Six IMLS Grant Opportunities Now Available to Support Museum Services

Applications Accepted Now Through November 15, 2022

WASHINGTON, DC—Museums and related organizations across the United States have six opportunities in the coming months to apply for grants from the nation’s primary source of federal funding for museum services. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for six grant programs:

• Museums for America
• Inspire! Grants for Small Museums
• Museums Empowered
• National Leadership Grants for Museums
• Museum Grants for African American History and Culture
• Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services

Applications for all six programs are due on November 15, 2022. Applicants should review the notices of funding opportunity carefully to understand each program’s specific goals and objectives, which reflect the agency’s focus on championing lifelong learning, strengthening community engagement, and advancing collections stewardship and access.

“IMLS funding supports exceptional programs aligned with lifelong learning, professional development, and community engagement,” said Laura Huerta Migus, Deputy Director of the Office of Museum Services. “Museums are increasingly adding community voices into their collections and archives to match the preservation of history and the presentation of knowledge and culture to the needs of individual communities. Each year the programs, activities, and partnerships IMLS funds increasingly demonstrate the expanded inclusivity and accessibility of museums.” 

Prospective grant applicants are invited to view webinars on how to choose the appropriate funding opportunity and to learn more about each grant program. Visit the IMLS website for a listing of on-demand webinars.

For questions or guidance, please contact the staff members listed on the grant program web pages.

Photo: Volunteer Bruce T. shares in the mysteries of clouds with two junior space explorers. (Photo courtesy of Chabot Space & Science Center)

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About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The goal of the African American Civil Rights grant program is to preserve and protect sites associated with the struggle for equality from the transatlantic slave trade forward. Additional funding will also be available to tell the civil rights story of all Americans through a separate notice of funding for fiscal year (FY) 2022 (see History of Equal Rights Notice of Funding Opportunity P22AS00644).

Who May Apply

• States and Territories
• Indian Tribes that meet the definition in 54 USC 300309 and Native Hawaiian Organizations that meet the definition in 54 USC 300314
• Local Governments, including Certified Local Governments
• Non-profit Organizations

What Is Funded

Pre-preservation and Preservation Projects

• Preservation projects must range from $75,000 to $750,000 in federal share, of which 20% may go toward pre-preservation costs such as architectural or engineering services. Grant applications that solely involve pre-preservation work must range from $15,000 to $75,000.
• Preservation projects fund physical preservation of historic sites to include historic districts, buildings, sites, structures, and objects. Projects must comply with laws, such as Section 106 and NEPA, and execute a preservation covenant/easement.
• Eligible costs: pre-preservation studies, architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, and the repair and rehabilitation of historic properties according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation.
• Properties must be listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or designated a National Historic Landmark either individually or as part of a district.

History Projects

• History grant projects must range from $15,000 to $75,000 in federal share.
• Eligible costs include survey, planning, and documentation of historic sites/events, creation of interpretive and educational materials around significant sites (including oral histories), and conservation of significant civil rights collections.
• Successful applications will emphasize innovative strategies, creative projects with measurable results, and include cross-generational engagement that promote and preserve the community’s civil rights resources. Projects should involve public-private partnerships and serve as models to communities nationwide. Your project must ft one of the categories listed below. If a project overlaps more than one category, select the dominant category.
  • Survey and Planning
  • Interpretation and Education
  • Research and Documentation
  • Collections Conservation

Process and Deadlines

This program is administered by the National Park Service. Congress has appropriated $21,750,000 for this grant program in Fiscal Year 2022. Applications are due November 8, 2022. All applications must be made through Grants.gov. No paper applications will be accepted. Registration in Grants.gov, SAM.gov, and other federal systems can take up to four weeks, so please start early. To be notified when the opportunity opens, please go to Grants.gov and subscribe to a saved search for CFDA 15.904.

Now Accepting Applications

Underrepresented Community (URC) Grant Program

History of Equal Rights (HER) Grant Program

FY2022 Funding Opportunities Coming Soon...

Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program

The Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for our FY22 programs are anticipated spring through fall 2022. We recommend applicants set up a saved search on Grants.gov for CFDA 15.929 for Save America's Treasures and 15.932 for Historically Black Colleges & Universities and 15.904 for all other programs to be notified when the opportunity becomes available. Here are instructions on setting up a saved search on Grants.gov Subscribe to Saved Searches (grants.gov)

The application period is typically 90 days. Therefore, the deadline to apply will be 90 days after the NOFO is posted to Grants.gov. Because the window to apply for funding is limited, we encourage applicants to plan well ahead of the deadline. Information on applying to all our programs is available through our website year-round: State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division (nps.gov)

State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants

History of Equal Rights Grants Program FY22 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Applications due September 13, 2022

LeMoyne House – designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service - Southern façade perspective. Photo Credit: Photographer Unknown.

The State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division is now accepting applications for the History of Equal Rights (HER) grant program. Before applying, please make sure that you have read and understand the limitations of each funding program and have carefully reviewed the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The Notice of Funding Opportunity contains all the information you will need to create a successful application.

Congress has appropriated $4.625 million for the HER program. Grant projects fund physical preservation or pre-preservation of sites associated with efforts to achieve equal rights. The History of Equal Rights grants are not limited to any specific group and are intended to include the broadest possible interpretation of equal rights for any American.

What is Funded:

• Preservation projects must range from $75,000 to $750,000 in federal share, of which 20% may go toward pre-preservation costs such as architectural or engineering services. Grant applications that solely involve pre-preservation work must range from $15,000 to $75,000.
• Preservation projects fund physical preservation of a historic site to include historic districts, buildings, sites, structures, and objects. Projects must comply with relevant laws, such as Section 106 and NEPA, and execute a preservation covenant/easement.
• Eligible costs: pre-preservation studies, architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, and the repair and rehabilitation of historic properties according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation.
• Properties must be listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or designated a National Historic Landmark either individually or as part of a district. Significance must be associated with equal rights. Projects that are not listed on the National Register or are not listed in association with equal rights must include a nomination or amendment to an existing nomination as part of their project.

What is not Funded:

• Construction of new buildings
• Acquisition of collections or historic sites
• Conservation of collections
• Long-term maintenance or curatorial work beyond the grant period
• Reconstructing historic properties (recreating all or a significant portion that no longer exists or was removed)
• Moving or work on moved historic properties that are no longer eligible for listing in the NRHP
• Cash reserves, endowments, revolving funds, or fund-raising costs
• Work performed prior to announcement of award
• Lobbying or advocacy activities
• Costs for work already completed or funded through other federal programs
• Administrative costs may not be over 25% of project budget
• Miscellaneous costs, contingencies, reserves, and overhead

Applications are due September 13, 2022.

Go.nps.gov/her

Grant Programs Accepting Applications

Underrepresented Communities (URC) Grant Program

The goal of the Underrepresented Community grant program is to support the survey, inventory, and designation of historic properties that are associated with communities currently underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places and among National Historic Landmarks. Application Deadline is August 10, 2022 The URC grant opportunity number is P22AS00294.

FY2022 Funding Opportunities Coming Soon... 

African American Civil Rights (AACR) Grant Program

The goal of the African American Civil Rights grant program is to preserve and protect sites associated with the struggle for equality from the transatlantic slave trade forward. Additional funding will also be available to tell the civil rights story of all Americans through a separate notice of funding for fiscal year (FY) 2022. Opening Summer 2022  CFDA 15.904

Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization (Rural) Grant Program

The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program, named in honor of the late preservation leader from Vermont, fosters economic development in rural communities through the rehabilitation of historic buildings in those communities. The program provides recipients (referred to as prime grantees) with a single grant that is then regranted in smaller amounts to individual projects (subgrants).  Opening Fall 2022 CFDA 15.904

The Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for our FY22 programs are anticipated spring through fall 2022. We recommend applicants set up a saved search on Grants.gov for CFDA 15.929 for Save America's Treasures and 15.932 for Historically Black Colleges & Universities and 15.904 for all other programs to be notified when the opportunity becomes available. Here are instructions on setting up a saved search on Grants.gov Subscribe to Saved Searches (grants.gov)

The application period is typically 90 days. Therefore, the deadline to apply will be 90 days after the NOFO is posted to Grants.gov. Because the window to apply for funding is limited, we encourage applicants to plan well ahead of the deadline. Information on applying to all our programs is available through our website year-round: State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division (nps.gov)

State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants 

State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants (STLPG) Division of the National Park Service manages 11 competitive and formula grant programs funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). Our grant programs assist with a variety of historic preservation projects through partnerships with State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, local communities, and preservation organizations across the United States and her territories.