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Inspire! Grants for Small Museums (IMLS) is sponsored by Institute of Museum and Library Services. Supports small museums in project‑based educational programs, exhibits, and community partnerships.
Official opportunity description and requirements excerpt:
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums | Institute of Museum and Library Services Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary Evaluations & Research Studies 21st Century Museum Professionals Program Grants to State Library Administrative Agencies Inspire! Grants for Small Museums Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Museum Grants for African American History and Culture Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture National Leadership Grants for Libraries National Leadership Grants for Museums Native American Library Services: Basic Grants Native American Library Services: Enhancement Grants Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Native Hawaiian Library Services Purpose & Priorities of LSTA Enter a keyword to find resources and information pertaining to IMLS Grants. Application: The FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (PDF, 898KB) is now available. Grant Amount: $5,000–$75,000 Grant Period: One to three years Cost Share Requirement: If your total request for federal funding is between $5,000 and $25,000, then no cost share is required. If your request for federal funding is between $25,001 and $75,000, you must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of your IMLS request. IMLS Priorities Cover Letter: Inspire Cover letter (PDF, 144KB) 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 in 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. The primary audiences for this program are small museums, museum professionals, and the publics they serve. IMLS does not have fixed parameters to determine the size of a museum. All applicants have the opportunity to describe structural or organizational issues that restrict the abilities and capacity of the museum in the Organizational Profile. Attributes that should be addressed include, but are not limited to: number of staff members and volunteers; estimate of total person-hours worked per week; operating budget and sources of revenue; number and types of objects in the collection; size of facility and property; types and numbers of audiences served; and size relative to other organizations of the same discipline, or within the same geographic region. Interested in learning more about this grant program? Watch the informational video (below) for specific details about this grant program and the process
Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums | Institute of Museum and Library Services Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary Evaluations & Research Studies 21st Century Museum Professionals Program Grants to State Library Administrative Agencies Inspire!
Grants for Small Museums Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Museum Grants for African American History and Culture Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture National Leadership Grants for Libraries National Leadership Grants for Museums Native American Library Services: Basic Grants Native American Library Services: Enhancement Grants Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Native Hawaiian Library Services Purpose & Priorities of LSTA Enter a keyword to find resources and information pertaining to IMLS Grants.
Application: The FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (PDF, 898KB) is now available. Grant Amount: $5,000–$75,000 Grant Period: One to three years Cost Share Requirement: If your total request for federal funding is between $5,000 and $25,000, then no cost share is required.
If your request for federal funding is between $25,001 and $75,000, you must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of your IMLS request.
IMLS Priorities Cover Letter: Inspire Cover letter (PDF, 144KB) 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 in 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. The primary audiences for this program are small museums, museum professionals, and the publics they serve.
IMLS does not have fixed parameters to determine the size of a museum. All applicants have the opportunity to describe structural or organizational issues that restrict the abilities and capacity of the museum in the Organizational Profile.
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: Private nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3)), local governments, tribal organizations. ([uasd. org](https://www. uasd. org/nsdc-grants-update? utm_source=openai)) Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Funding amounts vary based on project scope and sponsor guidance. Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is March 13, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Application snapshot: target deadline March 13, 2026; published funding information Funding amounts vary by project scope and award track.; eligibility guidance Private nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3)), local governments, tribal organizations. ([uasd. org](https://www. uasd. org/nsdc-grants-update? utm_source=openai))
Use the official notice and source links for final requirements, attachment checklists, allowable costs, and submission instructions before applying.
Attributes that should be addressed include, but are not limited to: number of staff members and volunteers; estimate of total person-hours worked per week; operating budget and sources of revenue; number and types of objects in the collection; size of facility and property; types and numbers of audiences served; and size relative to other organizations of the same discipline, or within the same geographic region.
Interested in learning more about this grant program? Watch the informational video (below) for specific 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 links (below). If you have questions, please contact the staff members listed under the objective that best fits your project. Collections Stewardship and Access Senior Museum Program Officer To schedule a time to talk to Reagan Moore about Lifelong Learning, click here .
Senior Museum Program Officer To schedule a time to talk to Mark Feitl about Collections Stewardship and Access, click here . We invite you to view our pre-recorded webinars. 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.
Deadlines are tentative. 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.
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums Advance | Support | Empower Office of Special Counsel
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