The Virginia Humanities Rapid Grants program is designed to support small-scale, short-duration projects in the humanities. Administered by Virginia Humanities, this grant opportunity provides funding of up to $5,000 per award. Rapid Grants are awarded four times per year and are intended for projects lasting no more than nine months. The grant period of performance begins on the decision date, and funding is distributed in full (100%) upon award notification.

Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and other qualifying entities. However, organizations may not apply for two grant opportunities simultaneously. Additionally, applicants who received funding in the immediate prior cycle are ineligible for the current round. Organizations cannot have two open grants at the same time and must complete and receive approval for a final report before applying for another grant. While applicants may receive funding for the same project across two separate cycles, they may not receive funding for the same project a third time.

Funding is available for a variety of humanities-related activities, including community forums and public discussions, community history projects, conferences and symposia, curriculum resources for K-12 education, exhibits (both physical and online), festivals and interpretive performances, media programs (such as films, television, and digital media), print publications, research projects leading to public programs, and travel expenses for project personnel. However, the grant does not support advocacy or political action, creative or performing arts unless they support humanities discussions, courses for credit (except those specifically designed for teachers), indirect costs, international travel, awards or gifts, construction or renovation, or the purchase of alcoholic beverages.

The next application cycle opens on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 9:00 AM, with a submission deadline of Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Funding decisions will be announced on Monday, June 16, 2025. The grant budget must be completed within the application using the provided format, and sample budgets can be accessed in the FAQ section.

Applications must be submitted through the Virginia Humanities grants portal. The organization encourages applicants to review eligibility requirements thoroughly before applying. Additional resources, including past grantee examples and FAQ support, are available through Virginia Humanities. For further inquiries, applicants may contact Virginia Humanities at their Charlottesville office at (434) 924-3296 or via email at info@VirginiaHumanities.org.