CT Humanities Awards $16M to 624 Cultural Organizations Statewide

At their recent meeting, the board of directors of CT Humanities (CTH) awarded 624 non-profit museums and cultural, humanities, and arts organizations a total of $16M in CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grants (CTCFOSG). The CTCFOSG are part of $30.7M of support allocated to CTH over the next two years by the CT General Assembly and approved by Governor Ned Lamont.

The CTCFOSG will assist organizations as they recover from the pandemic and maintain and grow their ability to serve their community and the public, connect K-12 teachers and students to strong humanities and arts content, and improve their information technology and digital infrastructure.

This funding underscores the commitment Connecticut's leaders have made to address the health and wellbeing of the people and communities they serve. "In addition to anchoring communities and contributing to the economic engine of our state, the arts and humanities help us make sense of and address today's biggest challenges in ways that help us learn from one another, be resilient, and co-create paths to move forward," says Dr. Frank Mitchell, CTH board member. "There is so much joy in this endeavor," Mitchell adds.

Working in partnership with the Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), CTH prioritized the equitable distribution of this funding, reaching a vast array of organizations statewide to ensure all residents can access rich cultural experiences. In the end, nonprofits of all sizes in 137 cities and towns and two tribal nations, received awards - this includes 90% of Alliance and Opportunity school districts. Alliance Districts are school districts with among the lowest Accountability Index measure in the state and Opportunity Districts are a subset of those that includes the 10 lowest performing districts in the state based on the Accountability Index.

"These grants not only meet critical needs today, but they also provide us an unprecedented look into the state of the cultural sector going forward. We have an opportunity to more fully understand and quantify the profound impact arts, humanities, and cultural nonprofits have on the individuals, local economies, and issues in Connecticut," explains Dr. Jason Mancini, executive director at CTH.

The CTCFOSG continues the public/private partnership between CTH and the Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA), Department of Economic and Community Development.

"The success of the COVID Relief Fund for Museums Grants (funded by the CARES Act), the Summer at the Museums Program, and now the CT Cultural Fund demonstrate the incredible power of thriving arts and humanities organizations to reach and enrich residents of all ages and in all communities across our state," said Elizabeth Shapiro, Director of Arts, Preservation & Museums for the state. "Partnering with CT Humanities to award this funding is key to painting a facts-based picture of the non-profit arts/humanities/museum sector in the state."

Based on budget size and in consideration of other sources of state funding, the minimum award was $5,000 and the maximum award was $500,000. Eligible organizations included Connecticut museums and 501c3 non-profit, municipal, or CT-based tribal nation organizations that provide cultural, humanities, and arts-based projects and activities for the public (i.e., museums, historic houses, historical societies, arts organizations, cultural centers, and other organizations that offer activities like exhibitions, performances, arts classes, public programs, or walking tours).

To view the full list of grants awarded, visit cthumanities.org/ct-cultural-fund-operating-support-grants.

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