Heritage Support Grants

The objective of the Heritage Support Grants program is to advance the care of and access to history in Indiana, while increasing the capacity of organizations that carry out this work.

In order to apply for a project or mini grant, organizations must meet all the following criteria:

• Be incorporated in the State of Indiana as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation*
• Reflect history as a significant component of its mission and/or propose a project that is clearly history focused.** Priority will be given to Indiana history projects.
• Have an annual budget of less than $300,000

**A history-focused project should interpret, present or otherwise disseminate a historical narrative or information. Structures and landscapes will only be considered if they are primarily used to facilitate historical interpretation or house significant historical collections.

For more information, see the FAQs section on the Resources Page.

• Collections stewardship – Projects address the storage, management, and care for collections and associated documentation that are entrusted to the organization’s care. This includes historic objects, structures and landscapes as part of collections care. (NOTE: Structures and landscapes will only be considered if they are primarily used to facilitate historical interpretation or house significant historical collections.)
• Capacity Building – Projects focus on efforts to serve local communities by reaching out to new and existing audiences, building community collaborations, creating and expanding programming as well as increasing access to organizational services and activities. *Reviewers will expect to see evidence that you have consulted with representatives of the communities affected by the proposed project. For example, if the project includes developing school curricular materials, reviewers will look for information about collaborations with educators.
• Sustainability – These projects focus on identifying and accessing internal and external resources the organization needs to achieve goals for greater capacity and to take important next steps. Sustainability projects meet the needs of the present and help set the organization up for future success.
• Planning -Projects identify organizational objectives and assess organizational capacity.

For more information, see the FAQs section on the Resources Page.

Funding is awarded through Project Grants. Mini Grants, and Impact Grants.

Project Grants ($5,000 to $50,000)
Grant period: Sept. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026

• Summary of Proposal due April 30, 2025 (this deadline has passed)
• Full Proposal (upon approval of Summary of Proposal) due June 30, 2025

Mini Grants ($500 to $4,999)

• Mini Grant Cycle B – Applications due July 31, 2025
  (Grant period: Oct. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31, 2026)

Impact Grants ($50,000 to $100,000) – By Invitation Only
Grants from $50,000 to $100,000 are available to meet high-capacity needs. Applications for Impact Grants are by invitation only. For more information, contact your grant coach or email grants@indianahistory.org.

To start an application, see the complete guidelines and then apply through the online grant portal.

Please note: all applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the date due. Late applications will not be accepted.

For inquiries regarding Heritage Support Grants contact us at  grants@indianahistory.org or (317) 234-0170.