NEH Challenge Grant

In fall 2012, UNT Libraries established the Cathy Nelson Hartman Portal to Texas History Endowment with a lead gift from Cathy Nelson Hartman, the founder of the Portal. The endowment will enable UNT to extend the impact of the Portal by creating a permanent, sustainable source of income. Funds derived from this endowment will serve as a catalyst for enhancing future technology development, acquisition and support; for adding collections and content to the Portal; and for educational, scholarly and research initiatives. In 2015, the UNT Libraries received a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant of $500,000. As part of UNT's commitment for the challenge grant, we will raise $1.5 million in non-federal funds. Any gift made to the Endowment after December 1, 2014, counts toward match for the NEH Challenge Grant – your gift could be the one that makes the difference!

The Challenge Grant will be transformative for the UNT University Libraries and for the 397 collaborative partners who extend their reach via the Portal. For years, many treasures of Texas history have been tucked into small, out-of-the-way libraries and museums—some in remote areas of the state—where access is limited to those historians who could travel to view these documents, and those schoolchildren and teachers who lived nearby. The Portal to Texas History now provides an unprecedented opportunity to research the state's magnificent historical and cultural heritage online, so this Challenge Grant also will support the efforts of the scholars, digital humanists, educators, and students who use and cite the data provided by the Portal.

The Portal to Texas History's current content includes more than 11.5 million pages of materials, with more being added every day. Please donate today to support this dynamic program, and help us reach our NEH Matching Grant Challenge Goal!