Criteria for Oral History Grants

Organizations may apply for funding for oral history projects. Ideally, these projects will:

• Address a rare, vanishing, or otherwise threatened subject area or population

• Capture the memories of a significant person or group who is/are at risk of disappearing

• Focus on capturing memories related to a topic significant to Montana's history

• Focus on an individual or group that represents characteristics of a culture, organization, or community significant to Montana's history

• Identify the personnel who will conduct the interviews. For guidance on best practices on conducting oral histories, see guidelines on the Montana History Portal.

We Encourage Oral History Proposals to Include the Following:

• Provide a set of sample questions/material to be gathered

• Provide a sample of a written release that you will provide to interviewees so that the material collected may be shared and used by others

• Share details on how the material collected will be archived and made accessible through an entity such as the Montana History Portal

Some examples of eligible projects include:

• Interviews with elders and/or intergenerational interviews about ceremonies or experiences that are no longer commonly practiced

• Interviews with individuals who participated in a significant event in Montana history (a political convention, the signing of an agreement, etc.)

• Some past projects have included such topics as women in agriculture, the dramatic change of northeast Montana communities as a result of the Bakken oil boom, and the intertribal exchange of songs and ceremonies by Native elders

Oral History Podcast Projects

Oral history podcast projects may involve single programs, limited series, or segments within an ongoing series. Applicants must have clear central ideas and a solid command of the major historical scholarship on their subject. All podcast projects must include interviews with people who serve as primary sources. Like traditional oral history projects, a podcast oral history project proposal must include a sample waiver to be signed by the primary source interviewees. All projects should:

• Approach a subject analytically, presenting a variety of perspectives

• Deepen public understanding

• Involve appropriate media professionals

• Employ appealing and accessible program formats that will actively engage the general public in learning

• Include production and distribution timelines and work plans

• Include a distribution plan to reach broad public audiences

Applicants must provide a letter of support from Montana History Portal staff. Projects must also provide specific details on how the material collected will be archived and shared online using acceptable protocols through the Montana History Portal. Grant recipients are expected to provide The Foundation and the Montana History Portal with access to the final podcast project at the conclusion of the grant period.