To enrich lives and strengthen communities by connecting Missourians with the people, places, and ideas that shape our society.
Missouri Humanities Council’s recent grantmaking is built around humanities programming, with awards routinely set at $10,000 and a special grant round that can go up to $15,000. The council supports projects that collect, preserve, and share stories about Missouri communities, including veterans, cultural heritage, literacy, film, and public humanities themes. Several grants point to that mix. Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial in Perryville received $10,000 for humanities programming, while the Trail of Tears Association in Kansas City also received $10,000 for humanities programming. Other recent awards have gone to institutions such as the St Louis Public Library Foundation, the History Museum on the Square, and the Griot Museum, showing a pattern of support for museums, libraries, and heritage organizations across the state. The council also runs program models beyond standard project grants. Missouri Humanities Corps places AmeriCorps members at rural cultural heritage and tourism institutions to help with preservation, programming, marketing, digitization, and volunteer recruitment. Cultural Heritage Services adds workshops and one-on-one coaching for museums, historical societies, and heritage groups. Together, those programs show a funder that combines grant dollars with capacity-building support for Missouri-based humanities work.
Literacy is one of the council’s recurring program areas. It supports reading-focused work through Literacy Festivals & Programs Funding, and recent grants include $10,000 to St Louis Public Library Foundation for humanities programming. Veterans history and storytelling are another clear thread. The Veterans Initiatives Grants program supports projects that collect, preserve, and share veterans’ stories, and Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial in Perryville received $10,000 for humanities programming. Film and media projects also appear in the council’s grant menu. Its special grant round and mini grants both include film projects among eligible categories, and the council supports film projects with a humanities focus produced or presented in Missouri. Cultural heritage preservation is reinforced through direct grants and services. The Missouri Humanities Corps works with rural museums, archives, historical societies, and tourism organizations, while Cultural Heritage Services offers workshops and coaching across Missouri.
$508K
$7.7M
$5.9M
$3M
Most grants fall between $9K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
ASHLEY BEARD-FOSNOW
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Typical award size is tightly clustered: the 25th percentile is $9,275, and both the median and 75th percentile are $10,000. That matches a grantmaking pattern centered on standard project awards rather than wide variation in size. The council is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it funds organizations rather than individuals. Its active programs include open, unsolicited application pathways for mini grants, major grants, special grant rounds, veterans initiatives, film projects, literacy programs, and the Missouri Humanities Corps host-site process. Recent grants show repeat support across years, with several recipients appearing in multiple grant years.
Grant activity is concentrated entirely in Missouri, with 100% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients span the state, including Perryville, Sikeston, Joseph, Kansas City, Springfield, St. Louis, Columbia, Hermann, West Plains, and Malden. The geographic pattern matches a local funder with a statewide Missouri reach rather than an out-of-state portfolio.
Its programs cover humanities-related work, including veterans initiatives, literacy festivals and programs, film projects, public humanities themes, and cultural heritage preservation. It also supports capacity-building through Missouri Humanities Corps and Cultural Heritage Services.
The grant-size distribution is tightly centered at $10,000. The p25 is $9,275, the median is $10,000, and the p75 is $10,000.
Yes. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including Mini Grants, Major Grants, Special Grant Rounds, Veterans Initiatives Grants, Film Projects Funding, Literacy Festivals & Programs Funding, and Missouri Humanities Corps host-site applications.
Its giving is local, and 100% of grants in the data go to recipients in Missouri. The active programs listed are also Missouri-focused.
Recent recipients include Missouri's National Veterans Memorial, City of Sikeston, Pony Express Museum, Trail of Tears Association, St Louis Public Library Foundation, History Museum on the Square, and West Plains Council on the Arts.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| METRO THEATER COMPANY | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| FOR THE PEOPLE POW WOW COMMITTEE | COLUMBIA, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| HISTORY MUSEUM ON THE SQUARE | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| ST LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| WEST PLAINS COUNCIL ON THE ARTS | WEST PLAINS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| MISSOURI'S NATIONAL VETERANS MEMORIAL | PERRYVILLE, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| KATHRYN M BUDER CENTER FOR AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| HANNIBAL AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | HANNIBAL, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| EUGENE FIELD HOUSE FOUNDATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| OZARK VITALITY | FARMINGTON, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| THE GRIOT MUSEUM | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| HISTORIC BETHEL GERMAN COLONY INC | BETHEL, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| UMKC FOUNDATION | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| PIKE COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY | BOWLING GREEN, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| ST JOSEPH MUSEUM | ST JOSEPH, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| MATTIE RHODES CENTER | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| CHARLESTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND TOURISM | CHARLESTON, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| PONY EXPRESS MUSEUM | ST JOSEPH, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| GENE SLAY'S GIRLS & BOYS CLUB | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| TENNESSEE WILLIAMS ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| CHRISTIAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | OZARK, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| TRAIL OF TEARS ASSOCIATION | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| CITY OF SIKESTON | SIKESTON, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| GUADALUPE CENTERS INC | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| BOOTHEEL YOUTH MUSEUM | MALDEN, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| UNITED WE | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| KANSAS CITY GIRLS PREPARATORY ACADEMY | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| ST LOUIS MEDIA HISTORY FOUNDATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| UNICO NATIONAL-KANSAS CITY MENS CHAPTER | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| KANSAS CITY MUSEUM | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| FOR THE PEOPLE POW WOW COMMITTEE | COLUMBIA, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| DOGTOWN UNITED | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| THE GRIOT MUSEUM | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| SCOTT JOPLIN INT'L RAGTIME FOUNDATION | SEDALIA, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA AR | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| DEUTSCHHEIM VEREIN | HERMANN, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA AR | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| CHILDREN'S GROVE | COLUMBIA, MO | $9,994 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| AUDRAIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | MEXICO, MO | $9,960 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| AMERICAN INDIAN CENTER OF SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $9,907 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM | KANSAS CITY, MO | $9,684 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| MISSOURI COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES | STE GENEVIEVE, MO | $9,500 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | JACKSON, MO | $9,275 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| NO DIVIDED KC | KANSAS CITY, MO | $9,250 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| GATEWAY KOREA FOUNDATION | LOUIS, MO | $8,530 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| OPERA THEATRE OF ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $7,750 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS OF THE OZARKS PLATEAU | MANSFIELD, MO | $7,425 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDENS | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $7,000 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
| GOOD JOURNEY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $6,910 | 2025 | HUMANITIES PROGRAMS |
METRO THEATER COMPANY
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
FOR THE PEOPLE POW WOW COMMITTEE
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
HISTORY MUSEUM ON THE SQUARE
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
ST LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
WEST PLAINS COUNCIL ON THE ARTS
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
MISSOURI'S NATIONAL VETERANS MEMORIAL
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
KATHRYN M BUDER CENTER FOR AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
HANNIBAL AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
EUGENE FIELD HOUSE FOUNDATION
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
OZARK VITALITY
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
THE GRIOT MUSEUM
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
HISTORIC BETHEL GERMAN COLONY INC
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
UMKC FOUNDATION
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
PIKE COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
ST JOSEPH MUSEUM
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
MATTIE RHODES CENTER
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
CHARLESTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND TOURISM
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
PONY EXPRESS MUSEUM
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
GENE SLAY'S GIRLS & BOYS CLUB
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS ST LOUIS
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
CHRISTIAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
TRAIL OF TEARS ASSOCIATION
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
CITY OF SIKESTON
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
GUADALUPE CENTERS INC
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
BOOTHEEL YOUTH MUSEUM
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
UNITED WE
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
KANSAS CITY GIRLS PREPARATORY ACADEMY
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
ST LOUIS MEDIA HISTORY FOUNDATION
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
UNICO NATIONAL-KANSAS CITY MENS CHAPTER
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
KANSAS CITY MUSEUM
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
FOR THE PEOPLE POW WOW COMMITTEE
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
DOGTOWN UNITED
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
THE GRIOT MUSEUM
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
SCOTT JOPLIN INT'L RAGTIME FOUNDATION
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA AR
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
DEUTSCHHEIM VEREIN
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA AR
$10,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
CHILDREN'S GROVE
$9,994HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
AUDRAIN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$9,960HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
AMERICAN INDIAN CENTER OF SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI
$9,907HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM
$9,684HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
MISSOURI COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES
$9,500HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$9,275HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
NO DIVIDED KC
$9,250HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
GATEWAY KOREA FOUNDATION
$8,530HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
OPERA THEATRE OF ST LOUIS
$7,750HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS OF THE OZARKS PLATEAU
$7,425HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDENS
$7,000HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
GOOD JOURNEY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
$6,910HUMANITIES PROGRAMS
Current and upcoming funding from Missouri Humanities Council that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Projects must fit Missouri Humanities grant guidelines; preference is given to programs incorporating veterans initiatives, literacy festivals and programs, film projects, and Signature Series themes, though alignment is not required.
Deadline: Two cycles each year: first cycle opens January 1 and closes February 1 at 11:59pm; second cycle opens July 1 and closes August 1 at 11:59pm.
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