Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture Program

Deadline: 15-Nov-24

Applicants are encouraged to apply for the Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture (ALHC) Program to support projects that build the capacity of American Latino history and culture museums to serve their communities, and broadly advance the growth and development of a professional workforce in American Latino cultural institutions.

Projects designed to build the capacity of American Latino history and culture museums may involve:

• efforts to serve the public through exhibitions;
• educational/interpretive programs;
• digital learning resources;
• policy development and institutional planning;
• technology enhancements;
• professional development;
• community outreach;
• audience development; and/or
• collections management, curation, care, and conservation.

They expect ALHC projects to reflect a thorough understanding of current practice and knowledge about the subject matter and generate measurable results that tie directly to the need or challenge addressed.

Projects that advance the growth and development of a professional workforce may involve internships and fellowships at American Latino museums for students enrolled in Institutions of Higher Education, including Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and professional development opportunities that reach a broad spectrum of those working in American Latino museums.

Goals and Objectives

• Goal 1: Build the capacity of American Latino museums to serve their communities.
  • Objective 1.1 Support the development, enhancement, and expansion of public programs, exhibitions, and/or school programs in American Latino museums.
  • Objective 1.2 Support the growth and development of museum professionals at individual American Latino museums.
  • Objective 1.3 Support the development of management practices and institutional policies and plans that advance the organizational health of American Latino museums.
  • Objective 1.4 Support the management and care of collections in American Latino museums.
• Goal 2: Advance the growth and development of a professional workforce in American Latino institutions.
  • Objective 2.1 Support new or existing museum-based internship and fellowship programs for students pursuing studies relating to American Latino life, art, history, and culture.
  • Objective 2.2 Support the creation of training and professional development programs, tools, or resources that build the knowledge, skills, and abilities of staff and/or volunteers at American Latino museums.
  • Objective 2.3 Support forums that convene experts and stakeholders, including those from adjacent fields as appropriate, to explore current and emerging issues that affect the American Latino museums sector.
  • Objective 2.4 Support the development and dissemination of tools and resources that serve the American Latino museums sector.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Program Funding: $ 6,000,000
• Award Ceiling: $500,000
• Award Floor: $5,000

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for an award under the ALHC program, your organization must meet all three of the following eligibility criteria. Your organization must be:
  • a unit of State, local, or Tribal government; or
  • a private, nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (you will need to include proof of this if applicable to your organization.
• Your organization must be located in:
  • one of the 50 States of the United States of America,
  • the District of Columbia,
  • the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
  • the U.S. Virgin Islands,
  • Guam,
  • American Samoa,
  • the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
  • the Republic of the Marshall Islands,
  • the Federated States of Micronesia, or
  • the Republic of Palau.
• Your organization must qualify as one of the following:
  • A museum whose primary focus, as reflected in its mission, is American Latino life, art, history, or culture that:
    • uses a professional staff;
    • is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes;
    • owns or uses tangible objects, including living collections;
    • cares for these objects; and exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates.
• A museum located within a parent organization that is a State, local, or Tribal government or multipurpose nonprofit entity, such as a university, historical society, foundation, or cultural center, may apply on its own behalf if the museum:
  • can independently fulfill all the eligibility requirements listed in the above three criteria;
  • functions as a discrete unit within the parent organization;
  • has its own fully segregated and itemized operating budget; and
  • has the authority to make the application on its own.
• When any of the last three conditions cannot be met, a museum may only apply through its parent organization.
• They may determine that a nonprofit organization affiliated with a museum is eligible for this program if:
  • its sole mission is to support the specified museum;
  • it has the ability to administer the project; and
  • it can ensure compliance with the terms of this Notice of Funding Opportunity and the applicable law, including the IMLS Assurances and Certifications.
• They require that you provide an agreement from the museum that details the activities the applicant and museum will perform and binds the museum to the statements and assurances in the application.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.