Museums for America (2027)

Museums for America is a federal grant program administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, through its Office of Museum Services. IMLS advances, supports, and empowers America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. The Museums for America program invests in project based efforts by museums of all sizes and disciplines to serve the public through educational programs and exhibitions, community partnerships, and collections stewardship. The program is organized around three goals: Lifelong Learning, Community Engagement, and Collections Stewardship and Access. Applicants must align their proposed project with one program goal and one associated objective. The program expects to award a total of $21,699,000 through approximately 122 awards. Individual federal awards are expected to range from $5,000 to $350,000. Projects may last from one to three years and must begin September 1, 2027, with an anticipated period of performance extending through August 31, 2030. Awardees must provide non federal cost share in an amount equal to or greater than the federal award. Generally allowable costs include personnel salaries, wages and fringe benefits, project related travel, materials, supplies, software and equipment, accessibility resources, participant support, collections storage and exhibit environment equipment, third party costs, design and publication costs, evaluation, training, paid internships and fellowships, stipends or honoraria, and allowable indirect costs. Unallowable costs include general fundraising, endowment contributions, general operating support, acquisition of collections, general promotional advertising, construction or renovation, social activities or entertainment, and research projects. Eligible applicants must be located in the United States or one of the specifically listed U.S. territories or Freely Associated States and must be a unit of State, local, or Tribal government or a private nonprofit organization with applicable tax exempt status. The applicant must be a qualifying museum or a parent entity responsible for operating a qualifying museum. A qualifying museum uses professional staff, operates permanently for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes, owns or uses and cares for tangible objects including living collections, and regularly exhibits those objects to the general public through facilities it owns or operates. Eligible museum types include art, history, natural history, science and technology, children's, anthropology, general and specialized museums, aquariums, arboretums, botanical gardens, historic houses and sites, nature centers, planetariums, and zoological parks. Museums within parent organizations and nonprofit organizations affiliated with museums are subject to additional organizational requirements. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov Workspace or an approved Grants.gov system to system solution. Applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier, an active SAM.gov registration, and an active Grants.gov registration with an approved Authorized Organization Representative. The application package can be located using Funding Opportunity Number MFA-FY27 or Assistance Listing Number 45.301. Required components include the SF-424S, IMLS Museum Program Information Form, Organizational Profile, Strategic Plan Summary, Narrative, Schedule of Completion, IMLS Budget Form, Budget Justification, List of Key Project Staff and Consultants, resumes for key staff and consultants, and a Performance Measurement Plan. Depending on the applicant and project, proof of nonprofit status, an indirect cost rate agreement, a Digital Products Plan, and conservation documentation may also be required. Supporting documents may be included when they supplement rather than replace the Narrative. The Narrative is limited to seven numbered pages and must address Project Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results. Reviewers consider alignment with the selected Museums for America goal and objective, advancement of the museum's strategic plan, evidence supporting the identified need or challenge, definition and involvement of primary audiences and beneficiaries, the quality and feasibility of project activities, risks, staffing and resources, progress tracking, intended results, accessibility of project products, and sustainability of benefits. Collections projects receive additional consideration regarding the description, condition, management, care, access, and use of the relevant collections and records. IMLS uses peer reviewers with relevant professional knowledge and expertise, while the IMLS Director makes final funding decisions. Cost share is an eligibility requirement but is not considered in the merit review. Applications are due through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on November 13, 2026. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, preproposal, or other pre application gating requirement is identified. IMLS expects to notify successful and unsuccessful applicants by email in August 2027, subject to the availability of funds and agency discretion. Funded projects must begin September 1, 2027. IMLS staff are available to answer programmatic and administrative questions, and the program materials provide the email imls-museumgrants@imls.gov and telephone number 202-653-4744. Grants.gov technical assistance is available through support@grants.gov and 1-800-518-4726. The notice does not explicitly state that this opportunity recurs annually, so no recurrence is recorded.

Select one MFA program goal and one associated objective and align the narrative directly to them. Use relevant data and evidence to establish the need and define and quantify primary audiences and beneficiaries. Make activities, risks, staffing, resources, progress tracking, intended results, accessibility, and sustainability concrete and measurable. Ensure the budget request stays within $5,000 to $350,000 and includes at least a 1:1 non-federal cost share. Follow all PDF page limits, file naming rules, attachment order, and conditional document requirements because excess pages may be removed and incomplete applications may be rejected.