Deadline: November 14, 2025*
Application: The FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity is not yet available. The FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (PDF, 860KB) is available for reference.
Grant Amount: $5,000–$250,000
Grant Period: Up to three years
Cost Share Requirement: You must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of your IMLS request.

Program Overview:
The Museums for America program supports museums of all sizes and disciplines in strategic, project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional development, community debate and dialogue, audience-focused studies, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation. Museums for America has three program goals:

  • Lifelong Learning
  • Community Engagement
  • Collections Stewardship and Access

Interested in learning more about this grant program? Here are a few resources to look at next:

  1. View selected examples from recently funded projects posted on the Sample Applications webpage.
  2. Search awarded grants to find similar projects, you can search by location or keyword.
  3. Watch the informational video (below) for specific details about this grant program and the process of preparing an application.
  4. Schedule a counseling call with a program officer. Find an available time on the calendar using the links (below).

Program Contacts:
If you have questions, please contact any of the staff members listed under the program goal that best fits your project.

Lifelong Learning

Community Engagement

Collections Stewardship and Access

Helen Wechsler
Supervisory Grants Management Specialist
hwechsler@imls.gov
202-653-4779

Jessica Ottley
Senior Museum Program Officer
jottley@imls.gov
202-653-4669

To schedule a time to talk to staff about Lifelong Learning click here.

Sarah Glass
Senior Museum Program Officer
sglass@imls.gov
202-653-4668

To schedule a time to talk to Sarah Glass about Community Engagement, click here.

Mark Feitl
Senior Museum Program Officer
mfeitl@imls.gov
202-653-4635

To schedule a time to talk to Mark Feitl about Collections Stewardship and Access, click here.

Webinars:
The FY 2025 webinars are available for reference.

Getting Started with IMLS Museum Grants for FY 2025 is a general presentation on IMLS museum grant programs. We recommend that you view this presentation for an overview before considering a specific grant program. Click here to access the recording or to read the transcript.

FY 2025 Museums for America provides detailed information about the goals of this specific grant program and how to apply. Click here to access the recording or to read the transcript.

To view all archived webinars, please click here.

*All grant programs are subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion. Deadlines are tentative.