Opportunity Information: Apply for NLG MUSEUMS FY15
Apply for NLG MUSEUMS FY15
- The Institute of Museum and Library Services in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda) humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Leadership Grants for Museums" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.312 National Leadership Grants.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 25, 2014 and posted on Sep 25, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 1, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $5,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 16 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- To be eligible for an award under the NLG for Museums program, you must be an organization that meets all three of the following criteria You must be either a unit of State or local government or be a private nonprofit organization that has tax exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code You must be located in one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau and You must qualify as one of the following A museum that, using a professional staff, is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate cares for these objects and exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates. What types of institutions are included in the term museum If they otherwise meet these requirements, including the criteria in (3)(a) above, museums include, but are not limited to, aquariums, arboretums, art museums, botanical gardens, children s/youth museums, general museums (those having two or more significant disciplines), historic houses/sites, history museums, natural history/anthropology museums, nature centers, planetariums, science/technology centers, specialized museums (limited to a single distinct subject), and zoological parks. What does it mean to be using a professional staff An institution uses a professional staff if it employs at least one staff member, or the full time equivalent, whether paid or unpaid, primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the institution. What does it mean to exhibit the objects to the general public An institution exhibits objects to the general public if such exhibition is a primary purpose of the institution. An institution that exhibits objects to the general public for at least 120 days a year is deemed to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis. An institution which does not have the exhibition of objects as a primary purpose and/or does not exhibit objects to the public for at least 120 days a year may be determined to be eligible as a museum under certain circumstances. For more information, please see 45 CFR 1180.2(d). An organization or association that engages in activities designed to advance the well being of museums and the museum profession An institution of higher education, including public and nonprofit universities or A public or private nonprofit agency which is responsible for the operation of a museum that meets the eligibility criteria in (a) above may apply on behalf of the museum.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Leadership Grants for Museums program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) designed to fund projects that tackle high-priority, field-wide challenges in the museum sector. The central goal is to support work that does more than benefit a single institution: funded projects are expected to address critical needs across the profession and to advance museum practice in ways that ultimately improve services and experiences for the American public. In this sense, the program is positioned as a leadership and innovation vehicle, encouraging strong models, tools, research, partnerships, or methods that other museums can learn from, adopt, or scale.
IMLS organizes the program into three main project categories, each reflecting a different area where museums can have broad impact. The Learning Experiences category focuses on museums as powerful settings for hands-on, experiential learning across the lifespan. Competitive projects in this category typically emphasize high-quality educational design, accessibility, and inclusion, with clear attention to specific audience needs rather than generic programming. The Community Anchors category emphasizes museums as essential community partners, supporting projects that leverage a museum's assets such as staff expertise, collections knowledge, public space, technology, and convening power to address local needs and strengthen community well-being. The Collections Stewardship category supports strong, exemplary practices in the management, care, and conservation of collections; projects in this track are expected to be grounded in a clearly articulated, well-documented need and to contribute to the long-term preservation of cultural, historical, scientific, or artistic materials entrusted to museum care.
For the referenced funding cycle (Funding Opportunity Number NLG-MUSEUMS-FY15), IMLS anticipated making about 16 awards with an estimated total program funding amount of $5,000,000. Individual award sizes ranged from a $50,000 floor to a $500,000 ceiling. The program carried a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources toward the total project cost in accordance with the program rules. The assistance listing (CFDA) number associated with this opportunity is 45.312 (National Leadership Grants).
Eligibility is structured to include a wide range of museum-related organizations while still being specific about what qualifies. Applicants must be either a unit of state or local government or a private nonprofit organization with tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code. They also must be based in an eligible U.S. jurisdiction, including the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and several U.S. territories and affiliated states (including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States such as the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau). In addition, applicants must qualify under one of several allowable institutional types: a museum meeting IMLS's statutory and regulatory definition, an organization or association that advances the well-being of museums and the museum profession, an institution of higher education (public or nonprofit), or a public/private nonprofit agency responsible for operating an eligible museum that applies on the museum's behalf.
The museum definition in the opportunity is detailed and inclusive of many institution types, provided they meet the core criteria. Museums can include aquariums, arboretums, art museums, botanical gardens, children's or youth museums, general museums, historic houses or sites, history museums, natural history or anthropology museums, nature centers, planetariums, science and technology centers, specialized single-subject museums, and zoological parks. To qualify, a museum must be organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes; it must own or use tangible objects (animate or inanimate); it must care for those objects; and it must exhibit them to the general public on a regular basis through facilities it owns or operates. The guidance also clarifies operational thresholds, such as what it means to use a professional staff (at least one staff member or full-time equivalent, paid or unpaid, primarily engaged in acquisition, care, or exhibition) and what it means to exhibit to the public on a regular basis (exhibiting at least 120 days per year is deemed regular, with possible exceptions evaluated under 45 CFR 1180.2(d)).
Key administrative details for the cited cycle include a posted date of September 25, 2014, and an application deadline of December 1, 2014, with the opportunity archived on December 31, 2014. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the activity areas align with arts and humanities under cultural affairs. Applicants seeking more guidance were directed to the IMLS program page and provided with category-specific contacts at IMLS for Learning Experiences, Community Anchors, and Collections Stewardship, reflecting the program's emphasis on aligning proposed work with the most appropriate project track.
National Leadership Grants for Museums (IMLS) - FAQs
What is the National Leadership Grants for Museums program?
The National Leadership Grants for Museums program is a discretionary grant opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It funds projects that address high-priority, field-wide challenges in the museum sector and are designed to advance museum practice in ways that improve services and experiences for the American public.
What is the main goal of this grant program?
The central goal is to support work that goes beyond benefiting a single institution. Funded projects are expected to address critical needs across the museum profession and produce outcomes (such as models, tools, research, partnerships, or methods) that other museums can learn from, adopt, or scale.
What kinds of projects does IMLS want to fund?
The program is positioned as a leadership and innovation vehicle. It encourages projects that develop strong models, tools, research, partnerships, or methods that can be replicated or scaled across the field, rather than projects designed only for one museum's internal benefit.
What are the main project categories?
IMLS organizes the program into three project categories:
- Learning Experiences
- Community Anchors
- Collections Stewardship
What is the Learning Experiences category focused on?
Learning Experiences focuses on museums as settings for hands-on, experiential learning across the lifespan. Competitive projects typically emphasize high-quality educational design, accessibility, and inclusion, and they address specific audience needs rather than offering generic programming.
What is the Community Anchors category focused on?
Community Anchors emphasizes museums as essential community partners. Projects in this category leverage museum assets such as staff expertise, collections knowledge, public space, technology, and convening power to address local needs and strengthen community well-being.
What is the Collections Stewardship category focused on?
Collections Stewardship supports exemplary practices in collections management, care, and conservation. Projects are expected to be grounded in a clearly articulated, well-documented need and to contribute to the long-term preservation of cultural, historical, scientific, or artistic materials held in museum collections.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for the referenced cycle?
The referenced funding cycle uses Funding Opportunity Number NLG-MUSEUMS-FY15.
How many awards were anticipated for this funding cycle?
IMLS anticipated making about 16 awards for the referenced cycle.
What was the estimated total funding amount for the program in this cycle?
The estimated total program funding amount was $5,000,000.
What was the award size range?
Individual award sizes ranged from a $50,000 minimum to a $500,000 maximum.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. The program carried a cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants needed to contribute non-federal resources toward the total project cost in accordance with program rules.
What is the Assistance Listing (CFDA) number for this opportunity?
The assistance listing (CFDA) number associated with this opportunity is 45.312 (National Leadership Grants).
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Applicants must be either:
- a unit of state or local government, or
- a private nonprofit organization with tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code.
In addition, the applicant must qualify under one of the allowable institutional types described in the opportunity.
Which institutional types are allowable under this opportunity?
The opportunity allows applications from the following institutional types:
- a museum that meets IMLS's statutory and regulatory definition,
- an organization or association that advances the well-being of museums and the museum profession,
- an institution of higher education (public or nonprofit), or
- a public or private nonprofit agency responsible for operating an eligible museum that applies on the museum's behalf.
Which locations and jurisdictions are eligible?
Applicants must be based in an eligible U.S. jurisdiction, including:
- the 50 states
- the District of Columbia
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. territories including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands
- the Freely Associated States: the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau
What types of institutions can qualify as a museum under this opportunity?
The opportunity describes a broad range of institution types that can qualify as museums if they meet the core criteria, including:
- aquariums
- arboretums
- art museums
- botanical gardens
- children's or youth museums
- general museums
- historic houses or historic sites
- history museums
- natural history or anthropology museums
- nature centers
- planetariums
- science and technology centers
- specialized single-subject museums
- zoological parks
What are the core criteria a museum must meet to qualify?
To qualify, a museum must be organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes; it must own or use tangible objects (animate or inanimate); it must care for those objects; and it must exhibit them to the general public on a regular basis through facilities it owns or operates.
What does it mean to have a professional staff under the museum definition?
The guidance clarifies that using a professional staff means having at least one staff member (or full-time equivalent), paid or unpaid, who is primarily engaged in acquisition, care, or exhibition activities.
What does "exhibit to the public on a regular basis" mean?
The guidance indicates that exhibiting at least 120 days per year is deemed regular. Possible exceptions may be evaluated under 45 CFR 1180.2(d).
What is the funding instrument type?
The funding instrument type for this opportunity is a grant.
What activity area does this opportunity align with?
The activity areas align with arts and humanities under cultural affairs.
When was the opportunity posted, and what was the application deadline?
For the cited cycle, the posted date was September 25, 2014, and the application deadline was December 1, 2014.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on December 31, 2014.
How should applicants decide which project category to apply under?
The opportunity emphasizes aligning the proposed work with the most appropriate project track (Learning Experiences, Community Anchors, or Collections Stewardship). Applicants seeking more guidance were directed to the IMLS program page and provided with category-specific contacts at IMLS for these tracks.
Does the program emphasize benefits to the broader museum field?
Yes. A defining expectation of funded projects is that they address needs across the profession and contribute outputs or approaches that other museums can adopt, learn from, or scale.
Browse more opportunities from the same agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA)
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (NLG MUSEUMS FY15) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Museum Grants for African American History and Culture Apply for AAHC FY15 Funding Number: AAHC FY15 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Apply for NANH FY15 Funding Number: NANH FY15 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| Sparks Ignition Grants for Museums Apply for SPARKS MUSEUMS FY15 Funding Number: SPARKS MUSEUMS FY15 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Sparks Ignition Grants for Libraries Apply for SPARKS LIBRARIES FY15 Funding Number: SPARKS LIBRARIES FY15 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants Program Apply for NAG ENHANCEMENT FY15 Funding Number: NAG ENHANCEMENT FY15 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants Program Apply for NAG HAWAIIAN FY15 Funding Number: NAG HAWAIIAN FY15 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Native American Library Services Basic Grants Program Apply for NAG BASIC FY15 Funding Number: NAG BASIC FY15 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $7,000 |
| National Conservation Assessment Program Apply for NCAP FY15 Funding Number: NCAP FY15 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| National Leadership Grants for Libraries Apply for NLG LIBRARIES FY16 Funding Number: NLG LIBRARIES FY16 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $2,000,000 |
| Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Apply for LB21 FY16 Funding Number: LB21 FY16 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Building U.S. India Connections through Dance Apply for SCAIN 12 GR 001 SCA 062612 Funding Number: SCAIN 12 GR 001 SCA 062612 Agency: U.S. Mission to India Category: Arts (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Humanities (see Cultural Affairs in CFDA) Funding Amount: $75,000 |
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