Nationwide Museum Funding Letter to Congress
The American Alliance of Museums and 8 other national organizations invite your museum / organization to join the following letter to Congress, in support of federal programs that help museums serve their communities. This letter is for intended for museums / organizations only, not individuals. The deadline to sign this letter is Friday, July 21. Click here for complete details.
2017 National Museum Salary Survey
NEMA, in collaboration with the American Alliance of Museums and the country's regional museum associations and several state associations, is proud to announce the publication of the 2017 National Museum Salary Survey, the only comprehensive study of its kind for our diverse field. Museum professionals at all stages of their careers have demanded such a survey and we are confident this document will prove valuable for everyone. It includes detailed analysis of 52 different museum positions in a broad range of categories, both museum-related and individual. NEMA members receive the AAM member rate. Click here to learn more.
IMLS Funding Report
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) released reports with detailed views of IMLS funding for the past six years (FY 2011 through FY 2016) for every state across the nation and the District of Columbia. It is the first time the agency has compiled information across the agency's museum and library programs by state in this manner. The documents will serve as a one-stop information source with data that are publicly available but are currently distributed across multiple datasets or databases. The IMLS funding report for each state includes total dollars and counts of IMLS grants and awards, as well as amounts of grantee matches or state government maintenance of effort levels. It lists museums and libraries receiving IMLS awards and grants, and provides descriptions of the library Grants to States program projects. It also includes information about geographic distribution of grants across the state. With charts, tables, and maps, the reports help the reader to find valuable information easily and make state-by-state comparisons. Questions or feedback should be directed to research@imls.gov.
Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations
StEPs is AASLH's self-study standards program designed specifically for small- to mid-sized history organizations, including volunteer-run institutions. Through a workbook, online resources, and an online community, organizations enrolled in StEPS assess their policies and practices and benchmark themselves against nationally recognized standards. NEMA members that enroll in StEPs receive a free AASLH webinar registration. For complete details, click here.
Invite Congress to Your Museum
The American Alliance of Museums “Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum Week” is August 12-19, 2017. A great step-by-step How To Guide can be found here.
Public Humanities Projects Grants
The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Public Humanities Projects grants support projects that bring the ideas and insights of the humanities to life for general audiences. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history, or to address challenging issues in contemporary life. NEH encourages projects that involve members of the public in collaboration with humanities scholars or that invite contributions from the community in the development and delivery of humanities programming. This grant program supports a variety of forms of audience engagement. Application deadline is August 9, 2017. Click here for complete details.
Our Town Grants
The National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town grant program supports creative placemaking projects that help to transform communities into lively, beautiful, and resilient places – achieving these community goals through strategies that incorporate arts, culture, and/or design. This funding supports local efforts to enhance quality of life and opportunity for existing residents, increase creative activity, and create or preserve a distinct sense of place. Our Town offers support for projects in two areas: Arts Engagement, Cultural Planning, and Design Projects and Projects that Build Knowledge About Creative Placemaking. Application deadline is September 11, 2017. Click here for complete details.
National Trust Preservation Funds
Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for particular projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector. Next deadline is October 1, 2017.
Dialogues on the Experience of War
As a part of its current initiative, Standing Together: The Humanities and the Experience of War, the National Endowment for the Humanities offers the Dialogues on the Experience of War program. The program supports the study and discussion of important humanities sources about war, in the belief that these sources can help U.S. military veterans and others to think more deeply about the issues raised by war and military service. Next deadline is November 2, 2017.
Humanities Open Book Program
The Humanities Open Book Program is designed to make outstanding out-of-print humanities books available to a wide audience. By taking advantage of low-cost “ebook” technology, the program will allow teachers, students, scholars, and the public to read humanities books that have long been out of print. Humanities Open Book is jointly sponsored by NEH and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Application deadline is September 13, 2017. Click here for complete details.
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections (SCHC) helps cultural institutions meet the complex challenge of preserving large and diverse holdings of humanities materials for future generations by supporting sustainable conservation measures that mitigate deterioration, prolong the useful life of collections, and support institutional resilience: the ability to anticipate and respond to natural and man-made disasters. Next deadline is on December 5, 2017.
National Trust for Historic Preservation Emergency Funds
Intervention funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation is awarded in emergency situations when immediate and unanticipated work is needed to save a historic structure, such as when a fire or other natural disaster strikes. Funding is restricted to nonprofit organizations and public agencies. Emergency grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000, but unlike the majority of our grant funding, a cash match is not required for intervention projects. Contact us if you believe your project qualifies for this type of funding. Funding is very limited.
Archive 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 deadlines fall during the first full week of October. Complete details online here.
The GRAMMY Museums Grant Program
The GRAMMY Museum Grant Program, generously funded by The Recording Academy®, awards grants annually to organizations and individuals to support efforts that advance the archiving and preservation of the recorded sound heritage of North America for future generations, and research projects related to the impact of music on the human condition. The Grant Program funds scientific research projects, ($20,000 maximum award) and archiving and preservation projects ($20,000 maximum award for preservation implementation, $5,000 maximum award for assistance, assessment and/or consultation); A letter of inquiry is required before submission of a full application. The deadline each year for submitting letters of inquiry is October 1. For more information on the GRAMMY Foundation, please click here.
National Digital Newspaper Program
The National Endowment for the Humanities' is soliciting proposals from institutions to participate in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP is creating a national digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1836 and 1922, from all the states and U.S. territories. Upcoming deadline is January 11, 2018.
TD Charitable Foundation
TD Charitable Foundation grants will be awarded to area non-profit and public institutions to create meaningful change and improvement in the communities.
2018 Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards
The Levitt AMP [Your City] Grant Awards is an exciting matching grant program made possible by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, a national creative placemaking funder dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of America through the power of free, live music. This grant supports free outdoor concerts in small to mid-sized towns and cities, as a means to revitalize public spaces and bring people together. Applications are due October 2, 2017. Any questions can be directed to amp@levitt.org.
Google Ad Grants
Google Ad Grants offer 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. For full program details, click here.
Angel Projects
The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation (FAIC) offers grants of up to $1,000 toward the development and implementation of Angels Projects not associated with AIC’s Annual Meeting. Funds are to help defray organizational costs, necessary materials and supplies and other expenses such as marketing and publicity. Angels Projects pair conservators with collections that need care. A successful Angels Project includes local and regional publicity on the need for collections care and preservation. The next deadline for the receipt of applications is September 15, 2017. Click here for more information.
Terra Foundation
Recognizing the importance of experiencing original works of art firsthand, the Terra Foundation supports exhibitions that increase the understanding and appreciation of historical American art (circa 1500–1980). Letter of Inquiry due August 1, 2017. Deadline for Proposal is on October 16, 2017.
Historic New England's Community Preservation Grants
Each year, Historic New England provides Community Preservation Grants of $1,000 apiece to one small to mid-sized heritage organization in each of the six New England states. These grants support projects that raise the visibility of historic preservation and present diverse stories of life in our region. Grant Application Deadline: Monday, August 7. Click here for details.
New England States Touring Grants
The New England Foundation for the Arts NEST (New England States Touring) funds presentations of New England-based performing artists from outside of a presenter’s state. Applications must be submitted a minimum of three months in advance of the proposed project. Next deadline is August 1, 2017.
The Edwin S. Webster Foundation
The Edwin S. Webster Foundation will consider requests for capital programs, special projects or operating income. They support organizations with an emphasis on hospitals, medical research, education, youth agencies, cultural activities, and programs addressing the needs of minorities. Generally, the foundation confines its grants primarily to the New England area. Before submitting a request, please contact foundation administrator Michelle Jenney at:mjenney@gmafoundations.com. The deadline is November 1.
Connecticut Humanities
In June 2016 state funds were no longer available to make humanities grants throughout the state. Connecticut Humanities has temporarily suspended the Connecticut Humanities Fund with the hope that funding will be restored in the coming year.
Mass Humanities Discussion Grants
Mass Humanities has six discussion grant options, ranging from open in format and content as long as the project includes facilitated discussion (Open Discussion); to discussion series (Reading & Discussion, Common Good Reads, Literature & Medicine); to the Family Adventures in Reading program with syllabi and set budgets that simplify planning; to the small Civil Rights Discussion grant for the shared reading of a civil rights text. Grants are awarded to any nonprofit for that brings public programming in the humanities that includes facilitated discussion to Massachusetts audiences. The next Inquiry Form deadline is October 2, 2017.
Project Grants
Mass Humanities Project Grants support public programming in the humanities including: humanities based civic conversations; oral history projects; public lecture, conference and panel discussion; walking tours; reading and discussion programs; audio projects; film and discussion programs; film pre-production and distribution; museum exhibitions and related programming, web sites, theatrical productions with post- or pre-performance discussion; and content-based professional development workshops for teachers. The standard Project Grant award is up to $5,000. The next Inquiry Form deadline is September 18, 2017. For complete information click here.
Research Inventory Grants
Mass Humanities seeks to support small historical organizations in Massachusetts by funding inventorying projects designed to support future programming, including but not limited to cataloguing of manuscripts, published records, photographs, artifacts, or other materials in the organization`s collections or mission area. General inventories and inventories prepared for national register or historic district nominations will not be considered. The next Inquiry Form deadline is October 2, 2017.
ArtWeek Boston (April 27-May6, 2018)
Begin your online application here. ArtWeek events should be unique, memorable and inspired experiences that are a taste of the arts, culture, and/or creativity unlike others that you can traditionally experience during the rest of the year. We define the arts broadly to include culinary, design, architecture, spoken word, film, fashion, and other artistic forms of expression in addition to dance, theatre, music and visual art – so be creative! Applications opening soon: http://www.artweekboston.org/get-involved-support/host/.
Maine Humanities Council
Maine Humanities Council offers mini grants (up to $1,000; next deadline October 16, 2017), which support a wide variety of public humanities projects, such as exhibits, lecture and film series, reading and discussion programs, symposia, cultural celebrations, etc. They also offer major grants (up to $7,500; optional draft application due December 1, 2017) to support a variety of larger humanities projects such as exhibits, conferences, films, and other initiatives. More information click here.
New Hampshire Community Project Grants
New Hampshire Humanities Council is awarding two types of Community Project Grants in 2017. Quick Grants offer up to $1,000 to support simple, single-event or short-series projects, and are available in as little as six weeks from submission deadline. The next Quick Grant application deadline is September 1, 2017. 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 for a Quarterly Grant is October 1.
Community Grants Program
The NH Charitable Foundation's Community Grants Program is a broad, competitive program that responds to community needs within New Hampshire and our broader communities. It 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. Grants of more than $5,000 and up to $20,000 (in regions) or $25,000 (statewide organizations). Deadline: August 21, 2017.
Arts Access Grants and Investments in Arts and Culture
The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts’ Arts Access Grants (AAG) provide small grants (maximum of $2,500) to new ventures, occasional arts programs, or arts and cultural organizations. The Arts Access Grant provides program support to organizations across Rhode Island. Organizations must demonstrate excellent artistic, educational, and cultural value, as well as engagement with their community. As a rule, programs should be geared to a broad and diverse audience. 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. The IAC is invite only. AAG has a deadline of October 1, 2017. Click here for details.
Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence
As part of the Rhode Island Foundation's commitment to serving the needs of the nonprofit sector, organizational development grants of up to $10,000 will now be offered through the Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence. Organizational development grants can be used for a variety of activities that strengthen and improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness, including strategic planning, business planning, fund development planning, marketing planning, feasibility studies, reorganization and streamlining, mergers, financial management planning or systems, and transition or succession planning.
The fall application deadline is October 13, 2017. If you are uncertain about your organization’s eligibility for these grants, please email or call Jill Pfitzenmayer, (401) 427-4006.
Rhode Island Mini Grant Program
Rhode Island Council for the Humanities' Mini Grant Program for requests up to $2,000 invites individual researchers, nonprofit organizations, and schools to apply for funding in support of public humanities projects. The upcoming Mini Grant Deadlines are August 1 or November 1, 2017.
Vermont Grants
The Vermont Humanities Council’s Grant Program supports other non-profit organizations that are conducting various projects related to the humanities. Council awards are re-grants of federal funds from the NEH, and as such grantees must comply with all applicable NEH and federal policies. The Council will reject any project that does not involve at least one humanities discipline. Applications are considered twice a year; the next deadline to submit a letter of intent is July 24 – August 25. The maximum award is $5,000, and grantees must provide, at minimum, a one-to-one cost share. Proposals for new, as well as already-established, programs will be considered.