Applications are now being accepted for the Intercultural Harmony Initiative.
Donor Name: Laura Jane Musser Fund
State: Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, North Carolina, Wyoming
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/12/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Laura Jane Musser Fund would like to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between groups and citizens of different cultural backgrounds within defined geographical areas through collaborative, cross-cultural exchange projects. Projects must be intercultural and demonstrate intercultural exchange, rather than focused on just one culture.
Priority is placed on projects that
- Include members of various cultural communities working together on projects with common goals
- Build positive relationships across cultural lines
- Engender intercultural harmony, tolerance, understanding, and respect
- Enhance intercultural communication, rather than cultural isolation, while at the same time honoring the unique qualities of each culture
Projects must demonstrate
- Need in the community for the intercultural exchange project
- Grassroots endorsement by participants across cultural lines, as well as their active participation in planning and implementation of the project
- The ability of the organization to address the challenges of working across the cultural barriers identified by the project
- Tangible benefits in the larger community
Funds will be available for
- Planning (up to $5,000) These funds may support costs like: consultant or staff time, meeting costs, mailings, secretarial support, refreshments, local travel, childcare, etc.
- NOTE: This stage is optional and not a required phase prior to applying for or receiving an implementation grant. If an organization receives a planning grant from the Musser Fund, this in no way implies a commitment on the part of the Musser Fund to provide the organization with any subsequent implementation grant. But organizations that receive a planning grant may apply for subsequent implementation support after their planning activities are completed.
- Implementation (Up to $25,000) These funds are available to implement collaborative cross-cultural exchange projects. The projects should result in a tangible outcome within at least the first 18 months.
- Projects will be eligible for either planning or implementation funds during any one grant period
Projects eligible for support
Intercultural Harmony projects can be carried out in a number of areas, including (but not limited to): Community service, youth activities, the arts
What the program will cover
The planning or implementation phase of a project
Outcomes should include
- A demonstration of intercultural exchange between cultures
- Increased comfort in interaction between the groups and individual citizens addressed by the project
- Harmonious shared use of public space and
Limits of Geography
- Only programs in Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wyoming, and limited counties in North Carolina may apply.
- Eligible counties in North Carolina are located in the Mountains Region: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations (organizations with fiscal sponsors are not eligible)
- Local units of Government
For more information, visit Laura Jane Musser Fund.
