Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture (2027)

The Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, is the federal awarding agency for the Museum Grants for American Latino History and Culture program. IMLS advances, supports, and empowers museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. The program supports projects that build the capacity of American Latino history and culture museums to serve their communities and advance the growth and development of a professional workforce in American Latino cultural institutions. Its two program goals are to build the capacity of American Latino museums to serve their communities and to support the growth and development of a professional workforce in American Latino museums. Applicants must align their proposed project with one program goal and one associated objective. Projects under the first goal may develop, enhance, or expand public programs, exhibitions, or school programs; improve the care and conservation of museum collections and archives and expand access to collections; or strengthen museum operations through new or improved strategic plans, management practices, or institutional policies. Projects under the second goal may develop and implement internship, fellowship, and mentoring programs for people entering the museum field or create learning and growth opportunities that build the knowledge, skills, and abilities of museum staff or volunteers. IMLS expects to award approximately 6000000 through this announcement through an anticipated 16 awards. Individual awards are expected to range from 5000 to 500000. Projects may operate for one to three years and must begin August 1, 2027, with the overall anticipated period of performance extending through July 31, 2030. Generally allowable expenses include personnel salaries, wages, and fringe benefits; travel for key project staff and consultants; project-related materials, supplies, software, and equipment; accessibility technologies and services; participant support costs; third-party costs; design and publication expenses; program evaluation; staff and volunteer training; paid internships and fellowships; stipends or honoraria; and allowable indirect costs. General fundraising, endowment contributions, general operating support, acquisition of collections, general promotional advertising or public relations, construction or facility renovation, social activities, receptions, entertainment, and research projects are unallowable. Pre-award costs may be permitted only at IMLS discretion and with prior written approval. Cost share is voluntary and is neither required nor considered during application review, but any voluntary cost share included in an awarded budget becomes a commitment that the recipient must meet. Eligible applicants must be units of State, local, or Tribal government or private nonprofit organizations with qualifying tax-exempt status, and they must be located in the United States, District of Columbia, specified United States territories, or the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or Republic of Palau. Applicants must additionally qualify as an eligible American Latino museum, an eligible entity responsible for operating such a museum and applying on its behalf, a museum service organization or association whose primary purpose is to directly support American Latino museums, or an institution of higher education. Museums must meet the program's operational requirements, including requirements concerning professional staff, permanent organization, collections care, and public exhibition. Partnerships and collaborations are welcome, but one organization must meet all eligibility requirements and serve as the lead applicant with programmatic, fiscal, and legal responsibility for the award. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov Workspace. Applicants need a Unique Entity Identifier, an active SAM.gov registration, an active Grants.gov registration, and an approved Authorized Organization Representative. Required application components include the SF-424S, IMLS Museum Program Information Form, Organizational Profile, Narrative, Schedule of Completion, IMLS Budget Form, Budget Justification, List of Key Project Staff and Consultants, resumes for key project staff and consultants, and a Performance Measurement Plan. Depending on the applicant or project, proof of private nonprofit status, a final Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, and a Digital Products Plan may also be required. Optional supporting materials may supplement the Narrative. The Narrative is limited to seven numbered pages and must address Project Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results. IMLS estimates that completing the overall application requires an average of 35 hours. IMLS first evaluates applications for eligibility and completeness. Complete applications from eligible organizations proceed to peer review by professionals with relevant knowledge and expertise. Reviewers assess alignment with the selected program goal and objective, evidence supporting the identified need or challenge, definition and involvement of audiences and beneficiaries, the quality and feasibility of the work plan, staff and partner qualifications, adequacy of resources, progress measurement, intended results, accessibility of products, and sustainability of project benefits. Applicants must also provide a Performance Measurement Plan addressing effectiveness, efficiency, quality, and timeliness. The IMLS Director considers review input and makes final funding decisions. The notice anticipates award decision notification in July 2027 in its Award Overview, while the Award Notices section states that final funding decisions are expected by email in June 2027; applicants should therefore treat the notification timing as June to July 2027. Applications are due through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. United States Eastern Time on November 13, 2026. Grants.gov technical assistance is available at support@grants.gov or 1-800-518-4726, and the notice provides imls-museumgrants@imls.gov and 202-653-4744 for IMLS-related access to announcement materials. The funding opportunity number is ALHC-FY27 and the Assistance Listing Number is 45.033. The notice does not state that the opportunity is recurring or provide an annual recurrence rule, so no future cycle is assumed from the fiscal year designation alone. Successful projects must begin August 1, 2027, and may continue for one to three years, no later than July 31, 2030.

Align the project clearly with one ALHC program goal and one associated objective. Use reliable demographic, economic, condition assessment, or other evidence to establish the need or challenge. Define primary audiences and beneficiaries and demonstrate appropriate stakeholder involvement. Present realistic activities, risks, staffing, resources, and methods for tracking progress. Clearly connect intended results to the identified need and explain how benefits will be sustained after the award. Follow all PDF formatting, naming, page-limit, and attachment-order requirements because excess Narrative pages will not be reviewed.