IMLS: Museums for American CFDA 45.301

Museums for America is the Institute’s largest grant program for museums, supporting projects and ongoing activities that build museums’ capacity to serve their communities.Museums for America grants strengthen a museum’s ability to serve the public more effectively by supporting high-priority activities that advance the institution’s mission and strategic goals. Museums for America grants are designed to be flexible: funds can be used for a wide variety of projects, including: ongoing museum work, research and other behind-the-scenes activities, planning, new programs, purchase of equipment or services, and activities that will support the efforts of museums to upgrade and integrate new technologies. Grants are awarded in the following categories:Engaging Communities (Education, Exhibitions, and Interpretation); Building Institutional Capacity (Management, Policy, and Training); and Collections Stewardship. Applications are due November 1, 2010.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: MFA-FY11
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Aug 30, 2010
Creation Date: Aug 30, 2010
Original Closing Date for Applications: Nov 01, 2010
Current Closing Date for Applications: Nov 01, 2010
Archive Date: Dec 01, 2010
Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Category of Funding Activity: Arts (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)

Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 150
Estimated Total Program Funding: $17,000,000
Award Ceiling: $150,000
Award Floor: $5,000
CFDA Number(s): 45.301 -- Museums for America
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes

Eligible Applicants
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility:
All types of museums, large and small, are eligible for funding. Eligible museums include aquariums, arboretums and botanical gardens, art museums, youth museums, general museums, historic houses and sites, history museums, nature centers, natural history and anthropology museums, planetariums, science and technology centers, specialized museums, and zoological parks. Federally operated and for-profit museums may not apply for IMLS funds.

An eligible applicant must be: either a unit of state or local government or a private not-for-profit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code; located in one of the fifty states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated states of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau; and a museum that, using a professional staff, (1) is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes; (2) owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; (3) cares for these objects; and (4) exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities which it owns or operates. An organization uses a professional staff if it employs at least one professional staff member, or the fulltime equivalent, whether paid or unpaid primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the institution. An organization “exhibits objects to the general public” if such exhibition is a primary purpose of the institution. Further, an organization which exhibits objects to the general public for at least 120 days a year shall be deemed to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis. An organization which exhibits objects by appointment may meet the requirement to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis, if it can establish, in light of the facts under all the relevant circumstances, that this method of exhibition does not unreasonably restrict the accessibility of the institution's exhibits to the general public.

Please note that an organization which does not have as a primary purpose the exhibition of objects to the general public but which can demonstrate that it exhibits objects to the general public on a regular basis as a significant, separate, distinct, and continuing portion of its activities, and that it otherwise meets the museum eligibility requirements, may be determined to be eligible as a museum under these guidelines.

A museum located within a parent organization that is a state or local government or multipurpose non-profit entity, such as a municipality, university, historical society, foundation, or a cultural center, may apply on its own behalf, if the museum: (1) is able to independently fulfill all the eligibility requirements listed above; (2) functions as a discrete unit within the parent organization; (3) has its own fully segregated and itemized operating budget; and (4) has the authority to make the application on its own. When any of the last three conditions cannot be met, a museum may apply through its parent organization.

Prospective applicants that cannot fulfill all of these requirements should contact IMLS to discuss their eligibility before applying. IMLS may require additional supporting documentation from the applicant to determine the museum’s autonomy. Each eligible applicant within a single parent organization should clearly delineate its own programs and operations in the application narrative. A parent organization that controls multiple museums that are not autonomous but which are otherwise eligible may submit only one application per grant program; the application may be submitted by the parent organization on behalf of one or more of the eligible museums.

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NEH America's Historical and Cultural Organizations: Implementation Grants CFDA 45.164

America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations grants support projects in the humanities that explore stories, ideas, and beliefs that deepen our understanding of our lives and our world. The Division of Public Programs supports the development of humanities content and interactivity that excite, inform, and stir thoughtful reflection upon culture, identity, and history in creative and new ways. Grants for America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations should encourage dialogue, discussion, and civic engagement, and they should foster learning among people of all ages. Applications are due by August 26, 2009.

To that end, the Division of Public Programs urges applicants to consider more than one format for presenting humanities ideas to the public. Implementation grants support the final preparation of a project for presentation to the public. Applicants must submit a full walkthrough for an exhibition, or a prototype or storyboard for a digital project, that demonstrates a solid command of the humanities ideas and scholarship that relate to the subject. Applicants for implementation grants should have already done most of the planning for their projects, including the identification of the key humanities themes, relevant scholarship, and program formats. For exhibitions, implementation grants can support the final stages of design development, but these grants are primarily intended for installation. Applicants are not required to obtain a planning grant before applying for an implementation grant. Applicants may not, however, submit multiple applications for the same project at the same deadline. If an application for a project is already under review, another application for the same project cannot be accepted. See application guidelines for Planning Grants.

The goals of Interpreting America’s Historic Places are to enhance lifelong learning in American history by connecting significant events, people, ideas, stories, and traditions with specific places; foster the development of interpretive programs for the public that address central events, themes, and issues in American history; and encourage consultation with humanities scholars and history organizations in the development of heritage tourism destinations.

Interpreting America’s Historic Places projects should interpret a place that played a significant role in American history; enrich the visitor experience at one or more historic places by interpreting these places in light of broader themes in American history; make use of the specific features of one or more historic places—the site, its location, buildings, or other natural or built features—as integral parts of the proposed interpretation; build on sound humanities scholarship; involve humanities scholars in all phases of development and implementation; approach the subject thematically, analytically, and interpretively through an appropriate variety of perspectives; interest broad audiences; and employ appealing and accessible program formats that will actively engage the public in learning.

To ensure that the humanities ideas are well conceived, projects must use a team of scholars who represent major fields relevant to the subject matter and offer diverse perspectives and approaches. Projects may also include other participants with experience and knowledge appropriate to the project’s formats or technical requirements.


Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 20090826-GI
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Jun 22, 2009
Creation Date: Jun 22, 2009
Original Closing Date for Applications: Aug 26, 2009
Current Closing Date for Applications: Aug 26, 2009
Archive Date: Sep 25, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation: Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $1,000,000
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number(s): 45.164 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Public Programs
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/AHCO_ImplementationGuidelines.html


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NEA American Masterpieces: Visual Arts Touring, FY 2010 CFDA 45.024

American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius is a major initiative to acquaint Americans with the best of their cultural and artistic legacy. Through American Masterpieces, the National Endowment for the Arts will sponsor performances, exhibitions, tours, and educational programs across all art forms that will reach large and small communities in all 50 states. This component of American Masterpieces will celebrate the extraordinary and rich evolution of the visual arts in the United States. Applications are due by September 17, 2009.

Through the creation and touring of major exhibitions, art of the highest quality will be experienced by Americans in communities across the nation. Exhibitions may focus on schools, movements, traditions, subject areas, and themes that include but are not limited to: • The Hudson River School • American Impressionism • Native American Art • American Masterworks from Unique Collections including private collections • Aspects of American Art Post-1945 to the Present • Art of the W.P.A. • Latino Art • The Portrait in America • American Naïve Art • African American Art • American Photographers and Photography • American Decorative Arts • The Art of the American West • Industrial Design • Architecture • Costume and Textiles • Folk Arts.

The tour of an existing exhibition is eligible. The Arts Endowment’s support of a project may start on or after May 1, 2010. An exhibition must open by May 1, 2012. A grant period of up to four years is allowed.

Exhibitions must be: • Scaled so they can be shown in small and mid-sized exhibiting institutions. • Shown for a period of 8-12 weeks at 2-5 venues which may include the organizing institution. The number of venues should be appropriate to the nature of the works on view. • Accompanied by related educational and interpretive components including brochures and catalogues. Educational material for children and youth must ensure the application of national or state arts education standards.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 2009NEA01AMVAT
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Jun 30, 2009
Creation Date: Jun 30, 2009
Original Closing Date for Applications: Sep 17, 2009 Application Deadline: Organizations are required to submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. The Grants.gov system must receive your application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 17, 2009.
Current Closing Date for Applications: Sep 17, 2009 Application Deadline: Organizations are required to submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. The Grants.gov system must receive your application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 17, 2009.
Archive Date: Oct 17, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Arts (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation: Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $300,000
Award Floor: $30,000
CFDA Number(s): 45.024 -- Promotion of the Arts_Grants to Organizations and Individuals
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes

NEA Web Site Announcement

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NEH America's Historical and Cultural Organizations: Implementation Grants CFDA 45.164

America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations implementation grants support traveling or long-term museum exhibitions, library-based projects, interpretation of historic places or areas, interpretive Web sites, or other project formats that creatively engage audiences in exploring humanities ideas and questions. Applications are due by January 29, 2009.


Applications for panel exhibitions are accepted only from organizations other than museums, such as libraries or library systems. Panel exhibitions must travel beyond a single site and must also incorporate at least one other program format. Applications that make innovative use of emerging technologies are encouraged. Projects should do more than simply provide a digital archive of material. They should offer new ways of contextualizing and interpreting information that engages public audiences interactively in exploring humanities ideas and questions. Applications may, for example, include plans to create Web sites, PDA tours and resources, podcasts, virtual environments, wiki formats or others that utilize user-generated content, virtual imaging, GIS mapping, online scholar-led discussions, video on demand, streaming video, games, or other digital components. Digital components should rest on sound humanities scholarship and enhance the project’s humanities content for the general public in ways that take unique advantage of the proposed format.

Support is also available to expand previously funded NEH projects through the addition of new, complementary formats, for example, developing a series of reading and discussion programs around an exhibition or film or using digital formats to add new interpretive dimensions to a project. The new formats should complement and expand the project’s original humanities content in unique ways and should reach audiences that were not served by the original project. The program also supports Chairman’s Special Award projects. These are more complex projects of national visibility that would be of compelling interest to the general public, show exceptional promise of dealing with important humanities ideas in new ways, and are likely to reach large audiences. These goals can be accomplished through combining a variety of program formats, forming creative collaborations among diverse institutions, and expanding the scope and reach of the project.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 20090128-GI
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Nov 18, 2008
Creation Date: Nov 18, 2008
Original Closing Date for Applications: Jan 29, 2009
Current Closing Date for Applications: Jan 29, 2009
Archive Date: Feb 28, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $1,000,000
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number(s): 45.164 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Public Programs
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No


http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/AHCO_ImplementationGuidelines.html >>Read more >>

NEH America's Historical and Cultural Organizations: Planning Grants CFDA 45.164

America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations grants support traveling or long-term museum exhibitions, library-based projects, interpretation of historic places or areas, interpretive Web sites, or other project formats that creatively engage audiences in exploring humanities ideas and questions. Planning grants can be used to plan, refine, and develop the content and interpretive approach of a project. Applicants should have already begun consulting with scholars to help shape the humanities content of the project, and with other programming advisers appropriate to the project’s format. Application are due by January 29, 2009.


Applications for panel exhibitions are accepted only from organizations other than museums, such as libraries or library systems. Panel exhibitions must travel beyond a single site and must also incorporate at least one other program format. Applications that make innovative use of emerging technologies are encouraged. Projects should do more than simply provide a digital archive of material. They should offer new ways of contextualizing and interpreting information that engages public audiences interactively in exploring humanities ideas and questions. Applications may, for example, include plans to create Web sites, PDA tours and resources, podcasts, virtual environments, wiki formats or others that utilize user-generated content, virtual imaging, GIS mapping, online scholar-led discussions, video on demand, streaming video, games, or other digital components. Digital components should rest on sound humanities scholarship and enhance the project’s humanities content for the general public in ways that take unique advantage of the chosen technology.

Support is also available to expand previously funded NEH projects through the addition of new, complementary formats: for example, developing a series of reading and discussion programs around an exhibition or film, or using digital formats to add new interpretive dimensions to a project. The new formats should complement and expand the project’s original humanities content in unique ways and should reach audiences that were not served by the original project. The program also supports Chairman’s Special Award projects. These are more complex projects of national visibility that would be of compelling interest to the general public, show exceptional promise of dealing with important humanities ideas in new ways, and are likely to reach large audiences. These goals can be accomplished through combining a variety of program formats, forming creative collaborations among diverse institutions, and expanding the scope and reach of the project.

Document Type: Modification to Previous Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 20090128-GE
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Nov 18, 2008
Creation Date: Nov 18, 2008
Original Closing Date for Applications: Jan 28, 2009
Current Closing Date for Applications: Jan 28, 2009
Archive Date: Feb 27, 2009
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $75,000
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number(s): 45.164 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Public Programs
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/AHCO_PlanningGuidelines.html >>Read more >>

NEA American Masterpieces: Visual Arts Touring, FY2008

American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius is a major initiative to acquaint Americans with the best of their cultural and artistic legacy. Through American Masterpieces, the National Endowment for the Arts will sponsor performances, exhibitions, tours, and educational programs across all art forms that will reach large and small communities in all 50 states.

This component of American Masterpieces will celebrate the extraordinary and rich evolution of the visual arts in the United States. Through the creation and touring of major exhibitions, art of the highest quality will be experienced by Americans in communities across the nation. Exhibitions may focus on schools, movements, traditions, subject areas, and themes that include but are not limited to: The Hudson River School American Impressionism Native American Art American Masterworks from Unique Collections including private collections Aspects of American Art Post-1945 to the Present Art of the W.P.A. Latino Art The Portrait in America American Naïve Art African American Art American Photographers and Photography American Decorative Arts The Art of the American West Industrial Design Architecture Costume and Textiles Folk Arts The tour of an existing exhibition is eligible. Applications are due by September 19, 2008.

Exhibitions must be: Scaled so they can be shown in small and mid-sized exhibiting institutions. Shown for a period of 8-12 weeks at 2-5 venues which may include the organizing institution. The number of venues should be appropriate to the nature of the works on view. Accompanied by related educational and interpretive components including brochures and catalogues. Educational material for children and youth must ensure the application of national or state arts education standards. Substantial efforts should be made to reach underserved communities.

Document Type: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number: 2008NEA01AMVAT
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Jun 09, 2008
Creation Date: Jun 09, 2008
Original Closing Date for Applications: Sep 19, 2008
Current Closing Date for Applications: Sep 19, 2008 Application Deadline: Organizations are required to submit their applications electronically through Grants.gov, the federal government’s online application system. The Grants.gov system must receive your application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on September 19, 2008.
Archive Date: Oct 19, 2008
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Arts (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards: 10
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $300,000
Award Floor: $30,000
CFDA Number: 45.024 -- Promotion of the Arts_Grants to Organizations and Individuals
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes

Complete grant announcement for NEA American Masterpieces: Visual Arts Touring
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NEH Small Grants to Libraries / Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience

The Small Grants to Libraries program brings traveling exhibitions and other types of public programming to libraries across the country. "Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience" is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Library Association (ALA), and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The exhibition is based upon a permanent exhibition of the same name on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, N.Y. The traveling exhibition and tour are funded by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to the American Library Association. "Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience" has been designated as part of the NEH’s We the People program, exploring significant events and themes in our nation’s history and culture and advancing knowledge of the principles that define America.

Funding Opportunity Number: 20080404-LT
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Posted Date: Feb 01, 2008
Creation Date: Feb 01, 2008
Original Closing Date for Applications: Apr 04, 2008
Current Closing Date for Applications: Apr 04, 2008
Archive Date: May 04, 2008
Funding Instrument Type: Grant
Category of Funding Activity: Humanities (see "Cultural Affairs" in CFDA)
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling: $2,500
Award Floor: $0
CFDA Number: 45.164 -- Promotion of the Humanities_Public Programs
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/SGL_PrideAndPassion.html >>Read more >>