Arts and Humanities Touring Grants

The Arts and Humanities Touring Grants program is administered as a collaborative initiative between Michigan Humanities and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council, both of which are statewide entities dedicated to supporting cultural enrichment, public engagement, and access to arts and humanities programming. These organizations work to ensure that communities across Michigan, particularly those that may not otherwise have access to high-quality programming, can host events that promote cultural literacy, artistic expression, and civic dialogue. The Touring Grants program specifically focuses on enabling nonprofit organizations to bring artists, performers, exhibitors, and humanities presenters into their communities. The primary purpose of the program is to offset the costs associated with hosting touring presenters by covering a portion of their fees and travel expenses. Eligible organizations may request funding for up to 50 percent of a presenter’s fees and travel-related costs, with a maximum total grant award of 2500 dollars per application. Applicants are permitted to include up to four separate presenters or events within a single application, allowing for a broader programming schedule during the grant period. However, there is also a cap on how much any individual presenter can receive across the program cycle, with a maximum of 6000 dollars per presenter. Funding is intended to support accessible public programming, and therefore strict limitations are placed on event pricing and purpose. Events funded through this program must have a ticket price of 10 dollars or less, ensuring affordability and community access. Additionally, events that are structured as fundraisers for the applicant organization are explicitly ineligible for funding. These restrictions reinforce the program’s goal of public benefit rather than organizational revenue generation. Funds may only be used for presenter-related costs and cannot be diverted to unrelated operational expenses. Eligibility for the program is limited to nonprofit organizations located within the state of Michigan. Applicants must also comply with federal requirements by obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier, which is necessary to receive grant funds. The program operates within a defined funding period spanning April 1 through November 2026, during which supported events must take place. Applications are reviewed and processed on a rolling basis, meaning submissions are evaluated in the order they are received until all available funding has been allocated. The application process requires organizations to submit a request detailing the presenters, associated costs, and planned events. While specific application components are not exhaustively detailed, applicants are expected to provide sufficient information to justify the request and demonstrate alignment with program goals. Because funding is limited and distributed on a first come, first served basis, early submission is advantageous. There are no formal pre-application requirements such as letters of intent indicated in the program materials. Following the completion of funded events, grantees are required to submit a final report within 30 days. This report serves as a compliance and accountability mechanism, documenting how funds were used and the outcomes of the programming. Failure to submit the final report within the required timeframe results in forfeiture of awarded funds and disqualification from applying for additional funding for a period of one year. For questions or further guidance, applicants may contact James Nelson via email or phone, as provided by the administering organization.