Preservation & Accessibility of California’s LGBTQ+ History

The Preservation & Accessibility of California’s LGBTQ+ History grant program is an initiative funded by the State of California and administered by the California State Library. This opportunity supports the documentation, conservation, and broader accessibility of materials related to the LGBTQ+ movement, culture, and history within California. The goal is to ensure that archival collections significant to LGBTQ+ communities in the state are both preserved and accessible to the public, researchers, and educational stakeholders. By facilitating the stewardship and dissemination of these materials, the program seeks to foster a richer, more inclusive understanding of California’s historical narrative. Eligible applicants include a wide range of California-based organizations such as city, county, or township governments, public and private institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), local special district governments, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Projects must be based in California and must focus on the preservation of archival materials that hold research value. Acceptable materials include monographs, serials, manuscripts, archival documents, maps, architectural drawings, sound recordings, photographs, moving images, and newspapers. However, the grant does not fund the preservation of artwork, sculpture, or similar objects. Projects must also have a public-facing educational or outreach component that highlights the preserved content and encourages community engagement. The grant program accepts applications through the California State Library’s grants management system, Euna. Applicants are required to complete a multi-step application process within the system. Each section of the application must be saved manually and marked complete before final submission. The system does not autosave, which necessitates frequent manual saving to avoid data loss. Instructions on account creation and application procedures are provided online. While the program requires detailed financial and narrative reporting during the project, it does not appear to require pre-application steps such as a letter of intent or concept paper. Funding awards range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $200,000. Organizations managing more than one archive may submit up to two applications, each requesting up to $100,000. All other organizations may submit only one application. The project period spans from June 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027, and all funds must be fully expended within this timeframe. Payments for awards exceeding $20,000 are distributed in three phases: 50% upon approval and agreement execution, 40% following the approval of the first quarterly report, and the remaining 10% after submission and approval of the final reports, contingent upon compliance and full expenditure of awarded funds. Awardees are expected to comply with multiple reporting requirements, including quarterly financial reports and biannual narrative updates. These reports track the progress of preservation and accessibility work, educational and outreach initiatives, and budget execution. A grant monitor will be assigned to each funded organization to ensure adherence to grant conditions and provide support throughout the grant period. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at noon Pacific Time, with funding decisions expected in May 2026. This grant opportunity is currently active and accepting applications. It is not described as recurring or rolling, and there is no indication of annual or periodic reissuance. The program does not include any matching fund requirement. As such, this is a standalone opportunity offered in a fixed cycle, reinforcing its importance for organizations with relevant archival collections to act promptly and submit applications by the stated deadline.