Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2026)

The Inspire Grants for Small Museums program is a dedicated funding initiative by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency committed to advancing, supporting, and empowering American museums and libraries. This program falls under the broader Museums for America framework and is specifically designed to enhance the capacity of small museums across the United States to better serve their communities. The IMLS recognizes that small museums play a critical role in local education, culture, and heritage, often operating with limited staff and resources. Through this initiative, the agency seeks to address structural limitations and empower these institutions through targeted, project-based grants. The program aims to support small museums in two principal focus areas: the development of experiential learning and discovery (aligned with IMLS's Lifelong Learning objective) and the management and care of collections (aligned with the Collections Stewardship and Access objective). Projects funded under this grant must align with one of these two goals, and applicants must explicitly identify their chosen objective in the narrative section of their proposal. Funded activities may include the creation of educational exhibits, conservation projects, and initiatives that expand community access to museum resources. Grants range from $5,000 to $75,000 and are structured into two categories: small projects ($5,000 to $25,000), which do not require cost share, and large projects ($25,001 to $75,000), which require a non-federal cost share of at least one-to-one. The total funding available for FY26 is expected to be $3,000,000, with approximately 75 awards to be made. The average past award amount has been $43,147. Funded projects may run for one to three years, with all activities required to begin by September 1, 2026, and be completed no later than August 31, 2029. Eligible applicants must be located in the United States or U.S. territories and must either be a unit of state, local, or tribal government, or a private nonprofit organization that operates a museum. The definition of a museum for this program is broad and includes various types such as history museums, art museums, science centers, botanical gardens, children's museums, and more. Organizations applying on behalf of a museum must demonstrate the museum’s discrete operational structure and ability to manage the grant independently. To apply, institutions must submit a complete application via Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 13, 2026. Required documents include the SF-424S form, the IMLS Museum Program Information Form, a narrative, budget documents, a strategic plan summary, a performance measurement plan, resumes of key staff, and more. Depending on the project, additional documents such as conservation assessments or digital products plans may be required. Applications that are incomplete, submitted after the deadline, or do not adhere to stated funding limits will not be considered. Applicants are encouraged to review the performance measurement criteria—effectiveness, efficiency, quality, and timeliness—and align their project designs accordingly. Projects are evaluated through a peer review process that emphasizes alignment with Inspire objectives, connection to institutional strategic plans, clarity of the work plan, and anticipated results. Funding decisions are made by the IMLS Director, based on reviewer recommendations and strategic alignment with agency goals. Award notifications are anticipated in August 2026. Additional information and pre-recorded webinars are available on the IMLS website to assist applicants. For guidance on specific project objectives, applicants may contact Senior Museum Program Officers Reagan Moore (for Lifelong Learning) at [email protected] or 202-653-4637, and Mark Feitl (for Collections Stewardship and Access) at [email protected] or 202-653-4635. Detailed information, including the official NOFO, is accessible at https://imls.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/fy26-oms-igsm-NOFO.pdf. This grant represents an opportunity for small museums to strengthen their roles as vital educational and cultural institutions within their communities.

Clearly align the project with one Inspire objective; demonstrate fit with museum’s strategic plan; use defined performance metrics for evaluation.