DC Oral History Collaborative Grants

Through the DC Oral History Collaborative, HumanitiesDC offers three grants to fund various types of oral history work. Grants support amateur, first-time oral historians as well as experienced practitioners. In addition to funding, grantees join the DC Oral History Collaborative and receive access to its resources and trainings.

The 2025 Oral History Interviewing and Beyond the Archives Requests for Proposals will become available December 10, 2024. The Continuing Oral History Projects RFP will be available in March 2025.

Oral HIstory INterviewing

Request for Proposals (RFP)
Application Questions

This grant opportunity funds community organizations and individuals to conduct oral history projects that are then formally archived in the DC Public Library. Grantees receive extensive training and guidance on how to conduct oral history interviews and the components necessary to archive them. We welcome applicants who have never conducted oral history interviews as well as those with experience! 

Read our Humanist Highlight about 2024 DC Oral History Collaborative grantee Necothia Bowens and her work to highlight DC rollerskating history through oral history interviews.

Grant Workshop: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, 12pm (virtual) – Register here
Watch the 2024 DC Oral History Collaborative Grant Workshop.
View the 2024 DC Oral History Collaborative Grant slide deck. 

Eligibility: DC-based Individuals, community groups, and nonprofit organizations who propose collection of new oral history interviews
Award Amount: Up to $8,000 (with additional funds available for translation of transcripts)
Application opens: December 10, 2024
Application submission deadline: February 18, 2025
Project May Begin: May 1, 2025
Project Must be Completed by: January 31, 2026

CONTINUING ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS

This grant opportunity funds the continuation of oral history projects funded by HumanitiesDC in 2024 or earlier.

Request for Proposal (RFP) – available March 4, 2025

Eligibility: DC-based Individuals, community groups, and nonprofit organizations
Award Amount: Up to $8,000 (with additional funds available for translation of transcripts)
Application opens: March 4, 2025
Application submission deadline: May 1, 2025

BEYOND THE ARCHIVES

Request for Proposals (RFP)
Application Questions

This grant opportunity funds community organizations and individuals to produce public humanities projects from existing oral history collections in any archive. Applicants must identify the archived oral histories in their application. Potential projects may include exhibitions, performances, listening stations, written research, film/video, curricula for K-12 and higher education, websites, and computer applications based on and directly using existing oral history collections. Selected grantees will work with staff from the DC Oral History Collaborative throughout their projects.  

Grant Workshop: Thursday, January 16, 2025, 12pm – Register here
Watch the 2024 Beyond the Archives Grant Workshop.
View the 2024 Beyond the Archives Grant slide deck.

Eligibility: DC-based Individuals, community groups, and nonprofit organizations
Award Amount: Up to $12,000
Application opens: December 10, 2024
Application submission deadline: February 18, 2025
Project May Begin: May 1, 2025
Project Must be Completed by: January 31, 2026