The Activate History Microgrants program, offered by Illinois Humanities, supports individuals, small organizations, and public institutions in engaging the public with local and regional history. This initiative funds projects that use archives, texts, stories, and photography to teach and inspire communities while emphasizing the importance of historical collections. The program is designed to be accessible and efficient, with a streamlined application process and quick turnaround times. Applications are accepted annually from January 21 until October 1 or until available funds are exhausted.

Each microgrant awards $750 to successful applicants, with optional additional stipends of $150 for accessibility services such as American Sign Language interpretation or captioning, and $100 for media-related expenses like photography or videography. The funding can be used for activities that promote dialogue and interpretation of local history, including research and digitization efforts that are part of a broader engagement strategy. Programs may be conducted in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid format.

To be eligible, applicants must be individuals, nonprofit organizations in good standing, or public institutions such as schools, government entities, libraries, museums, or churches. The project, its subject matter, or the audience must be based in Illinois, and preference is given to organizations with annual budgets under $400,000. Additionally, applicants must be up to date on reporting for any previous Illinois Humanities grants.

The grant review process takes approximately five weeks. During the first four weeks, proposals are evaluated, and applicants may be asked for additional details about their projects. Successful applicants are then notified within one week. Once agreements are signed, funds are issued within two to three weeks. Recipients must host their funded event or activity at least eight weeks after their application submission. Within 30 days of the event’s conclusion, grantees are required to submit a final report documenting their project’s outcomes, including photographs and reflections.

For further inquiries, applicants can contact Mark Hallett, Director of Grants Programs, at communitygrants@ilhumanities.org or by phone at (312) 422-5586. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Illinois General Assembly through the Illinois Arts Council, as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.