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Museums Empowered is sponsored by Institute of Museum and Library Services. Museums Empowered (ME) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program that supports projects using professional development and training to generate change and growth within museums of all types and sizes.
The program focuses on staff learning and training in areas such as integrating digital technology, using evaluation as a tool, and strengthening staff as essential for a resilient organizational culture. A 1:1 non-federal cost share is required.
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Museums Empowered | Institute of Museum and Library Services 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, 884KB) is available for reference.
Grant Amount: $5,000–$350,000 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. Museums Empowered (ME) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program that supports projects that use professional development and training to generate change and growth within museums of all types and sizes.
The goals of this program are to support staff learning and training in one of three areas: to provide museum staff with the skills to integrate digital technology into museum operations; strengthen the ability of museum staff to use evaluation as a tool to shape museum programs and improve outcomes; and strengthen and support museum staff as the essential part of a resilient organizational culture.
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 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.
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.
Advance | Support | Empower
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Museums of all types and sizes. Applicants must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount equal to or greater than the IMLS request. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $5,000–$350,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for Museums Empowered are due November 13, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Museums Empowered 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
On August 26, 2026, the NEA, NEH and IMLS jointly rescinded the disparate-impact provisions of 45 CFR Part 1110. No comment period, no delayed effective date, and an admission buried in the preamble: across FY2020 through FY2024 the agencies ran zero disparate-impact-only investigations. Here is what actually changes for grantees — and what does not.
Read articleIMLS was targeted for elimination by executive order in March 2025, had its entire staff placed on leave, and survived through litigation that settled on April 9, 2026. FY26 award notifications land this month, the FY27 National Leadership Grants deadline is tentatively November 13, 2026, and the President's FY27 budget proposes zero funding. Here is how the agency actually works, which of its channels is most durable, and how cultural institutions should plan against genuine institutional uncertainty.
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