The Inspire! Grants for Small Museums through the Institute of Museum and Library Services supports small museums in three project categories: Lifelong Learning, Institutional Capacity, and Collections Stewardship and Access.
Grants of $5,000 – $75,000 are available for 1-3 year periods. There is no matching requirement for requests up to $25,000. Larger requests must provide a 1:1 match of non-federal funds. Applications are due by November 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.
Eligibility
This grant is open to:
- Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations
- Local government entities
- State government entities
- Tribal government entities
Applicants must also be:
- Located in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, or Palau
- Either a museum or a nonprofit organization that operates a museum
Allowable Activities
Grant funds may be used for:
- Staff and volunteer training
- Staff salaries, wages, and fringe benefits
- Materials, supplies, and equipment, including accessible technology and collection storage equipment.
- Travel expenses
- Publications
- Program evaluation
- Overhead costs
- Design costs
Grant funds may not be spent on:
- General operating expenses
- Salaries for employees whose primary role is fundraising
- Construction or renovation
- Events such as ceremonies or receptions
- General advertising not directly related to the project
- Purchasing items for your collection
- Research
Supporting Documents
You may include a reasonable number of supporting documents with your application. These can include items such as:
- Exhibit design plans
- Letters of support/commitment
- Professional cost estimates
- Relevant images
- References, including links to online materials
- Needs assessments
Review Criteria
All applications will be reviewed based on:
- Project justification
- Project work plan
- Project results
