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ACLS Sustaining Public Engagement Grant Program
Public engagementCommunity humanitiesSustained impact
Who can apply: Projects that demonstrate public engagement and sustained community partnerships; see program page for details.
About American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies supports the creation and circulation of knowledge that advances understanding of humanity and human endeavors in the past, present, and future, with a view toward improving human experience.
Focus Areas
humanitieshumanistic scholarshipfellowships and grantspublic engagementdoctoral training and career pathwaysdigital scholarship
Who They Fund
individual fellows/stipend recipients
Funding Style
fellowship/stipend fundingdirect individual supportprofessional development support
Topics
About American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies funds individual scholarship at scale, with its recent grants dominated by stipends and fellowships to universities and research organizations across the United States. In the latest grants list, the largest award went to United Negro College Fund Inc. for $1,008,000 in 2024, and the next tier includes major awards to the University of Chicago, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of California Los Angeles. That pattern points to a funder that uses fellowship support to move scholarly work through graduate training, dissertation stages, and faculty development rather than project-only grants. Their portfolio centers on the humanities and social sciences, with programs that include ACLS Fellowships, HBCU faculty fellowships, dissertation fellowships in Buddhist studies, public scholar awards related to Buddhism, digital justice grants, and travel grants in China studies. The foundation also supports graduate internships tied to spiritual infrastructure topics and collaborative work in China studies. Across these programs, the American Council of Learned Societies emphasizes direct support for scholars and stipend recipients, including individual fellows and participants in fellowship placements.
What American Council of Learned Societies Funds
Humanities scholarship is the clearest thread in the American Council of Learned Societies’ program work. Through ACLS Fellowships, they award $30,000–$60,000 for outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. The foundation also backs HBCU faculty through its ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowships, extending support into higher education and career pathways. Religion and Buddhist studies are another defined area. The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowships in Buddhist Studies support dissertation work, while the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholars program funds public scholar awards related to Buddhism. Digital justice is present through ACLS Digital Justice Grants, which include seed grants and development grants. The foundation also supports China studies through both Luce-ACLS Travel Grants in China Studies and the Luce/ACLS Program in China Studies.
How American Council of Learned Societies Gives
Recent grant sizes are concentrated in fellowship and stipend awards, with a typical range of $50,000 at the 25th percentile, a $76,000 median, and $141,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list shows repeated support to the same institutions across consecutive years, including awards in both 2023 and 2024 to the University of Chicago, Princeton University, Northwestern University, Dartmouth College, Emory University, and the University of Texas at Austin. That recurring pattern suggests an ongoing fellowship structure rather than isolated one-off gifts. The American Council of Learned Societies is a regular funder and does not make program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$16.2M
Total Assets
$185.7M
Total Revenue
$32.5M
Total Expenses
$34M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $50K and $141K, with a median of $76K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$76K
75th Percentile
$141K
Geographic Reach
National42 states funded
About 14% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
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