Inspire! Grants for Small Museums

Description

This program helps small museums implement projects that address priorities they have identified in their strategic plans.

There are three project categories:

  • lifelong learning
  • community anchors and catalysts
  • collections stewardship and public access
Eligibility

Small museums, public or private nonprofit agencies responsible for the operation of a museum

Role In Creative Placemaking

IMLS specifically requests projects in which museums expand their roles in their communities to serve as anchors or catalysts, strengthen their capacity for civic engagement, and further their efforts in community collaboration, all of which are central to creative placemaking.

Match

None

Role in Creative Placemaking

This section represents our attempt to capture how this specific funding opportunity might fit into a placemaking initiative.

Eligibility

Who can apply? Eligibility is often limited, but in partnership with other entities you may identify an access point, such as subgrant opportunities. This information can help you determine which potential partners in your community might be able to access the funds.

Previous Projects/Grantees

These examples show how these funds have been used for creative or placemaking endeavors in the past, the types of organizations that have successfully accessed the funds and/or the types of activities for which the funds can be used.

Max Award

Maximum funding amounts can vary from year to year. We have provided the most recent information available. Where available, we also include a median or a range in cases in which the maximum is not typical of an average award.

Match Requirement

Most federal programs require some form of cost sharing. This is expressed differently for different agencies and programs. Sometimes a direct 1:1 match is specified. Other times, the application will state the maximum percentage of a project cost that the funding award can cover. We include this information, where available, in order to give you a sense of what to expect when applying for a particular funding program.

Compliance

Most federal funding programs will require financial and progress reports at least annually, along with a final report. We consider this to be a "moderate" compliance burden. Where a higher degree of data collection and reporting is indicated, we convey that information with a "substantial" rating.