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Eligible: Education, Nonprofits, Rural

Apply by Nov 13, 2026

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Active

$5,000 - $75,000

Inspire Grants for Small Museums

From Institute of Museum and Library Services

Note: Cost share is not required for Small Project type ($5,000-$25,000). 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, including small rural or small remote institutions and small museums that have not previously received federal funding. The program funds project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities. The goal of the Inspire program is to build the capacity of small museums to provide museum services to their communities through supporting: • The development of experiential learning and discovery in small museums; and • The management and care of collections in small museums. The primary audiences for this program are small – including rural and remote -- museums, museum professionals, and the communities they serve.

  • Overview

    • Type

      Grant

    • Title

      Inspire Grants for Small Museums

    • Source

      Institute of Museum and Library Services

    • Federal or State

      Federal

    • Total Amount

      $3,000,000

    • Number of Awards

      75

    • Award Range

      $5,000 - $75,000

    • Cost Share

      Yes

    • Status

      Active

  • Topics

    Buildings & Infrastructure

  • Eligibility

    • Audience

      Education, Nonprofits, Rural

    • Sector

      Buildings & Infrastructure

    • Activity

      Education & Outreach, Planning, Program Management, Research & Development

    • Eligibility

      Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are:

      • Located in the United States or any U.S. Territories or Freely Associated States; AND
      • A unit of a State, local or Tribal government or a private, nonprofit organization; AND
      • A museum or a parent entity that operates a qualifying small museum.

      A special note regarding small museums: IMLS does not have fixed parameters to determine the size of a museum. All applicants have the opportunity to describe structural or organizational issues that restrict the abilities and capacity of the museum in the Organizational Profile. Attributes that should be addressed include, but are not limited to:

      • number of staff members and volunteers;
      • estimate of total person-hours worked per week;
      • operating budget and sources of revenue;
      • number and types of objects in the collection;
      • size of facility and property;
      • types and numbers of audiences served; and
      • size relative to other organizations of the same discipline, or within the same geographic region.

    • Location

      National

  • Application Process

    • Application Link

      https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363771

    • Pre-Application?

      No

    • Requirements

      Grant Amount: $5,000–$75,000
      Grant Period: One to three years
      Cost Share Requirement: If your total request for federal funding is between $5,000 and $25,000, then no cost share is required. If your request for federal funding is between $25,001 and $75,000, you must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of your IMLS request

    • Disbursement Method

      Reimbursement

  • Important Dates

    • Application Open Date

      Sep 1, 2026

    • Application Close Date

      Nov 13, 2026

    • Open Date

      Sep 1, 2026

    • Period of Performance Start

      Sep 1, 2027

    • Period of Performance End

      Aug 31, 2030

    • Publish Date

      Sep 1, 2026

  • Resources & Contacts

    • Contact

      Program Contact:

      If you have questions, please contact the staff members listed under the objective that best fits your project.

      Lifelong Learning Collections Stewardship and Access
      Reagan Moore
      Senior Museum Program Officer
      rmoore@imls.gov
      202-653-4637To schedule a time to talk to Reagan Moore about Lifelong Learning, click here.      		 Mark Feitl
      Senior Museum Program Officer
      mfeitl@imls.gov
      202-653-4635To schedule a time to talk to Mark Feitl about Collections Stewardship and Access, click here.

    • Resources

      Inspire Grants for Small Museums | Institute of Museum and Library Services

      Notice of Funding Opportunity: https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/fy27-oms-igsm-NOFO.pdf

  • Have a general question?

    Get answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about funding.

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