September 17 — DANVILLE – Illinois Humanities awarded grants of $ 5,000 each to the Georgetown and Sidell Libraries in Vermilion County, as well as to the Vermilion Heritage Foundation, which oversees the Fischer Theater in Danville.

As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to devastate communities across the state, Illinois Humanities is awarding its largest grant pool in the organization’s history for pandemic relief and recovery: 1, $ 4 million to 254 organizations in 72 counties.

These awards support public humanities organizations in communities whose residents have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, and who are often bypassed by traditional funding sources due to their size, organizational capacity or geographic location. .

This round of grants – which combines National Endowment for the Humanities funding received through the American Rescue Plan Act with private donations – builds on lessons learned during 2020 to fund relief efforts.

“These grants support the people, places and spaces that document, preserve and share the histories, cultures, languages, histories, religions, philosophies and literature of our state; during the pandemic, they have been on the front lines to strengthen the good of their communities. We are honored to be able to help them face and recover from the pandemic, ”said Gabrielle Lyon, executive director of Illinois Humanities, in a press release.

Two hundred and ten organizations – with budgets of less than $ 2 million – received general operating grants. Humanities organizations – which include history, cultural and ethnic centers, literature and literacy organizations, community media platforms, humanities museums, libraries and archives – play a vital role in documenting and building the resilience of their communities by producing oral histories, preserving local archives, creating historical walking virtual tours, producing documentary films and designing curricula.

“With so many cultural and educational institutions in our country reeling from the economic fallout from the pandemic, NEH’s partners from states and humanities jurisdictions are on the front line of the crisis, adapting and responding to urgent needs. within their states and communities to strengthen the humanities organizations that enrich the lives of so many citizens, ”said Adam Wolfson, Acting President of the NEH. “NEH is grateful to Illinois Humanities for their help in quickly distributing US bailout relief funds to where they are needed most. With the guidance of the board, Illinois libraries, museums, cultural centers, and history and literature organizations will be able to continue to serve and support communities across the state to recover from the pandemic. “

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a state-wide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and opportunities. educational programs that promote reflection, spark conversation, create community and strengthen civic engagement. It offers free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, especially for communities of color, low-income people, rural counties and towns, small arts and culture organizations, and communities. heavily affected by mass incarceration. Founded in 1974, Illinois Humanities is supported by state, federal and private funds.