Matters of Religion Grant - Indiana Humanities

Matters of Religion Grants fund public programs that help Hoosiers to explore the role of religion in their lives and to engage with how religious liberty influences education, democracy, culture, and the breadth of human experience in our religiously vibrant and diverse state.

Application Deadline: Oct. 31, 2026; the grant will be offered again in 2027 with deadlines on Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, and Oct. 31

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Grant Details

Goals and Timeline

The goal of the Matters of Religion Grant is to support programs that use various formats and questions to engage with the Matters of Religion theme, which focuses on bringing Hoosiers together to consider important ideas such as why America’s founders valued freedom of conscience, how the meaning of religious liberty is negotiated and experienced by individuals and communities, and how being curious about the religious lives of others can animate our commitment to freedom and strengthen the civic fabric of our state. Programs may come in a variety of formats—reading-and-discussion programs, community conversations, media projects, speakers or panel presentations, exhibitions, oral-history projects, and more.

Application Deadline: Oct. 31, 2026; offered again in 2027 with deadlines on Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, and Oct. 31
Award: Up to $5,000
Notification: Approximately six weeks after the application deadline
Date Projects May Begin: Upon notification

Other Details

This grant requires a 50 percent match (cash and in-kind).
We will award Matters of Religion Grants quarterly over the next few years; proposals that are not funded during one application period may be revised and resubmitted for consideration in a subsequent one.
We expect to award approximately four or five grants per quarter.
Lilly Endowment Inc. provided funding for the Matters of Religion Grants.