• Many humanities programs are funded by endowment grants.philosophie image by Ewe Degiampietro from Fotolia.com
  
  Endowment grants are bestowed to provide economic sustenance for programs the grant-issuing organization deems worthy. Endowment grants are famously known for funding arts and humanities programs, but they also reach into the education, religion, health care, and countless other sectors. Individuals or organizations seeking applying for an endowment grant are advised to be very careful with their grant proposals, as most endowment funds receive large volumes of proposals every year.
  
  

National Endowment for the Humanities

• The National Endowment for the Humanities is a government-run organization that offers grants for one-time costs related to humanities that demonstrate long-term benefits. Called "Challenge Grants", the grants support everything from research fellowships to acquisitions for collections, and grants as large as $1 million have been awarded. All U.S. non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for Challenge Grants.
  
  National Endowment for the Humanities
  1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC 20506
  202-606-8400
  http://www.neh.gov/
  
  

National Endowment for the Arts

• The National Endowment for the Arts offers grant opportunities to organizations and individuals interested in developing the nation's arts programs and artistic communities. Organizations are most commonly bestowed with grants, however individuals can apply for literature, jazz and heritage fellowships, opera honors grants, and folk or traditional arts grants. Grants can range up to $250,000.
  
  National Endowment for the Arts
  1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
  Washington, DC 20506
  202-682-5400
  http://arts.gov/
  
  

Lilly Endowment, Inc.

• Begun by an Indianapolis father and two of his sons, Lilly Endowment is a private philanthropic organization that offers grants to charitable organizations focused on religion, education, and community. Preliminary grant inquiries should be made in writing, and the letter should be no longer than two pages. Every year, Lilly Endowment bestows millions of dollars in grants to organizations all over the country.
  
  Lilly Endowment Inc.
  2801 N. Meridian St.
  Indianapolis, IN 46208
  317-924-5471
  http://lillyendowment.org/