The 40th Award will be presented to deeply reported journalism that examines local governments, institutions or entities within Humboldt County that affect people in the lower 40 percent of the income scale. The 2025 award offers a first prize of $1,500 and up to two honorable mentions of $500 each. We encourage reporting that:

• Unveils deliberate or accidental failures in programs intended to help those with lower incomes;
• Exposes political or economic practices that harm or prey upon people with lower incomes;
• Goes beyond merely describing problems, and also examines ways other communities have resolved or improved similar situations.

To qualify, work must be aired, published (print or online) or broadcast during the calendar year 2024 on an outlet whose primary audience is within the geographic boundaries of Humboldt County, California. Any journalist, whether staff or freelance, may enter a maximum of three works annually, and work that was created as a multipart series may be submitted as one entry. Double byline or other collaborative pieces should be entered by all members of the team that created them, with the understanding that winners must divide among themselves any prize money. Prizes will be awarded to the journalist(s) who created the winning work, not to employers or commissioning institutions.

Questions? Contact journalism@inkpeople.org.

All entry materials must be received by January 31, 2025.

Nota: traducción al español a continuación. Desplazarse hacia abajo, por favor.

The Ink People Center for the Arts and the Humboldt Creative Alliance announce the availability of events grants for non-profit art and culture organizations with funding made possible from the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors. 

$5,000 grants for 10 different events will be awarded through this program. 

 This grant program is designed to support the expansion and flourishing of events that have at least two years of activity (not new events) and could attract both local visitors as well as attendees from outside of Humboldt County. 

Grants can be awarded to organizations putting on events between March 1 and November 3, 2025 including, but not limited to the following:

• A festival celebrating cultural heritage and/or richness
• A multi-day symposium, forum, or exhibition
• A festival celebrating or lifting up unique voices and perspectives, highlighting what is special about Humboldt County
• A festival that sparks joy and nourishes community connection

Application Requirements:

• The festival/event must have taken place for at least two years (this funding will not fund new festivals)
• The festival/event must be open to the general public
• The festival/event must appeal to people who live outside of Humboldt County and/or have the capacity to expand
• The festival/event must pay artists and/or culture bearers
• The festival/event must be produced by a non-profit organization or fiscally sponsored project
• The festival/event must improve the quality of life for Humboldt County residents and visitors

Applicants must live in Humboldt County and proposed projects must take place in Humboldt County. Members of historically under-resourced groups and residents of rural locations (Orick, Garberville, Willow Creek and surrounding areas, for example) are encouraged to apply!

*We will request that grant recipients attend at least one meeting with other recipients in order to network and exchange ideas with one another, nourishing collegial relationships amongst event producers. Awardees will also be requested to participate in a marketing workshop in order to support the event's expansion. Humboldt Creative Alliance will also help market the awarded festivals.

*We may be able to offer some marketing/network support to additional applicants, whether or not awarded, depending on the nature of the event.

Proposal assessment and funding decisions will be made by a committee comprised of community arts and culture leaders and members of the Humboldt Creative Alliance.

Successful applicants will be required to submit a report, photo(s) and a brief statement regarding their use of grant funds by November 20, 2025. Submissions deadline: February 20, 2025.

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El Ink People Center for the Arts y Humboldt Creative Alliance anuncian la disponibilidad de subvenciones para eventos para organizaciones de arte y cultura sin fines de lucro con financiación posible de la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Humboldt. 

A través de este programa se otorgarán subvenciones de $5,000 para 10 eventos diferentes.

Este programa de subvenciones está diseñado para apoyar la expansión y el florecimiento de eventos que tengan al menos dos años de actividad (no eventos nuevos) y que puedan atraer tanto a visitantes locales como a asistentes de fuera del condado de Humboldt. 

• Se pueden otorgar subvenciones a organizaciones que organicen eventos entre el 1 de marzo y el 31 de octubre de 2025, incluidos, entre otros, los siguientes:
• Un festival que celebra el patrimonio y/o la riqueza cultural.
• Un simposio, foro o exposición de varios días.
• Un festival que celebra o destaca voces y perspectivas únicas, destacando lo que tiene de especial el condado de Humboldt.
• Un festival que genera alegría y nutre la conexión comunitaria.

Requisitos de solicitud:

• El festival/evento debe haber tenido lugar durante al menos dos años (esta financiación no financiará nuevos festivales)
• El festival/evento debe estar abierto al público en general.
• El festival/evento debe atraer a personas que viven fuera del condado de Humboldt y/o tienen la capacidad de expandirse.
• El festival/evento debe pagar a los artistas y/o portadores de cultura.
• El festival/evento debe ser producido por una organización sin fines de lucro o un proyecto patrocinado fiscalmente.
• El festival/evento debe mejorar la calidad de vida de los residentes y visitantes del condado de Humboldt.

Los solicitantes deben vivir en el condado de Humboldt y los proyectos propuestos deben realizarse en el condado de Humboldt. ¡Se anima a presentar su solicitud a los miembros de grupos históricamente de escasos recursos y a los residentes de zonas rurales (Orick, Garberville, Willow Creek y sus alrededores, por ejemplo)!

*Solicitaremos que los beneficiarios de las subvenciones asistan al menos a una reunión con otros beneficiarios para establecer contactos e intercambiar ideas entre sí, fomentando relaciones colegiadas entre los productores de eventos. También se solicitará a los premiados que participen en un taller de marketing para apoyar la expansión del evento. Humboldt Creative Alliance también ayudará a comercializar los festivales premiados.

*Es posible que podamos ofrecer algún apoyo de marketing/red a solicitantes adicionales, ya sean premiados o no, según la naturaleza del evento.

La evaluación de propuestas y las decisiones de financiación serán tomadas por un comité compuesto por líderes comunitarios de arte y cultura y miembros de Humboldt Creative Alliance.

Los solicitantes seleccionados deberán enviar un informe, fotografías y una breve declaración sobre el uso de los fondos de la subvención antes del 20 de noviembre de 2025. Fecha límite de presentación: 20 de febrero de 2025.

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