Museums for America

The Museums for America (MFA) program invests in museums of all sizes and disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities. The goals of the program are to advance a museum�s capacity to: serve people of all ages and backgrounds through experiential learning and discovery; respond to community needs; and manage and care for collections and their associated documentation. The primary audiences for this program are museums, museum professionals, and the publics they serve. 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 goal of this program is to support staff learning and training 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. The primary audiences for this program are museums and museum professionals. 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...

An applicant to Museums for America or its initiatives must meet geographic and governance criteria and qualify as one of the following 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. A public or private nonprofit agency that is responsible for the operation of a museum that meets these criteria. Applicants should consult the Notices of Funding Opportunity for MFA and the special initiatives for more details.

Successful applications in this grant program are structured to address a key goal identified in the institution�s strategic plan; reflect a thorough understanding of current practice and knowledge about the subject matter; present a work plan consisting of a set of logical, interrelated activities tied directly to addressing the key need or challenge identified in the application; and are designed to generate measurable results that tie directly to the identified need or challenge. IMLS staff review applications for eligibility and completeness. IMLS uses a peer review process to evaluate all eligible and complete applications. Peer reviewers are experts in the field with relevant knowledge and expertise in the types of project activities identified in the applications. IMLS instructs reviewers to evaluate applications according to the review criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Peer reviewers must comply with Federal ethics and conflicts of interest requirements.

Museums for America and Museums Empowered (special initiative): At least one-to-one cost share from non-federal sources is required. Inspire! Grants for Small Museums (special initiative): For FY2025, cost sharing is allowed but not required for projects requesting between $5,000 and $25,000 in federal support. At least one-to-one cost share from non-federal sources is required for projects requesting between $25,001 and $75,000 in federal support.