Delaware Humanities strengthens our communities by connecting Delawareans through our shared human experiences.
Delaware Humanities Council’s grantmaking is built around Delaware-specific humanities work: public programming, history, literature, civic engagement, cultural heritage, literacy, and museum and exhibit programs. The council has also used its platform to support recovery and renewal categories tied to pandemic-era relief, including awards under Recover, Renew, and ARP-related funding. Recent grants show that this mix reaches both statewide institutions and local community projects. A $50,000 program-support grant to the History Book Festival in Lewes points to its interest in public-facing literary and humanities events. In the same period, Delaware Humanities Council also awarded $25,133 to the Delaware Historical Society, showing ongoing support for preservation and interpretation of Delaware history. Other recent awards include $38,300 to the University of Delaware and $38,000 to The Choir School of Delaware, indicating that the council funds both higher-education partners and cultural organizations. Its recurring portfolio includes museums, historical societies, media organizations, and community groups, all within Delaware.
History and public interpretation are a clear theme in the council’s recent grants. It gave $25,133 to the Delaware Historical Society and $23,000 to Greater Harrington Historical Society for program support, alongside $20,000 to New Castle Historical Society and $20,000 to Historic Georgetown Association. Literacy and public humanities programming also appear frequently. A $50,000 grant to the History Book Festival in Lewes supported a literary event, and the council awarded $20,000 to Rehoboth Beach Public Library. The portfolio includes media and arts organizations as well. Delaware Public Media received $20,000, Mddc Press Foundation received $20,000, and The Delaware Contemporary received $20,000, showing support for institutions that produce, present, or interpret humanities content for Delaware audiences.
Typical grants cluster tightly around the low- to mid-$20,000 range: the 25th percentile is $13,000, the median is $19,246, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. Awards also extend above that band for larger program support, including several $50,000 grants in the recent record. The council is a regular funder and a local one, with all documented grants going to U.S. recipients in Delaware. The site describes both unsolicited, request-to-apply pathways and more structured grant categories, including Action/Innovation and recovery-related programs. The recent list shows repeated support for some organizations across years, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than only one-time awards.
$160K
$1.3M
$940K
$1M
Most grants fall between $13K and $20K, with a median of $19K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$19K
75th Percentile
$20K
MICHELE ANSTINE
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Delaware Humanities Council gives entirely within Delaware, and all documented grants in the recent data went to U.S. recipients. Lewes appears as a grant destination through the History Book Festival, while Harrington appears through Greater Harrington Historical Society. Other recipient locations visible in the list include Wilmington, Rehoboth Beach, New Castle, Georgetown, and Lewes. The county- or city-level spread suggests a statewide pattern focused on community-based humanities organizations rather than a single metro area.
Its stated focus areas include humanities, history, literature, civic engagement, cultural heritage, public programming, literacy and family reading, and museum and exhibit programs. Recent awards also show support for public history, literary events, media, and cultural organizations such as the History Book Festival, Delaware Historical Society, Delaware Public Media, and The Delaware Contemporary.
The typical award sits near $20,000. The 25th percentile is $13,000, the median is $19,246, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. The recent record also includes grants above that range, including multiple $50,000 awards.
Yes. The Action/Innovation Subaward is described as accepting unsolicited requests, and the Delaware Humanities general grantmaking pages also indicate unsolicited applications for some project-grant categories. The council also uses a Request to Apply step for Action/Innovation awards.
No. The geographic scope is local, the top state by grant count is Delaware, and 100% of the documented grants in the recent data went to recipients in Delaware.
Yes. The recent record includes repeated awards to organizations such as Greater Lewes Foundation and One Village Alliance across different years, and the grantmaking pages reference ongoing categories like Recover, Renew, and Action/Innovation rather than a single one-time program.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Delaware Humanities Council that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations in Delaware that serve public or school audiences; speaker programs must be free and open to the public and serve residents of Delaware. Host organizations submit a request through Foundant.
Deadline: Requests must be received at least four weeks before the intended date of the program.
Who can apply: Libraries and other organizations with ties to library programs that can host a six-week Prime Time Family Reading program.
Deadline: Spring and fall programs; new team members must attend training in January for spring or July for fall.
Who can apply: All not-for-profit organizations in Delaware are encouraged to apply for humanities-based projects and programs. A Request to Apply (RTA) is required first.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic Free Delaware | Wilmington, DE | $18,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Berkana Center for Media and Education Inc | Wilmington, DE | $18,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| History Book Festival | LEWES, DE | $18,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Local Journalism Initiative of Delaware | Wilmington, DE | $18,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Delaware Public Archives | Dover, DE | $18,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation | Wilmington, DE | $18,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Network Delaware | Wilmington, DE | $16,200 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Neighborhood House Inc | Wilmington, DE | $12,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Department of Human Resources | Dover, DE | $10,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| Southern Delaware Alliance For Racial Justice | Lewes, DE | $9,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| DSPA Hale Byrnes House | Newark, DE | $5,100 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| HISTORY BOOK FESTIVAL | LEWES, DE | $50,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GREATER LEWES FOUNDATION | — | $26,000 | 2024 | — |
| DELAWARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | — | $25,133 | 2024 | — |
| GREATER HARRINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY | HARRINGTON, DE | $23,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| DELAWARE ART MUSEUM | — | $22,591 | 2024 | — |
| ONE VILLAGE ALLIANCE | — | $22,000 | 2024 | — |
| REHOBOTH BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY | — | $20,000 | 2024 | — |
| DELAWARE AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM AND VI | — | $20,000 | 2024 | — |
| UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE WMN LEAD | — | $20,000 | 2024 | — |
| WILMINGTON & WESTERN RAILROAD | — | $20,000 | 2024 | — |
| GREATER HARRINGTON HISTORICAL | — | $20,000 | 2024 | — |
| OCEAN VIEW HISTORICAL SOCIETY | — | $19,050 | 2024 | — |
| DELAWARE PUBLIC MEDIA | DOVER, DE | $18,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| BERKANA CENTER FOR MEDIA AND EDUCATION INC | WILMINGTON, DE | $17,500 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CORNERSTONE WEST CDC | WILMINGTON, DE | $17,200 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ACLU OF DELAWARE | WILMINGTON, DE | $14,375 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY | — | $14,250 | 2024 | — |
| UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE | — | $14,000 | 2024 | — |
| SELBYVILLE PUBLIC LIB | — | $13,995 | 2024 | — |
| LEWES PUBLIC LIB | — | $13,500 | 2024 | — |
| MDDC PRESS FOUNDATION | — | $13,500 | 2024 | — |
| DELAWARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | WILMINGTON, DE | $13,200 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| YORKLYN STORYTELLING FESTIVAL | — | $13,000 | 2024 | — |
| UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE - MUSEUM STUDIES | NEWARK, DE | $10,400 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF COOCH'S BRIDGE HISTORIC SITE | MONTCHANIN, DE | $10,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NETWORK DELAWARE | WILMINGTON, DE | $10,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF DELAWARE | WILMINGTON, DE | $10,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| DELAWARE PUBLIC MEDIA | — | $9,000 | 2024 | — |
| ELEUTHERIAN MILLS-HAGLEY FOUNDATION | — | $8,500 | 2024 | — |
| UNRECONCILED DIFFERENCE | — | $6,899 | 2024 | — |
| LEWES PUBLIC LIBRARY | LEWES, DE | $5,800 | 2024 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| OTHER MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS | — | $50,751 | 2023 | — |
| THE GREATER LEWES FOUNDATION | — | $50,000 | 2023 | — |
| UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE | — | $38,300 | 2023 | — |
| THE CHOIR SCHOOL OF DELAWARE | — | $38,000 | 2023 | — |
| ONE VILLAGE ALLIANCE | — | $32,000 | 2023 | — |
| BERKANA CENTER FOR MEDIA AND EDUCAT | — | $24,917 | 2023 | — |
| GREATER HARRINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIE | — | $20,625 | 2023 | — |
| DELAWARE PUBLIC MEDIA | — | $20,000 | 2023 | — |
Plastic Free Delaware
$18,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
Berkana Center for Media and Education Inc
$18,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
History Book Festival
$18,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
Delaware Public Archives
$18,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
Network Delaware
$16,200PROGRAM SUPPORT
Department of Human Resources
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
Southern Delaware Alliance For Racial Justice
$9,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
DSPA Hale Byrnes House
$5,100PROGRAM SUPPORT
HISTORY BOOK FESTIVAL
$50,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
DELAWARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$25,133GREATER HARRINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$23,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
ONE VILLAGE ALLIANCE
$22,000REHOBOTH BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY
$20,000DELAWARE AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM AND VI
$20,000WILMINGTON & WESTERN RAILROAD
$20,000GREATER HARRINGTON HISTORICAL
$20,000OCEAN VIEW HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$19,050DELAWARE PUBLIC MEDIA
$18,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
BERKANA CENTER FOR MEDIA AND EDUCATION INC
$17,500PROGRAM SUPPORT
CORNERSTONE WEST CDC
$17,200PROGRAM SUPPORT
ACLU OF DELAWARE
$14,375PROGRAM SUPPORT
SELBYVILLE PUBLIC LIB
$13,995LEWES PUBLIC LIB
$13,500MDDC PRESS FOUNDATION
$13,500DELAWARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$13,200PROGRAM SUPPORT
YORKLYN STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
$13,000FRIENDS OF COOCH'S BRIDGE HISTORIC SITE
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
NETWORK DELAWARE
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF DELAWARE
$10,000PROGRAM SUPPORT
DELAWARE PUBLIC MEDIA
$9,000UNRECONCILED DIFFERENCE
$6,899LEWES PUBLIC LIBRARY
$5,800PROGRAM SUPPORT
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS
$50,751THE CHOIR SCHOOL OF DELAWARE
$38,000ONE VILLAGE ALLIANCE
$32,000BERKANA CENTER FOR MEDIA AND EDUCAT
$24,917GREATER HARRINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIE
$20,625DELAWARE PUBLIC MEDIA
$20,000