IRS Filing Deadline Coming Up
If your organization's fiscal year ended in June, your annual filing to the IRS is due November 15th unless you file an extension. Almost all tax exempt organizations, even very small ones, must complete one of the 990 series filings, or risk jeopardizing their tax-exempt status. While you're preparing for your 990 filing, be sure to look into whether you qualify for the Small Employer Health Care Tax Credit and should be filing Form 990-T.
Nomenclature Task Force Needs Your Input
Since its inception in 1978 many museum professionals have come to use Chenhall's Nomenclature to categorize and organize our museum collections. Now in its third edition, the Nomenclature Task Force of AASLH is preparing to undertake a project to release Nomenclature 4.0. You are invited to recommend new terms, alternative categories for objects, and new definitions of objects; please visit http://community.aaslh.org/nomenclature-submissions/. All suggestions are welcome; be assured that every recommendation received is given consideration.
Museums for America
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Museums for America (MFA) program supports projects that strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its public. MFA grants support activities that strengthen museums as active resources for lifelong learning, as important institutions in the establishment of livable communities, and as good stewards of the nation's collections. MFA grants can fund both new and ongoing museum activities and programs. Deadline is December 1, 2014.
National Leadership Grants
IMLS National Leadership Grants for Museums support projects that address critical needs of the museum field and that have the potential to advance practice in the profession so that museums can improve services for the American public. Successful proposals will generate results such as models, new tools, research findings, services, practices, and/or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend and leverage the benefits of federal investment. Deadline is December 1, 2014.
Sparks! Ignition Grants
The Sparks! Ignition Grants for Museums program is a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership Grants for Museums program, which supports projects that address problems, challenges, or needs of broad relevance to museums. These small grants encourage museums to prototype and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide resulting in new tools, products, services, or organizational practices. Deadline is December 1, 2014.
Museum Assessment Program
The Museum Assessment Program (MAP) helps small and mid-sized museums strengthen operations, plan for the future and meet national standards through self-study and a site visit from a peer reviewer. IMLS-funded MAP grants are non-competitive and provide $4,000 of consultative resources and services to participating museums. Each assessment can be completed in less than a year. Applications are accepted twice per year; next deadline is December 1.
Our Town Grants
Through Our Town, the National Endowment for the Arts will provide a limited number of grants, ranging from $25,000 to $200,000, for creative placemaking projects that contribute toward the livability of communities and help transform them into lively, beautiful, and sustainable places with the arts at their core. Our Town prioritizes partnerships between arts organizations and government, private, and nonprofit organizations to achieve livability goals for communities. The application deadline is December 15, 2014; for more information click here.
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Grants
The National Endowment for the Humanities' Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Grant program helps cultural institutions meet the complex challenge of preserving large and diverse holdings of humanities materials for future generations by supporting preventive conservation measures that mitigate deterioration and prolong the useful life of collections. The application deadline is December 3. For more information, click here.
Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations Grants
The National Endowment for the Humanities' Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations Grants provide support for organizations that produce public programs in the humanities, including exhibitions, interpretations of historic places, sites or regions, book/film discussion programs, living history presentations, and other face-to-face programs at public venues. Planning grants support the early stages of project development, and implementation grants support final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public. Next deadline is January 15. More information available here.
National Historical Publications and Records Commission Grants
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives supports projects that promote access to America's historical records to encourage understanding of our democracy, history, and culture. Numerous grant opportunities are available to support preservation, access, digitization, and engagement with historical records. Application deadline is December 4. Complete details here.
Google Ad Grants
Google Ad Grants offers eligible non-profit organizations up to $10,000 per month in in-kind AdWords™ advertising to promote their missions and initiatives on Google.com. You create advertisement and key word searches that relate your nonprofit, services, and organization as a whole, and when people use Google to search for related offerings online, your ad may appear next to the search results. When people click the ad, they will be directed to your website. For full program details, click here.
Conservation Assessment Program Grants
Through the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP), professional conservators identify conservation priorities regarding your museum's collection, environmental conditions, and site. The resulting report can help museums develop strategies for improving collections care and provide a tool for long-range planning and fund-raising. The 2015 application will be available October 1 and the application deadline is December 1. Click here for more information.
Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund
The Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund was established by the State of Connecticut to stimulate the development of private sector funding and help stabilize arts institutions. Connecticut non-profit arts organizations which have received a minimum of $25,000 in contributions in each of the last two years from non-governmental sources are eligible. Organizations may use funds for capital projects, operations, programming or to build their own endowments. Application deadline is December 15.
Maine Arts and Humanities Grants
The Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Humanities Council collaborate to provide Arts and Humanities grants that support projects and public programs that include or combine both arts and humanities disciplines. Grants of up to $1,000 are awarded with a required 1:1 in-kind and/or cash match. Next deadline is November 14. For more information, click here.
UP initiative
The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) is putting inclusive design at the center of its work with cultural organizations across the Commonwealth with the announcement of its new initiative: UP. If your organization would like to participate, the application deadline is Friday, November 7. There are two ways to participate: Apply for the UP Designation or Apply to participate in the Innovation and Learning Network. UP participants will also be eligible for an UP Award, which includes a monetary prize. Learn more about UP and apply online. If you were not able to attend an info session, you can view the UP Info Session Webinar or contact MCC Staff with questions.
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Community Grants
The NH Charitable Foundation's Community Grants program is designed to strategically advance an organization by providing operating support, funding for innovation to increase impact, reduce costs, and/or increase efficiency and support for capacity-building activities or moment-in-time projects. The next application deadline for Express Grants ($5,000 or less) is October 10. Click here for details.
New Hampshire Humanities Council Community Project Grants
New Hampshire Humanities Council is awarding two types of Community Project Grants in 2014. Quick Grants offer up to $1000 to support simple, single-event or short-series projects; the next application deadline is November 12. Quarterly Grants of up to $10,000 enable organizations to design and carry out larger projects that attract diverse audiences, engage minds, and stimulate meaningful community dialogue; the next mandatory letter of interest is due October 1.
Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund
The Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund supports nonprofit organizations and community groups working in the areas of economic development, conservation and sustainable forestry, education, basic needs and community safety net. The fund will accept proposals from organizations providing services in Colebrook, Pittsburg, Clarksville, Stewartstown, Columbia, Stratford, Errol, Millsfield, Dixville and other towns in Coos County, NH, as well as bordering communities in Vermont and Quebec, Canada. The deadline is January 7, 2015.
Rhode Island Council for the Humanities Grants
Rhode Island Council for the Humanities funds non-profit organizations and individual researchers to deliver meaningful humanities programs to the Rhode Island public. The Major Grant Program, for requests over $2,000, invites nonprofit organizations to apply for funding in support of Rhode Island-based public humanities projects beginning after April 1, 2015. You must register your intent to apply by November 1. The Mini Grant Program invites individual researchers, nonprofit organizations, and schools to apply for support up to $2,000. Upcoming mini grant application due date is November 1. Click here for details.
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Grants
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts' Investments in Arts and Culture (IAC) operating support grants are designed to support those organizations that produce or present annual programs in the arts and have developed a funding relationship with RISCA over time. Arts Access Grants (AAG) provide small grants (maximum of $2,500) to new ventures, occasional arts programs, or arts and cultural organizations that do not meet the new IAC eligibility requirements. Click here for details.
Arts in Academics Program Grant
The Rhode Island Foundation is accepting applications from artists and art educators for projects that integrate art into other core academic subjects. Through the foundation's Arts in Academics program, grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded in support of projects that foster collaborations among artists and educators and promote the arts as an integral part of the learning process. The project described in the proposal should take place between January and June 2015. Any K-12 public or charter school teacher, artist, or nonprofit organization is eligible to apply as long as the proposed project benefits Rhode Island public school children. Grants may be used for stipends, materials, equipment, honorariums, and other costs associated with implementing the project. Deadline for applications is November 3, 2014.
Vermont State Preservation Matching Grants
The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation administers two matching grant programs. The Historic Preservation Grant program offers grants of up to $20,000 to non-profit organizations and municipalities to help repair and restore historic buildings while the Barn Preservation Grant program provides grants up to $15,000 to non-profits, municipalities and private individuals for historic agricultural building repairs. The deadline for the next round of Historic Preservation Grants is October. 6 and November 3 for the Barn Preservation Grants. For more information, click here.
Lincoln Financial Group Grants
Lincoln Financial Group is committed to increasing access to the arts for individuals of all ages, economic situations, abilities and ethnicities. It supports organizations that fill the gaps where economic challenges have resulted in cuts to arts education in our schools. The Foundation welcomes grant applications from organizations that meet its geographic, strategic focus and eligibility guidelines. The next deadline is December 3, 2014. Click here for complete details.
SpaceFinder Mass
SpaceFinder Mass is a free directory of arts venues and creative spaces across the state of Massachusetts. Find space for your next performance, special event, class, rehearsal, film shoot and more. Have space to rent? Sign up now to be included in the public launch! Click here for complete details.
Edwin S. Webster Foundation
The Edwin S. Webster Foundation will consider requests for capital programs, special projects or operating income. They support organizations with emphasis on hospitals, medical research, education, youth agencies, cultural activities, and programs addressing the needs of minorities. The deadlines are May 1 and November 1.
Capacity Grants
Connecticut Humanities Capacity Grants strengthen organizations through focused work that helps them better understand their audiences, assets and operations. To qualify, applicant organizations must regularly provide humanities programming to the public. Capacity Grants fund: board assessment, board training, strategic planning, marketing planning, audience assessment, collections assessment in the service of public programming, and technology assessment and/or planning. Applications are due on a quarterly basis. The next deadline is January 1, 2014.
Survey and Planning Grant Program
The Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey and Planning Grant Program is a federally funded, reimbursable, 50/50 matching grant program to support historic preservation planning activities in communities throughout the state. For Fiscal Year 2015, eligible applicants for Survey and Planning Grants include all local historical commissions, local historic district commissions, planning offices, and other eligible public and non-profit historic preservation organizations. The goal of the Survey and Planning Grant program is to support efforts to identify and plan for the protection of the significant historic buildings, structures, archaeological sites and landscapes of the Commonwealth. Letter of intent is due November 17. For complete details click here.
Rhode Island Council for the Humanities Website
With a goal to catalyze the humanities in Rhode Island, the RI Council for the Humanities has launched a new website to provide information and opportunities to connect through collaborative programs, grantmaking, and humanities activities. New features include:a community calendar for local humanities events, featured grants that share the stories of projects we've funded, information about our programs and partnerships, and more ways to contribute to, advocate for, and stay up to date with Rhode Island humanities.