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21st Century Museum Professionals Program is sponsored by Institute of Museum and Library Services. The 21st Century Museum Professional (21MP) grant program supports projects that build career pathways, strengthen professional networks, and identify and share effective workforce education and training practices in the museum field.
The goals of the program are to support the professional development of the current museum workforce and recruit and train future museum professionals.
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21st Century Museum Professionals Program | Institute of Museum and Library Services 21st Century Museum Professionals Program Deadline: November 13, 2026* Application Instructions: The FY 2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity is not yet available. The FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (PDF, 861KB) is available for reference.
Grant Amount: $100,000–$500,000 Grant Period: One to three years Cost Share Requirement: You must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of your IMLS request.
The 21st Century Museum Professional (21MP) grant program supports projects that build career pathways, strengthen professional networks, and identify and share effective workforce education and training practices in the museum field. The goals of the program are to: Support the professional development of the current museum workforce; and Recruit and train future museum professionals.
The primary audiences for this program are museums, museum service organizations and affiliated nonprofits, and museum professionals. Secondary audiences include museum visitors and future museum professionals. Interested in learning more about this grant program?
Watch the informational video (below) for details about this grant program and the process of preparing an application. Schedule a counseling call with a program officer. Find an available time on the calendar using the link below.
Supervisory Grants Management Specialist To schedule a time to talk to Mark Isaksen, click here . The FY 2026 pre-recorded webinars are available for reference: Getting Started With IMLS Museum Grants for FY 2026 is a general presentation on IMLS museum grant programs. We recommend that you view this presentation for an overview before considering a specific grant program.
Click here to access the recording or to read the transcript. Preparing a Budget and Budget Justification provides information to help you prepare these two required parts of the grant application – the IMLS Budget Form and the Budget Justification. The information in this video supports the instructions in the Notices of Funding Opportunity for each grant program.
Click here to access the recording or to read the transcript. *All grant programs are subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion. In 2024, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded $266.
7 million through grantmaking, research and policy development, to advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations. 21st Century Museum Professionals Program Advance | Support | Empower
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Museums, museum service organizations and affiliated nonprofits, and museum professionals. A cost share (non-federal funds equal to or greater than the IMLS request) is required. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $100,000 - $500,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for 21st Century Museum Professionals Program are due November 13, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
21st Century Museum Professionals Program is funded by Institute of Museum and Library Services. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
Jerome Early-Career Project Grants is a grant from Forecast Public Art, funded by the Jerome Foundation, that funds the creation of new public art projects by early-career artists based in Minnesota. Two grants of $8,000 each are awarded annually to support temporary or permanent public artworks anywhere in Minnesota. Projects may be supported by public or nonprofit agencies but private commissions are not eligible, and a secured project site is required at the time of application. The program places special emphasis on supporting BIPOC and Native artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, women artists, immigrant artists, rural artists, and artists with disabilities. Eligible applicants are Minnesota-based individual artists with 2–10 years of generative experience. The application deadline was October 15, 2025.
The Local Cultural Council Program is a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council distributing $1,000 to $10,000 through a statewide network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) representing every city and town in the Commonwealth. Each LCC awards funds based on local community cultural needs as assessed by council members. Eligible applicants include artists, nonprofits, schools, and organizations pursuing arts, humanities, and science projects. Applications are submitted directly to local councils and are typically due by October 16. Grants from most LCCs are reimbursement-based. Massachusetts Cultural Council funds the LCCs centrally, which then regrant to community projects.