Groundwork Grants

Groundwork Grants is sponsored by California State Library (administered by Myriad). Groundwork Grants support cultural heritage emergency preparedness projects in California. Awards are available to institutions with historically and culturally significant collections, prioritizing those that document underrepresented communities.

Disaster Preparedness Project Over $3 million in funding was granted for cultural heritage emergency preparedness projects in California in 2024-2025. Funded by the state of California, through the California State Library, and in partnership with Myriad, the Groundwork Grants program distributed over 200 awards to institutions with collections in California to strengthen emergency preparedness.

Awards were available to institutions with historically and culturally significant collections, prioritizing those that document underrepresented communities. made in 2024 and 2025 to cultural heritage organizations across California. See how each organization used their award here .

2024 Main Grant Awardee List Alpine County Library & Archives American Bookbinders Museum Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation Arts for Healing and Justice Network Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association Blanchard/Santa Paula Public Library District California Botanic Garden California State University Dominguez Hills Gerth Archives & Special Collections Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, San Diego Colusi County Historical Society Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums County of Santa Barbara Clerk-Recorder Doris Foley Library for Historical Research Fresno County Public Library - Auberry Branch Library Friends of the Oakland Public Library Historic Patterson House Foundation Imperial County Historical Society Pioneers' Museum Japanese American National Museum Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California Joshua Tree Creative Laboratory / Parks Modern Archive Kern River Valley Historical Society La Historia Historical Society La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley Los Angeles Contemporary Archive (LACA) Los Angeles Poverty Department Los Gatos Museum Association Mineral King Preservation Society Mission Peak Heritage Foundation Modesto Junior College Great Valley Museum Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association (MDHCA) Monterey History and Art Association Morris Graves Museum of Art Oakbrook Park Chumash Indian Corporation Palos Verdes Library District Petaluma History Room / Petaluma Regional Library Placer County Museums Division Riverside County ACR – Archives Program (Robert J.

Fitch Archives) Saint Mary's College of California San Diego Air & Space Museum San Diego Archaeological Center San Diego Historical Society Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library Sonoma County Wine Library South Pasadena Historical Museum Templeton Historical Museum Society The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties The Jenner Archive Project The Regents of the University of California UCLA (World Music Center) The San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Inc. The Society of California Pioneers University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA Waystation) The University of California, Merced (La Galería) Torrance Historical Society Turtle Bay Exploration Park Yolo County Archives and Historical Collection Zoological Society of San Diego d/b/a San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) 2025 Main Grant Awardee List African American Heritage House, Inc. Art & Revolution Project Library-Archive Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association California Historical Radio Society California Institute of the Arts California State Parks Inland Empire District California State Railroad Museum California State University, Long Beach, Special Collections and University Archives Chinese Historical Society of Southern California City of Monterey Museums and Cultural Arts Division Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums Echo Park Historical Society Elk Valley Rancheria, California Ella Strong Denison Library, Scripps College Fresno City College Library Friends of the Oakland Public Library Gabrielino Tongva Springs Foundation Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Hercules Historical Society Historic Patterson House Foundation Historical Society of Long Beach Imperial Valley Desert Museum J.

Paul Leonard Library, San Francisco State University Japanese American Museum of San Jose Japanese American National Museum Jewish Family & Children's Services Joshua Tree Creative Laboratory / Parks Modern June L Mazer Lesbian Archives Kern River Valley Historical Society La Historia Historical Society La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley Lambda Archives of San Diego Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation Lemon Grove Historical Society Los Gatos Museum Association Mineral King Preservation Society Mission Peak Heritage Foundation (Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum) Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association Monterey County Free Libraries National Japanese American Historical Society, Inc Oakland Museum of California Ralph J.

Bunche Center for African American Studies Riverside County ACR – Archives Program, Robert J.

Fitch Archives Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose Sacramento Valley Museum Association Saint Mary's College of California San Diego Archaeological Center San Diego Historical Society San Diego Natural History Museum San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno/Tongva San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society Santa Rosa Junior College Multicultural Museum Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Searls Historical Library, Nevada County Historical Society Sonoma Valley Historical Society Templeton Historical Museum The Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco The Gamble House Conservancy The Regents of the University of California, Phoebe A.

Hearst Museum of Anthropology The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Library The Regents of the University of California, Merced The San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Inc. Torrance Historical Society University of California Riverside Library Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation Visual Communications Media Western Nudist Research Library Corp. William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, UCLA 2025 Major Projects Awardee List California Botanic Garden Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Rancho Los Cerritos Foundation Japanese American National Museum Sierra Historic Sites Association Sunhouse Guild Association Chinese Historical Society of Southern California “Groundwork Grants has had a huge impact on our organization, we could not have properly rehoused our items, secured our digital assets, or prepared our organization for disasters without this funding.

Additionally, the grant and the Ready or Not report was instrumental in getting greater board investment in disaster planning and collections stewardship. ” Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California “The Groundwork Grant provided us with the ability to plan for our re-opening of the Japanese American History Archive (JAHA) which is now in the process of physical renovation for mold remediation.

All of the files and boxes that were previously used to house our invaluable documents will now be safely and appropriately placed in the supplies we purchased from the Groundwork Grant. ” Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California “The unexpected challenges this year, including heavy rainfall and unforeseen building maintenance, have had a profound impact on LACA.

These events highlighted the importance of being prepared for the unexpected, underscoring the need for a more proactive and robust caretaking strategy […] We also recognized the interconnectedness of collection care and community health, reinforcing our commitment to both archiving and a social responsibility. The experience revealed gaps in staffing and resources.

Ultimately, these challenges have made us focused on strengthening our relationships with neighbors and working towards trying to make LACA a more sustainable space for both our collections and the community we serve. ” Los Angeles Contemporary Archive (LACA) “The Groundwork Grant has assisted our organization tremendously.

As a small staff with small budgets we were thrilled to have assistance with emergency preparedness and response planning. Without the help of the Myriad consultant we would still be without documentation and procedures. Additionally, the financial assistance with upgrading the alarm system on the museum property has exponentially increased the safety of staff and the security of the Museum and Historical Collection.

Staff at the Archives and Historical Collection are more prepared and better equipped to handle emergency situations as a result of this generous grant. ” Yolo County Archives and Historical Collection Disaster Planning Consultations The Corita Art Center preserves and promotes Corita Kent’s art, teaching, and passion for social justice.

In 2024, the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires swept through Los Angeles, impacting thousands of homes and businesses in California. The fires forced the Center to put plans into practice and become “a steady point of connection,’ as Executive Director Nellie Scott explains, “linking arms with trusted partners to offer creativity, comfort, and hope when it was needed most.

” Emily Rainwater is one of the seven mentors guiding 22 Groundwork Grants awardees through their projects. Her mentees include the Sonoma Valley Historical Society and the Francophone Museum . Issues covered included emergency responses and pocket plans, as well as developing collection management policies like integrated pest management, acquisition procedures, reviewing environmental monitoring data, and more.