Welcome to the Institute of Museum and Library Services,
Office of Museum Services informational video for the
Museum Grants for African American History and Culture
Grant Program applicant information session.
The goal of this video is to provide an overview of our
Museum Grants for African American History and Culture
grant program, which we call AAHC for short, and the process
of preparing an application for funding.
This video is organized into five chapters.
What is Museum Grants for African American History and
Culture?
This section explains the purpose and design of the AAHC
grant program.
What can AAHC grants fund?
This section explains the types of projects that can be funded
in AAHC and the amount of funds that can be requested.
Application Components —
Introduction: this section describes the types of documents
that are needed to create an AAHC grant application.
Application Components — Narrative: this section provides
guidance on composing the narrative part of the
application.
Application Tips and Next Steps: the concluding section provides
a few tips and next steps.
The complete set of instructions for how to prepare and submit an
AAHC grant application are found in the Notice of Funding
Opportunity, published on Grants.gov and also available on
the IMLS website.
Please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the most
detailed information to prepare your application.
To get the most out of this video, we recommend that you
watch it in its entirety.
This will give you an understanding of the AAHC grant
program, the types of projects that can be funded, and the
necessary application components.
You may also want to review the AAHC Notice of Funding
Opportunity before, during, and after you watch the video.
Notices of Funding Opportunities, also known as
NOFOs, are documents that detail the requirements of each of our
grant programs.
All of our NOFOs can be found at imls.gov/grants.
As you navigate the application process, you can use this video
as a reference tool.
If you'd like to skip to a specific section, please use the
time bar below or the links in the description box to navigate
the chapters.
In this section we will answer the question “What is
AAHC?”—providing information on the purpose and intent of this
grant program and who it is designed to serve.
The same legislation that created the Smithsonian's
National Museum of African American History and Culture
also directed IMLS to create a grant program.
This program is designed to: build the capacity of African
American museums; nurture the growth and development of museum
professionals at African American museums; and increase
access to museum and archival collections at African American
museums and Historically Black colleges and universities, also
known as HBCUs.
AAHC is a grant program for museums whose primary purpose,
as reflected in their mission, is African American life, art,
history, and/or culture.
To apply for federal funding at IMLS, all applicants must meet
certain requirements.
Your organization must be located in one of the United
States’ 50 States, its Territories, or the District of
Columbia, and your organization must be a unit of state, local
or tribal government or a private nonprofit organization
with tax exempt status.
If you meet those two requirements, then the next step
is to consider what it means to be eligible for IMLS funding as
a museum.
To be eligible for funding as a museum, your organization must:
have at least one full time or equivalent professional staff
person, either paid or unpaid; have a physical location that it
owns or operates; have been open to the public for at least 120
days in the year prior to the application deadline; and own or
use tangible objects.
Your museum may also be a standalone organization, or they
may be a part of a larger institution such as a college,
university, tribe, or a state or local government.
You could also qualify as a not-for-profit museum service
organization or association whose primary purpose, as
reflected in your mission, is to support African American
museums.
HBCUs are also eligible to apply whether they have a museum or
museum studies program or not.
In this section we will answer the question "what can AAHC
fund?" — providing details on the types of projects and
associated goals within the AAHC grant program, as well as offer
some summary data on the number and type of AAHC projects that
were funded last year.
AAHC grants are designed to support project-based
activities, so let's take time to consider exactly what that
means.
The Project Management Institute defines a project as a temporary
endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or
result.
They go on further to explain that a project is temporary
because it has a defined beginning and end in time and
therefore defines scope and resources.
And the project is unique in that it is not a routine
operation, but rather a specific set of operations designed to
accomplish a singular goal.
We recommend that you keep this definition in mind as you
conceptualize your IMLS project.
Think of it as a temporary, non-routine set of activities,
which collectively have a beginning and an end in time, a
defined scope requiring specific resources, and which are
designed to accomplish a specific, singular goal.
With that concept of "project" in mind, let's turn to project
goals.
The type of project activity you are seeking to fund should align
with one of these.
As you can see here, there are two options: Building Capacity
and Professional Development.
Why is your decision about this project goal to choose so
important?
For one thing, your application will be reviewed by museum
professionals who have experience and expertise in
these general categories. And for another, your application
will be competing against others who have chosen the same
category.
In short, the entire review process incorporates an
assumption that your project aligns with the goal you've
identified. So it's an important choice.
So let's take a look at what kinds of project activities
might fit within these goal areas.
The listed objectives provide some of the types of projects
that fit within the goal.
Projects designed to build the capacity of African American
museums may involve increasing the number of museum
professionals working at African American museums to enable the
museum to expand educational programs, engage the community,
enhance professional management, or provide for improved care of
collections.
Some examples of the kinds of project activities that you may
apply for are: exhibition development, design and
fabrication; interpretive and educational programs, product
development and delivery;
developing collection plans, interpretive plans, or strategic
plans;
using consultants, researchers, and other sources of
professional expertise;
implementing recommendations or action plans from planning
activities; cataloging, inventorying, documenting, and
registering collection;
digitization of collections designed to enhance outreach,
expand access, or improve collections management.
Projects designed to address Goal 2,
supporting the growth and development of museum
professionals at African American museums,
may involve developing and implementing internship,
fellowship, and mentoring programs to support emerging
professionals entering the museum field.
They can involve developing equitable and inclusive staff
recruitment and retention programs, as well as creating
growth opportunities for staff to build skills, enhance their
knowledge and share expertise.
Some examples of the kinds of project activities that you may
apply for are:
working with consultants and training providers to develop
and offer workshops and training for museum staff, leadership and
volunteers; creating and supporting paid internships and
fellowships, including recruitment, supervision,
mentoring and training for interns and fellows; and
finally, providing professional development and career growth
opportunities for museum staff, leadership, and volunteers.
Before we close our discussion of project goals, we want to
again mention our guidance for projects that could belong
logically in more than one.
Sometimes it's tough to choose, and you might be tempted to
think that the best strategy would be to align with both.
We advise against that for several reasons.
We expect that projects aligned with a specific goal will
address different problems, use different approaches, and will
measure success in achieving the attended results in different
ways.
So how can you choose the best category for your project?
Here are three things we suggest you try.
Think carefully about what is "in the center" of your project.
Is it the visitor?
Will people who engage with you as a result of your project -
let's say to create a new exhibition and related
programming - acquire new knowledge, develop a skill, or
experience a change in attitude about the subject of your
exhibit?
Or is it the museum staff that's in the center of your thinking?
Or is your project about preparing the next generation of
the museum workforce?
A second consideration might be to think about who you want to
review your application.
If you apply under Building Capacity, we will put your
application in front of museum educators, exhibits
professionals, interpretive specialists, and professionals
with deep experience in understanding what is needed for
a museum to reach its full performance level and be
successful.
Would you rather we put it in front of a combination of
experts who specialize in developing and executing a wide
range of museum training?
If that sounds right, then it may push you toward Professional
Development.
A third option is to list the activities you plan to carry out
and think about the project budget.
To which category are the majority of project time and
resources allocated?
Again, our most important advice is to choose one project goal
and write your proposal accordingly.
As always, if you have questions, contact the IMLS
staff to discuss them.
Our next topic has to do with how much funding your project
requires.
The size of your project, and how much you are requesting in
IMLS funds, will determine the cost share requirement.
There are two options to consider. For small projects
requesting an amount of federal funds less than $100,000, you do
not need to provide a cost share.
This option is designed for smaller scale projects.
For larger projects that are requesting an amount of federal
funds greater than $100,001, and up to a maximum of $500,000, you
must provide a one-to-one cost share.
Cost share can take a number of forms:
among them are cash, staff time, volunteer time, third-party
contributions, grants from foundations, and support from
state or local government.
Cost share cannot come from other federal sources.
The amount of applications received and the amount of
awards made can vary from year to year.
Here's a snapshot of our most recent application and award
cycle.
In fiscal year 24, IMLS made 30 AAHC awards with a total of $6
million in federal funds.
We received 61 eligible AAHC applications last year,
resulting in 49% of those applications being funded.
About 51% of those awards were for large projects, with the
remaining 49% being small projects.
The average amount of federal funds for each project was about
$171,000.
Here you will see different ways that cost share could be applied
to a funding request of $100,000 or less.
While cost share is not required at this funding level, you may
elect to identify cost share anyway and it does not have to
be one-to-one.
Please note that it is not advised to commit to a cost
share larger than your IMLS funding request and it will not
be seen as a competitive edge over the other applications.
Here you will see the one-to-one cost share applied for projects
requesting $100,000 and $1.00 to $500,000.
For these projects, the one-to-one cost share is
required.
Again, it is not advised that you over commit to a cost share
larger than your grant request.
In this section, we will introduce the components of an
AAHC grant application, and provide an overview about the
required, conditionally required, and supporting
documents.
The AAHC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) includes a
complete list of all the application components.
Most of these components are created by applicants and saved
as a PDF for uploading as part of your application package and
Grants.gov.
The Table of Application Components within the "Prepare
Your Application section" of the NOFO lists which application
components are required, as well as those that are conditionally
required.
For example, some components are included in the application
depending on the type of applicant or the type of
project.
Aside from the SF424S and the IMLS Museum Program Information
Form, which are completed in the Grants.gov workspace, all other
application components must be submitted as PDF documents.
These are the required documents.
All applications must include the documents listed here.
Omission of even just one might result in your application's
rejection.
Also important to note, there is a 7-page limit for the
narrative.
If you exceed the page limit specified in the Notice of
Funding Opportunity, we must remove the extra pages before
your application goes out for review.
That means your reviewer may see a paragraph or sentence end in
mid-air and wonder about your organizational skills and your
attentiveness to detail.
So make sure your content fits into the page limit specified
and make sure the number of pages holds when you convert
your document to a PDF.
The second category of application components is that
of conditionally required documents.
Some applications must include one, two, or even all four of
these, and it's your job to figure out which are required
for yours.
If you are applying as a nonprofit, then you must include
your proof of nonprofit status issued by the Internal Revenue
Service.
We will not accept a letter of State sales tax exemption as
proof of nonprofit status.
If you are using a federally negotiated indirect cost rate in
your budget, then you must include a copy of your final
rate agreement.
If you will create digital products during the course of
your project, then you must complete and submit a Digital
Products Plan.
If you are requesting support for conservation treatment, then
you must include detailed condition reports and/or formal
conservation treatment proposals.
Just like the required documents,
omission of even one might result in your application's
rejection.
Please note that the term "digital product" includes
digitized and born-digital content, resources or assets,
and software.
If you are creating any of these types of materials, you must
include the Digital Products Plan with your application.
The third group of application components is Supporting
Documents, and here is a partial list of examples.
Supporting documents are optional.
You may submit some or none.
Include only those items that will supplement your proposal.
This is not the place to introduce brand new information,
rather, as the name suggests, they should lend support to your
project justification work plan and intended results that you've
already spelled out in your application narrative.
For example, have you identified a partner whose involvement is
key to the project's success?
If so, a letter of support or commitment would go a long way
to reassuring reviewers that they are 'on board' and the
project will succeed.
Pictures can help give reviewers – who may not be familiar with
your institution, programs, collections, or community – a
better idea of what you're describing within your
narrative.
Vendor quotes or equipment specifications show you've done
some of the legwork in getting appropriate estimates for
project costs.
We recommend that you be respectful to your reviewers'
time and avoid any temptation to include hundreds of pages of
extraneous material.
Being judicious really does work to your benefit, as supporting
documents can make – or break – an application.
Include what is important, helpful and directly relevant to
your project, and stop there.
In the following section of this presentation, we will focus on
the Narrative.
Go to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for complete
instructions on how to prepare and complete all of the
application components.
In this section, we will go over the questions you will need to
answer in your project narrative and offer details on the review
criteria associated with each of the three sections, Project
Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results.
Now let's talk about the narrative.
You have 7 pages to cover 3 very important issues and the Notice
of Funding Opportunity provides lengthy guidance on what the
narrative should cover.
First is the project justification.
What need, problem or challenge will your project address, and
how is it identified?
Describe how you have used demographic information,
economic circumstances, condition assessments, and other
relevant data from reliable sources to define the need,
problem, or challenge and develop the scope for the
project.
Who is the primary audience for your project and how have they
been involved in the planning?
"Primary audience" refers to those who will be most
immediately and positively affected by your project.
Identify the number of individuals in the primary
audience, or in each primary audience if you identify more
than one.
Who are the ultimate beneficiaries for this project?
"Beneficiaries" refers to those who are likely to be aided in
the long-term by your project.
They may or may not be the same as your primary audience.
Identify the number of individuals who will benefit
from your project in the long-term, if reliable and
defensible counts are possible.
Otherwise, describe the characteristics of the
beneficiaries you expect to be served eventually by your
project.
In the application review of the Notice of Funding Opportunity
under Peer Review Criteria, you will find a list of questions
that reviewers are asked to consider when they review your
proposal.
It is a good idea to refer to these as you craft your
narrative to be certain you are providing reviewers clear, solid
information.
You will see that they correspond fairly directly with
the prompts you are given to write your narrative.
One of the prompts in the Project Justification section of
the narrative is the identification of the need,
problem, or challenge your project addresses.
It is foundational in your application, so keep these
points in mind:
The federal government wants its investment to result in
something getting better.
As you define your need, problem, or challenge,
articulate what will get better as a result of your project as
precisely as possible.
Will your museum be able to expand their services as a
result of additional staff?
Will new graduates be better prepared for the museum field
with the requisite experience?
Will collections be better cared for?
Will their lifespan be extended?
Will access to your collections and the information surrounding
them be expanded?
Identify why it is important that this particular change
happens.
Hone your problem definition carefully in clear, succinct
terms.
Gather and present data that support your problem definition.
Project Work Plan:
If the project justification section was the "why?", the
Project Work Plan section is where you identify the 'who,
what, when, and how.' Who will do what activities, when, and
using what resources?
You should explain how you will track your progress toward
achieving your intended results and what you'll do if you need
to correct course.
We also ask you to think about risks that are inherent in your
particular project and to tell us how you've taken that into
account in your planning.
I'll say more about that in a few minutes.
Please note that in your budget you are required to add $3000
per year for travel to an IMLS designated meeting.
You will add this line item in the Travel section of the IMLS
Budget form on the Federal Grants Funds side of the budget.
This expense is used to cover your participation in a
convening of grantees at a place and location to be determined by
IMLS.
Again, this is the list of questions in the Peer Review
Criteria section of the Notice of Funding Opportunity that
reviewers are asked to consider when they review your proposal,
so make sure your narrative is answering these effectively.
Your work plan will be built on activities, so it's important to
be clear about what an activity is.
An activity is something that someone does.
It has a beginning and an end (just like projects), and you
know when you've finished it because it doesn't need to be
done anymore.
An activity is not a goal, a result, or an outcome.
Rather, it is something you do as part of striving to achieve
those.
Aim for a reasonable level of detail in identifying your
activities.
We also ask you to think about risks that are inherent in your
particular project and to tell us how you've taken that into
account in your planning.
Think of it as answering the question "What if?" There is no
checklist of risks, but every project has them.
The best proposals will show that you are aware of them and
have thought through a plan for dealing with them.
Look at your activities and think about what could go wrong.
Focus on the ones where your experience (your own or that of
your group) tells you, "Yes, that could happen," and identify
steps you would take in response.
IMLS knows things go differently than expected.
We just want you to prepare by identifying implementable
options.
Here are some examples of risk that might be part of a project
for which you might seek AAHC funding:
A project may be dependent upon fundraising to generate the cost
share, but it is not complete by the time the application is
submitted.
What would the institution do if that money is not available by
the time the project gets underway?
A project may be structured around university interns who
will be selected and trained according to well thought out
processes.
What will happen if one or more interns drop out?
What's the plan for replacing them mid-project?
A project involving rehousing collections into new
museum-quality collection storage furniture might run into
delays in preparing the space or in the delivery of the cabinets.
What happens to the collection items then?
How will the institution ensure that they remain safe and
secure?
A project depends on your community partners to achieve
success, but one partner drops out mid-project.
What do you do now?
The third section of your narrative should be devoted to
articulating your project's intended results.
This section is your chance to convince the reviewers that your
project will result in something getting better.
The need or problem you identified in your Project
Justification will be addressed directly, and it will be
diminished or eliminated altogether.
We ask you to tell us what data you will collect and report in
order to measure your project's success.
If your project will generate tangible projects (and most do)
here's the opportunity to describe them and make the case
that they will be useful.
And last but not least, we ask that you tell us how you will
sustain the benefit of the project.
How will this improvement that you propose to make continue
once your grant is over?
Again, here's the list of review questions that reviewers are
asked to consider when they read and score the Project Results
section of your narrative.
These are found in the Peer Review Criteria section of the
Notice of Funding Opportunity.
All of your results should tie back to your need, problem, or
challenge.
You may well experience tangential benefits and/or
positive outcomes, but make sure you identify them "as in
addition to," and not "instead of" your original intended
results.
Reviewers are likely to see that as a disconnect.
We often hear that defining intended results and success
measures is challenging for applicants, so it's worth
spending a bit of time on this here.
Let's think back to the questions we referenced a couple
of slides ago where we talked about defining the need,
problem, or challenge that your project is addressing.
If you said someone will learn something, how will you know?
If your problem related to segments of your community being
better able to work together, how will you know when that has
been achieved?
If collections will be better cared for, how will you be sure,
and how will you measure "better?"
If you're digitizing to expand accessibility, how will you know
when you've done it?
This focus on results and measuring success in meaningful
ways is not new.
There has been a tremendous amount of work done on ways to
measure success. For you as an applicant, though, we encourage
you to consider using a logic model or an outcomes-based
evaluation tool to explain your intended results and your plan
for achieving them.
So to recap, your narrative has three sections—Project
Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results, and
you have 7 pages for it.
The sections are all equally important.
Write clearly, address what we ask you to address, and keep an
eye on those review criteria.
We're telling you here exactly what the reviewers will look
for, so make it easy for them to find it and understand it.
In summary, considering all the components of your application,
there are four general characteristics of successful
AAHC applications that reviewers will look for.
As you prepare your application, keep these characteristics in
mind.
First, Institutional Impact:
Your project should build the capacity of your museum and/or
support the growth and development of museum
professionals at your museum or HBCU.
Second, In-depth Knowledge:
Your proposal should reflect a thorough understanding of
current practice and knowledge about the subject matter.
Third, Project-based Design:
Your work plan should consist of a set of logical, interrelated
activities tied directly to addressing the key need or
challenge.
And fourth, Demonstrable Results: Your project should
generate measurable results that tie directly to the need or
challenge it was designed to address.
An application that has all of these four characteristics will
stand out in the review process and will have the best chance of
success for funding.
In this final section of our presentation, we offer some
application tips and next steps.
We want to share with you the places to look for information,
such as the IMLS website where you can find the awarded grants
search to learn more about the projects we have funded through
the AAHC program.
The Awarded Grants Search gives you an opportunity to explore
our archive of grants that we have awarded in past years
using a variety of criteria such as institution name, location,
and keyword.
Your search will provide basic information about the award and
a brief description of the project.
This can be extremely helpful as you put ideas together for your
own project.
We have also posted the narrative and schedule of
completion for a cross-section of successful applications from
the 2024 round.
To find these examples, go to the Sample Applications on the
IMLS website and scroll down the page to the AAHC examples.
Looking at these proposals might help clarify your thinking about
your own.
Each PDF contains a copy of the seven-page narrative and also
the schedule of completion;
some will also include a digital products plan.
We can only make grants to eligible applicants that submit
complete applications, including attachments, on or before the
deadline.
So here are some tips to help you do just that.
Start early.
You've already done that by participating in this webinar.
Become familiar with Grants.gov's Workspace.
It has many good features, including upfront validation,
which allows you to correct errors prior to submission, and
the opportunity to collaborate with others in creating your
application.
Consider starting with the Workplace Overview and check out
the tutorials.
Do your background research, make it easy for the reviewers
to see that you are up to date and know what you're talking
about.
Be sure your application is complete.
Check it against the table of Application Components and the
Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Make sure all application components are in the proper
format and follow the correct naming conventions.
Submit to Grants.gov early so you can correct any errors and
avoid any trauma related to technology challenges.
It's important to get your application submitted online
through Grants.gov before the deadline.
IMLS does not accept applications by mail or email.
In order to register with Grants.gov, you must have an
active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity Identifier number,
also known as a UEI.
So make sure your registrations for both of these sites are
complete, your accounts are active, and that any necessary
passwords are current.
These registrations expire periodically, so do not wait
until it's time to hit the 'submit' button to check on
them.
You should coordinate with any other staff members, such as
your Authorized Organization Representative, who may hold the
accounts and passwords you'll need to submit.
Both the SAM.gov and Grants.gov websites have robust help
features and FAQs.
If you run into technical issues with either of these sites, you
should reach out to their help desks and request a tracking,
case, or ticket number in order to document your issue and
attempts at resolving it.
Failure to have active SAM.gov or Grants.gov registrations by
the application deadline is not an excuse for submitting a late
application, so, again, start early.
There are many components to the application, and the Narrative
is an essential and critical part of the package.
Peer reviewers – museum professionals from all types of
museums – will be selected by IMLS to read each application
and provide constructive and critical comments on the
strengths and weaknesses of the proposed projects.
They also base their reviews only on the information
contained in the application. So don't assume that a reviewer or
IMLS will know something about your museum or your proposed
project.
To help make sure your Narrative is as clear and complete as
possible: revisit the AAHC Notice of Funding Opportunity
and follow the narrative outline it provides.
Be sure to consider the review criteria associated with each
section of the of the Narrative.
Use headings, subheadings, or even numbered sections in your
Narrative to make it easy for reviewers to read.
Avoid generalities, acronyms, and jargon.
The people who will review your application are museum
professionals, but they may not be totally familiar with your
particular field's shorthand.
Make it easy for them to understand what you mean.
An advantage to starting your application early is that you
can ask a colleague to review everything with fresh eyes
before you submit.
Ask them to act like a reviewer who's seeing this for the first
time.
At the bottom of this slide is a link to the IMLS website where
you may sign up to become a peer reviewer.
Even if you decide to submit an application for this round, you
may still serve as a peer reviewer.
Here are a few important dates relating to the AAHC
applications.
Applications must be received through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM
Eastern Time on November 15th, 2024.
The date is non-negotiable.
The time stamp is auto generated by the Grants.gov system and we
have no ability to override it.
We will say this repeatedly, to start early and submit your
application early.
That way, if you encounter a difficulty of any kind when
submitting your application, you'll have some time to resolve
the problem and resubmit.
After the application deadline, IMLS staff will review your
application for completeness and eligibility.
You will hear from us via email if there are any problems.
Next, we will select experienced and knowledgeable peer reviewers
to read your applications and provide scores and comments
based on the criteria outlined in the AAHC Notice of Funding
Opportunity.
IMLS staff will examine your budget, your financials, and
your track record with past and current grants.
We then prepare materials for the IMLS Deputy Director for
Museums and the IMLS Director.
By law, the IMLS Director is charged with the authority and
responsibility to make final award decisions, and this
typically happens in May.
In early June 2025, we will notify you by e-mail of the
award decisions and provide the scores and comments created by
the reviewers.
AAHC projects must be scheduled to start on the first day of
July 2025.
As you read through the NOFO and prepare your application,
additional questions may arise before the application deadline.
We can help you with learning more about the AAHC grant
program or other grant programs at IMLS, address any specific
concerns with the various application components, or help
you understand the review process.
You may contact IMLS program staff by email or phone.
Contact information is listed on the grant program landing page
on the IMLS website.
You may also schedule a counseling call to meet directly
with program staff.
Use the links found on the Grant program landing page to find an
available time slot on our calendar.
You will then receive an e-mail with a calendar invite and
Microsoft Teams meeting link.