American Heritage Chocolate

Grant Application

Our grant application period for 2022 will open on August 29, 2022, applications will be accepted through October 29, 2022. The winners of the Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Heritage Chocolate Society, held on February 7-8, 2023 at a site located in Richmond, VA., to receive their award.

Our Purpose

At Mars, we believe that chocolate has played an intrinsic role in our collective global heritage and culture. The Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant brought to you by AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate was created to support institutions dedicated to revealing these stories, sharing them with the public, and preserving them for future generations. Launched in 2013, the Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant, named after the company’s owner and advocate of the history of the Americas, has a special emphasis on uncovering and sharing chocolate’s role in global history as well as its influence on heritage and culture.

Grant funds will be awarded for project(s) that investigate and/or educate on the history of chocolate and/or the chocolate making process. The scholarship process is competitive, and the awards will be made based on merit as judged by a panel of experts. Educational impact will be at the forefront of this decision process as will attention to equity, inclusion, and diversity in the proposal.

Eligibility

  • You must be a not-for-profit organization or Non-profit 501(c)(3)/individual researcher/an organization not operating primarily to make a profit.
  • You must be present at the meeting of the Heritage Chocolate Society (HCS) either in-person or digitally to receive your grant.
  • Grants must be executed prior to the following HCS meeting
  • Grant winners are required to present their results, either in-person or digitally, at the following HCS meeting.
  • All publications must be approved by Mars, Incorporated prior to being produced.

 

Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Research Grant brought to you by AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate
  • Primary focus of the proposal

  • Section 1 - Proposed Research Plan Description

  • Based upon your Grant-type, please make sure you include the following in your Description.

    Scholarship/Research
    • Qualifications and background of the project lead (please include CV, 5-pages max.)
    • Unique or relevant reason for the research (e.g., climate change, slavery, and cacao)
    • Where will the findings be presented and/or published?

    Educational/Entertainment Programming
    • Qualifications (resume or like document) and background of the project lead
    • Is this interactive living history, permanent or temporary display, new interpretation, programming directed at specific groups, etc.
    • Who is the audience?

    Culinary
    • Qualifications (resume or like document) or background of the project lead
    • Describe the research and it how it will uncover chocolate history stories.
    • What will be produced (living history, cookbooks, digital programming, papers, etc.)
  • Describe how the grant funds will be used to investigate and/or educate on the history of chocolate and/or the chocolate making process

  • Section 2 - Project Plan

    • Explain the steps you will take to deliver your plan including dates and milestone descriptions (e.g., Between May and July- conduct research).
    • What will you deliver at different intervals of the year? (e.g., in August, host virtual program on “X Day”).
    • Describe who will be involved in the project (research, development, implementation, etc.)

  • Section 3 - Project Goals

  • What and how will you create/produce/deliver your project?
    • Who will be involved? Existing staff, PT staff, outside agencies?
    • Have you received any necessary permissions, such as schools or local authorities?

    Number of people reached:
    • In-person attendance and digital reach (website monthly traffic, social media promotion reach). Provide the realistic number of people who will see/participate/use what you are proposing. How will you ensure inclusion, equity, and diversity of your audience?
    Short-term and Long-Term results
    • What impact(s) will the project achieve? Increased attendance, new learning, community service, academic programming?
    • Duration of program. For example: One- time experience, seasonal programming, long-term via digital library, etc.?

  • Section 4 - Budget

    • Provide a budget justification to describe that the amount requested is adequate to achieve the proposed outcome of the project.
    • Will there be any matching funds? If so, please provide a letter of intent from the source, the amount, and how it will be used?

    Detailed description of how requested funding will be used. Itemize each cost (e.g., part time staff at $25/ per hour for 50 hours = $1,250)
    • Salaries FT staff and or PT/ outside staff
      • Cost of existing full-time staff. Cost of part time staff.
      • External Contributors (Researchers, Educators, etc.)
      • Publication
    • What will be produced and at what cost
      • Interpretation
    • How many people, total hours, cost per hour, and total
      • Travel
    • Cost of mode of transportation, lodging, and meals.
      • Materials and Supplies
    • Ingredients, cookware, displays, costumes, advertisements, signage, rentals, samples, etc.

  • Winner Requirements

  • Winners are required to attend the annual meeting of the Heritage Chocolate Society in February 2022, in the Washington, DC area, to receive their award. In addition, winners will submit a mid-year progress report after the grant has been awarded, with a year-end report serving as a “summation” document to be presented at a subsequent Heritage Chocolate Society meeting in 2023 (Date TBA).

    Drafts of any publications (articles, news releases, blogs, etc.) resulting from the grant must be submitted to a Mars, Incorporated liaison for review prior to publication.

    For any publication resulting from the Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grant, the use of Mars trademarks, imagery, or reprint of a Mars publication must have written approval from a representative of Mars, Incorporated.
  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • Accepted file types: pdf, docx, Max. file size: 2 MB.
  • Accepted file types: pdf, jpg, png, Max. file size: 20 MB.