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National Leadership Grants is sponsored by THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES. NLG supports projects that address critical needs of the museum and library fields and that have the potential to advance practice in these professions so that museums and libraries can strengthen services for the American public. NLG-Museums has three program goals with three associated objectives each. GOAL 1: Advance the museum field’s ability to empower people of all ages and backgrounds through experiential and cross-disciplinary learning and discovery. Obj. 1.1: Support the development, implementation, and dissemination of model programs that facilitate adoption across the field. Obj. 1.2: Support research focusing on the role of museums in engaging learners of all types. Obj. 1.3: Support forums that convene experts and stakeholders, including those from adjacent fields as appropriate, to explore current and emerging issues and inform the field. GOAL 2: Advance the museum field’s ability to maximize the use of museum resources to address community needs through partnerships and collaborations. Obj. 2.1: Support the development of new and innovative methods for addressing community challenges through partnerships, services, processes, or practices for use across the museum field. Obj. 2.2: Support research focusing on museums’ roles in engaging diverse audiences and fostering civic discourse. Obj. 2.3: Support forums that convene experts and stakeholders, including those from adjacent fields as appropriate, to explore current and emerging issues and inform the field. GOAL 3: Advance the museum field’s ability to identify new solutions that address high-priority and widespread collections care or conservation issues. Obj. 3.1: Support the development, implementation, and dissemination of new tools or services that facilitate access, management, preservation, sharing, and use of museum collections. Obj. 3.2: Support research focusing on any broadly relevant aspect of the management, conservation, and preservation of collections. Obj. 3.3: Support forums that convene experts and stakeholders, including those from adjacent fields as appropriate, to explore current and emerging issues and inform the field.
NLG-Libraries has one program goal with four associated objectives. GOAL 1: Develop, enhance, or disseminate replicable practices, programs, models, or tools to strengthen library and archival services for the American public. Obj. 1.1: Serve the learning needs of the public through libraries and archives. Obj. 1.2: Improve community well-being through libraries and archives. Obj. 1.3: Provide broad access to and preservation of information and collections through libraries and archives. Obj. 1.4: Provide services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster. This listing is currently active. Program number: 45.312. Last updated on 2024-11-15.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: An applicant must meet geographic and governance criteria and qualify as one of the following six types of organizations: 1. A library or a parent organization, such as a school district, a municipality, a State agency, or an academic institution, that is responsible for the administration of a library; 2. An academic or administrative unit, such as a graduate school of library and information science that is part of an institution of higher education through which it would apply; 3. A digital library or archives, if it makes materials publicly available and provides library or archival services, including selection, organization, description, reference, and preservation, under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian/archivist; 4. A library or archival agency that is an official agency of a State, tribal, or other unit of government and is charged by the law governing it with the extension and development of public library services within its jurisdiction; 5. A library or archives consortium that is a local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international cooperative association of library entities that provides for the systematic and effective coordination of the resources of eligible libraries or archives, as defined above, and information centers that work to improve the services delivered to the clientele of these libraries or archives; or 6. A library or archives association that exists on a permanent basis; serves libraries, archives, or library or archival professionals on a national, regional, State, or local level; and engages in activities designed to advance the well-being of libraries and the library profession. An applicant to NLG-Museums must meet geographic and governance criteria and qualify as one of the following four types of organizations: 1. A museum that, using a professional staff, is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes; owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; cares for these objects; and exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates. 2. An organization or association that engages in activities designed to advance the wellbeing of museums and the museum profession; 3. An institution of higher education, including public and nonprofit universities; or 4. A public or private nonprofit agency that is responsible for the operation of a museum that meets these criteria. Eligible applicant types include: Public nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), U.S. Territories and possessions (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Private nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), State (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals). Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows recent federal obligations suggest $17,300,000 (2025). Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Yes — National Leadership Grants is offered by THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES and this listing comes from SAM.gov, an official U.S. federal source. Federal applications generally require registrations (for example SAM.gov or an agency submission portal), so allow extra lead time.
This opportunity targets applicants in District of Columbia. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
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Read articleOn 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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