What Review Criteria Does the Foundation Use?

Grants are awarded in open competition on the basis of the following criteria:

Humanities Content
Are the issues, concepts, questions, or themes the project seeks to address clearly articulated? Does the project include diverse points of view or approaches to the issues being addressed? Are the humanities central to the project? Will the project advance the mission and purposes of the Foundation?

Plan of Work
Are the project's objectives clearly stated and achievable? Is the format workable and appropriate? Is the schedule realistic?

Audience
Does the applicant have a clear sense of the audience for the project? Will the project reach an audience not well served by humanities institutions? Are the topic, format, and schedule of the project appropriate for the intended audience? Does the proposal include an effective plan for attracting the intended audience? If the project involves film, video, or radio, does the applicant have a plan for distribution that includes post- or non-broadcast strategies?

Personnel
Are the scholars and other personnel involved well qualified for the roles they will play? Have the scholars been involved in planning the project?

Organizational Capacity and Need
Does the sponsoring organization have the capacity to implement the proposed project successfully? Is the project likely to happen without Foundation support?

Budget
Is the budget realistic in terms of the scale of the project and the anticipated results? Are the costs reasonable and justified? If additional funds are needed to complete the project, does the proposal include a realistic plan for securing them?