DeKALB — The DeKalb County History Center and the Hinckley Historical Society each received $5,000 in unrestricted grants from Illinois Humanities, a statewide nonprofit organization. 

The American Rescue Plan played an important role in the process of grant funding, supported by the State of Illinois General Assembly. As a result of the plan, Illinois Humanities awarded $250,000 in grants to small cultural organizations with budgets under $1 million, according to the DeKalb County History Center.

“This grant truly gave our organization a little more breathing room,” said Michelle Donahoe, executive director of the DeKalb County History Center. “While things are certainly better than they were during March of 2020, we have not fully recovered. This generous grant allows our organization to focus more on our mission-related work, versus struggling to find extra funds to meet our budget. We are very thankful to Illinois Humanities and the State of Illinois for their generosity.”

Bob Pritchard, president of the Hinckley Historical Society said, “When the Hinckley Historical Society museum reopens this fall after the expansion project, it will feature many new exhibits. The exhibits were made possible in part by a grant from Illinois Humanities with funds from the State of Illinois American Rescue Plan Act.”

Illinois Humanities has a long history of assisting with grants to DeKalb County cultural organizations. According to Illinois Humanities it “supports public humanities programming across the state and increases connection and collaboration among arts, cultural, and humanities organizations and the people who make the programs happen.” 

Examples of their work can be seen as part of local libraries and historical society’s Roads Scholar Speaker’s Bureau and Museum on Main Street exhibits.