Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2027)
Funding Type
Grant
Grantor Agency
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Grant Range
Up to $75,000
# of Awards Available
Programmatic Area
Arts & Humanities
Programmatic Area
Capacity Building
Deadline
2026-11-13
Match Required?
Eligible Entities
To be eligible for an award under the Inspire program, your organization must meet all three of the following eligibility criteria. 1) Your organization must be: a unit of a State, local, or Tribal government; or a private, nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (you will need to include proof of this if applicable to your organization. See Conditionally Required Documents for more information). 2) Your organization 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. 3) Your organization must qualify as one of the following:
3(a) A museum that: uses a professional staff; is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes; owns or uses tangible objects, including living collections; cares for these objects; and exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates; or 3(b) A public or private nonprofit entity that is responsible for the operation of an eligible museum that meets the criteria listed above under 1, 2, and 3(a), applying on behalf of the eligible museum. Native American Tribal organizations are encouraged to apply if they otherwise meet the above eligibility requirements.
Focus Area
Inspire Grants for Small Museums (Inspire) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program designed to support small museums of all disciplines, including small rural or small remote institutions and small museums that have not previously received federal funding. The program funds project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities. The goal of the Inspire program is to build the capacity of small museums to provide museum services to their communities through supporting the development of experiential learning and discovery in small museums, and the management and care of collections in small museums.
Contact
imls-museumgrants@imls.gov
Link to Opportunity
https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363771
Application Platform
grants.gov
Assistance Listing
45.301
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