A new grant cycle is upon us with funding available through the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) under NARA as well as several other organizations. Draft deadlines of grants described here begin in February.
As the year proceeds, it is likely new grants will become available. If you’d like to explore other funding opportunities, we recommend that you check out our grants page – a one-stop resource for the organizations that frequently provide new and recurring funds for libraries and archives around the country.
NHPRC Grant for Archival Projects
Initial draft deadline set for February 18th, 2025
Collections awaiting arrangement, description, digitization, or to be provided with new online finding aids are invited to apply for this grant which “seeks archival projects that will significantly improve online public discovery and use of historical records collection.” Grants will be awarded for a project period of one to two years equaling up to $150,000 per award, and NHPRC anticipating 14 awards. Rules and recommendations for this grant are available on the National Archives website.
NEH Chair’s Disaster Recovery Grants for Humanities Collections
Initial draft deadline set for April 25th, 2025
Organizations that were affected by the Hurricane and Tropical Storm Helene and Hurricane Milton are invited to apply for this grant that supports emergency response and recovery of damaged collections “such as rare books, documents, photographs, artwork, sculptures, historical objects, audiovisual media, and digital collections.” This program routinely supports the recovery of heritage collections damaged by federally-declared national disasters.
The period deadline runs for up to one year and will award up to $15,000. Rules and recommendations for this grant are available on the National Endowment for the Humanities website.
Anticipated: NEH Cultural and Community Resilience
The application is anticipated to be made available on February 20th, 2025 with an initial deadline set for May 20th, although these dates may shift.
Efforts to document and make accessible resources related to the impacts of climate change or the COVID-19 pandemic continue with a new grant cycle anticipated to open in the next month. “Projects should fall into one of two categories: community collecting initiatives or oral history programs.” The expected output states a variety of end goals: “Oral History Collections; Digital Surrogate or Born Digital Collections; Physical Archival Collections; Memoranda of Understanding; Shared Stewardship Agreements; Collection Data Sustainability Plans; Plans for Community Documentation.” Rules and recommendations for this grant are available on the National Endowment for the Humanities Website.
Grants to States Program Through the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Funding provided through the Library Services and Technology Act is distributed across the nation “to support statewide initiatives and services” with previous awards providing “access to electronic databases, computer instruction, homework centers, summer reading programs, digitization of special collections, access to e-books and adaptive technology, bookmobile service, and development of outreach programs to the underserved.”
To find contact information for your state’s contact, you can visit the Institute of Museum and Library Services website.
Resource Gathering
Over the years, Backstage has supported organizations in the execution of their grant-funded projects, but also with initial project planning and providing pricing estimates that are frequently necessary for submitting applications. If you need a partner organization to assist with digitization, metadata, identities management, preservation microfilm, inventory or collection processing services for your proposed project, please contact us.