Maryland Humanities Awards $50,000 in General Operating Grants to Cultural Organizations Through New Program

December 2, 2022

A logo. Text says “Application now open” above a large text graphic that says “Maryland Humanities Shine,” with “Shine” in all-capital letters. Another row of regular text says “Strengthening the Humanities Investment in Nonprofits for Equity.” The dot for the i in “Shine” looks like a sparkle and the n looks like a rainbow with a dark blue a lighter blue, and a bright green. At the bottom, on a dark blue strip, text says "SHINE grant recipients represent 20 Maryland counties and Baltimore City." (Baltimore) – Maryland Humanities announces a total of $500,000 in general operating funding for 50 Maryland nonprofit organizations ($10,000 per organization).   Recipients of a grant from the organization’s SHINE (Strengthening the Humanities Investment in Nonprofits for Equity) Program include museums, historic sites, preservation & historical societies, and community & cultural organizations.

General operating expenses include salaries, rent, utilities, supplies, equipment, programs, and other expenses. They are located in 20 Maryland counties, as well as Baltimore City. These grants provide full flexibility to nonprofits, allowing them to determine where funds are most needed.

 “With the SHINE Grants, we’re aiming to lower barriers and provide funding in a more equitable way to organizations statewide,” says Lindsey Baker, Executive Director at Maryland Humanities. “Reporting from Grantmaking for Effective Organizations found that general operating support enables ‘nonprofits to build a strong and sustainable infrastructure to provide programs and services that will have the greatest impact.’ We’re looking forward to help push the field forward in this direction.”

Keith Stone, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors and Grants Committee Chair at Maryland Humanities, says, “While we’re no longer providing program-specific support like we have through prior grant programs, we believe that the shift to general operating support will allow Maryland Humanities to build deeper, stronger relationships with our partners, each of which will focus on providing quality humanities programming to Marylanders.”

“We are thrilled to be able to provide financial support for nonprofits who embrace humanities throughout Maryland,” says Mary Hastler, Maryland Humanities Board Chair. “Their role in ensuring that all Maryland residents have the opportunity to learn and grow in the humanities and operating support provides a fundamental framework for this to take place.”

These grants are funded by the State of Maryland via the Maryland Historical Trust.  See the full list of grantees and learn more about our SHINE Grants here.    

Press Release