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS INVOLVE, AND WHAT CAN I EXPECT? IF AWARDED WHAT SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED?
Below is a bullet point list of the application process from beginning to end. Additionally, we have included what organizations should anticipate after being awarded a grant. This information is meant to assist organizations in understanding NMHC’s specific timelines, which may impact the scheduling of public events and budgeted expenses.
All final grant applications submissions and subaward grant reports are managed through the Foundant Grant Management Portal. If you are ready to schedule a consultation meeting or have any questions, please reach out to NMHC’s Grants Management Team. You can find our contact information in our staff directory. Below are further details a the required project personnel and an overview of the pre-application process.
PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS:
ACTIONS AND REQUIRED STEPS
REVIEW THE GRANT GUIDELINES ON OUR WEBSITE
Be sure to review each section on our "Get Started" page thoroughly to verify your organization’s eligibility to receive a grant and to confirm your the project is in alignment with NMHC's funding criteria. Information on specific caps for grant funds usage for specific line items in the budget is also available.
PROJECT TIMELINE
All major grant applicants, applying in the October grant application cycle need to determine if their project can fit within NMHC's timeline. Our board votes on which projects to fund in the middle of December. This would mark the beginning of the grant's project performance period. All major grants funded as part of this grant cycle need to end no later than December of the following year. EXAMPLE: Application submitted October 1, 2022; NMHC Board Votes December 12, 2023; Grant project ends December 2024.
NOTE: Expenses cannot be applied to a grant until the NMHC board votes. This means the time spent filling out the application (and other related expenses) cannot be counted.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH NMHC STAFF (45 MINUTE VIRTUAL MEETING)
It is important to be pro-active and set up a grant consultation early in the year. NMHC has limited staff and we want to be able to support every applicant. Due to the high volume of applicants, consultations are offered throughout the year as it is not feasible to meet with all applicants in the month prior to the application deadline. This step is required for both new and returning applicants. To schedule a consultation please email: Grants@NMHumanities.org.
DEVELOP A DRAFT PROPOSAL FOR REVIEW
Submitting your draft application (text and budget) for NMHC staff review is required. It is important to submit your draft application early in the year due to our limited staff and the high volume of applications. We conduct draft reviews throughout the year to ensure there’s sufficient time for all. Prior to submitting a draft application, please revisit our "Get Started" page, and scroll to the "Pre-Application Checklist and Risk Assessments" sections, and compare your drafted application to the provided guidelines. A sample application in MicroSoft Word format can be downloaded at the top of the "Get Started" page. This requirement applies to all new and returning applicants.
WORK WITH NMHC STAFF ON ANY NECESSARY REVISIONS
Once your draft application is ready for review please contact NMHC staff at: Grants@NMHumanities.org. This is a requirement for all new and returning applicants.
WORK WITH NMHC STAFF TO DETERMINE WHICH GRANT PROGRAM IS THE BEST FIT
It is our goal to determine if the project is or is not a good fit for NMHC funding through the initial consultation meeting. However, it is important to note there are times that a project might be declined in the draft application stage.
This could happen for different reasons as further details emerge during the application process. Sometimes projects are declined as the components might be a better fit for support through the National Endowment for the Arts, rather than from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Or the project's timeline may extend beyond the timeframe allowed within grant guidelines.
Additionally, projects in the early conceptual stage might not be developed enough to move forward. Projects presenting a frameworks that focus on advocacy, or are not accessible to the general public, or otherwise falling outside our funding parameters, could be declined. Alternatively, NMHC may also recommend that the organization apply for the Quick Grants Program (available soon) instead of the Major Grants Program, to better align with the project’s needs and scope.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
ACTION ITEMS AND REQUIRED STEPS
CONFIRM THE COMPLETION OF ALL ITEMS IN SECTION 1
Before moving on to submitting your application, please ensure all the steps in the previous section have been completed. NOTE: Actual applications must be submitted using the electronic form inside of the Foundant Grants Management Portal.
SUBMIT THE ELIGIBILITY SCREENING AND LETTER OF INTENTION FORM (LOI)
Once the new application cycle has been officially opened your organization can submit a LOI form. Doing so lets NMHC staff know: 1) you have an Unique Entity Identification number that is actively registered with SAM.gov; 2) all key project personnel have confirmed their commitment to the project; 3) confirm the support/approval of your organization's authorizing official; 4) confirm your organization knows the amount of funds that are required to execute the project; 5) categorize the project's format; 6) confirm your organization's bookkeeping system; 7) answer a few risk assessment questions. Once the LOI is submitted within the Foundant portal NMHC staff will verify the provided content before making the online application accessible to you. Due to the volume of applicants NMHC staff may need up to one week to process your LOI. For this reason, please be sure to complete this step well in advance, allowing sufficient time to also complete the actual application.
GET STARTED ON THE ACTUAL APPLICATION
Once NMHC staff has formally confirmed your organization’s legal identity and eligibility to receive federal funds, you will receive an automated email from our Foundant Grants Management system confirming your LOI has been approved and that you can now return to the Foundant Portal to fill out the application. Please check the submission deadline listed at the top of the "Get Started" page of our website.
DEMONSTRATE A TANGIBLE PLAN
The written part of he application and the budget should directly reference each other. EXAMPLE: If paid newspaper ads are listed as part of the marketing plan, then the budget should show dollar amounts allocated to this expense. Likewise, the explanation section of the budget should clearly articulate the amount of funds being devoted to this form of paid advertisement. It is important that a tangible plan is clearly identifiable. Whether an organization is developing a budget for an application or working on final reports linked to a grant, these documents should reflect the organization’s bookkeeping. For more information, please visit the "Audience Engagement" and "Budget Planning" section on the "Get Started" page.
POST SUBMISSION:
WHAT TO EXPECT AND THE RELATED TIMELINE
STAFF REVIEW AND EVALUATION (1-MONTH PROCESS)
Once the application deadline has closed, NMHC staff will review each submitted project proposal and make notes for the Grant Committee to reflect upon during their scoring evaluation. Staff notes will focus on content listed in the "Application Checklist and Risk Assessments" shown on the "get started" page. NOTE: Based on the number of applications that are commonly received, it can take staff up to one month to review all of the submitted applications.
GRANT COMMITTEE'S PROJECT SCORING AND EVALUATION (1-MONTH PROCESS)
Once NMHC staff has completed their review (often one month after the applications are submitted), then the Grant Committee has a month to score the project proposals. The Committee's scores are calculated in response to questions listed in the "Application Checklist and Risk Assessments," which can be found through the "Get Started" page.
PROJECT SELECTION BY VOTE (2-WEEK PROCESS)
Next the entire Board of Directors will be called together convened to vote on which proposals to fund. As part of this process, the board will review the Grant Committee report which includes the projects being recommended for funding. This board meeting is often held two weeks after the Grant Committee has completed their review process.
PHONE CALLS TO EACH APPLICANT (1-WEEK PROCESS)
The following business day, NMHC staff will begin calling every organization that submitted an application and provide the results of the recent board meeting vote. NOTE: Notifications are conducted over a week’s time and are always communicated by phone to ensure each applicant has the opportunity to ask questions.
ON-BOARDING PROCESS
THE TIMELINE AND WHAT TO EXPECT IF AWARDED
SUBAWARD AGREEMENTS
NOTE: If you applied for funding in the October 1st deadline, there may be a slightly longer wait time when receiving the subaward agreement. This is due to overlap with year-end reporting and holiday office closures. However, the grant is still considered active from the day the board votes on which projects to fund. For October applicants, subawards are anticipated to be sent out in mid to late January.
ONBOARDING PACKET
Using the Foundant Grants Management Portal, each subrecipient will: 1) be able to submit their signed subaward agreement; 2) download the Grant Management Handbook; and 3) share any updates on project event dates. Subrecipients have up to 90 days to turn in the signed subaward agreement. The 90 day period begins on the date NMHC's board votes on which projects to fund.
INITIAL SUBAWARD GRANT PAYMENT
The first disbursement is made after any applicable special conditions have been addressed, a grant management orientation meeting has been scheduled and both a signed subaward and an activities calendar have been submitted. NOTE: Organizations are not expected to have already attended the orientation, but the appointment date/time must already be selected.
GRANT MANAGEMENT ORIENTATION
Currently, for groups that submitted their application in October the orientations have begun in the middle of February. However, NMHC staff anticipates starting orientations in late January for future grant cycles.
ACTIVE GRANT MANAGEMENT
REQUIREMENTS AND THE PERFORMANCE PERIOD
GRANT PROJECT PERFORMANCE PERIOD TIMELINE
GRANT AWARD PERIOD: The grant award period defines when the grant is active and this period incorporates all three of the dates identified below. GRANT PROJECT PERFORMANCE PERIOD: As part of the final reporting process grantees may report on expenses and cost-sharing contributions that fall within the grant performance period. Both the grant award period and the grant performance period begin when the NMHC Board votes on which applications to fund. This date will be the first date listed within the subaward agreement. The second date within the subaward agreement is when a project's activities will be completed. The performance period falls between these first two dates. The third date listed within the subaward agreement is when final reports are due and also defines when the grant award period ends. NOTE: However, NEH year-end and/or interim reports must be submitted no later than December 1st regardless of the grant award period dates.
MANAGING AN ACTIVE GRANT AND ITS ACTIVITIES
For all components related to managing an active grant funded project (event marketing, substituting scholars, changing event locations, project extensions etc.) please refer to the Grant Management Handbook which is available and downloadable from the onboarding packet.
NEH REPORTING
Depending on the project’s timeline year-end / interim reports for the National Endowment for the Humanities may be required either prior to the project’s conclusion or prior to the final report’s due date. Year end / interim reports specifically for the NEH are submitted every year on December 1st.
FINAL REPORTING AND CLOSING A GRANT
THE CLOSING TIMELINE AND WHAT TO EXPECT
INTERIM CASH DISBURSEMENT
(If applicable) Interim payments are issued after an interim cash request has been submitted which includes financial reports and written progress reports. These reports must be reviewed and approved by NMHC staff before the funds can be released. NOTE: Interim cash payments are NOT automatic; as they are optional and must be initiated by the Project Director and Fiscal Agent.
FINAL REPORTS
Final reports are due 60 days after the project performance period ends, as noted
in the subaward agreement.
FINAL CASH DISBURSEMENT
Once the final reports have been submitted, please note the final check payment will not be processed until a member of NMHC staff has reviewed the reports and worked with you to complete any necessary edits for clarity and compliance. We are a small granting organization and therefore final reports will be processed in the order they are received. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we may have other grants to close before we are able to address your report submission. NOTE: For more specifics regarding working with NMHC staff on final report edits, please refer to the Grants Management Handbook.