Tag Archives: grants

Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums – Application due 2/3/2014

Deadline: Feb. 3, 2014
Amount: $10,000 – $25,000
Awarding institution: Institute of Museum and Library Services

IMLS LogoThe Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries are a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership Grants for Libraries program. These small grants encourage libraries and archives to test and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Sparks Grants support the deployment, testing, and evaluation of promising and groundbreaking new tools, products, services, or organizational practices. You may propose activities or approaches that involve risk, as long as the risk is balanced by significant potential for improvement in the ways libraries and museums serve their communities.

Eligibility: Libraries that fulfill the general criteria for libraries may apply. In addition, institutions of higher education, including public and nonprofit universities, are eligible.

For more information: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=19

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NEH Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations – Applications due Jan. 8, 2014

National Endowment for the Humanities Museums, Libraries, and Cultural Organizations (MLCO) grants provide support for museums, libraries, historic places, and other organizations that produce public programs in the humanities.

Grants support the following formats:

  • exhibitions at museums, libraries, and other venues;
  • interpretations of historic places, sites, or regions;
  • book/film discussion programs; living history presentations; other face-to-face programs at libraries, community centers, and other public venues; and
  • interpretive websites and other digital formats

Types of America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations awards:

  • Planning grants support the early stages of project development, including consultation with scholars, refinement of humanities themes, preliminary design, testing, and audience evaluation.
  • Implementation grants final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public.

Closing date for applications: January 8, 2014.

For more information, visit http://www.neh.gov/grants/mlco.

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IMLS National Leadership Grants – Applications due 2/3/2014

Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grants support projects that address challenges faced by the museum, library, and/or archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. Applications are due February 3, 2014.

Successful proposals will seek innovative responses to the challenge(s) identified in the proposals, and will have national impact. IMLS invites libraries to address STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in their programs and projects in order to advance learning and support the acquisition of STEM knowledge at all ages, but particularly for at-risk youth.

Applicants that fulfill the general criteria for libraries may apply. These include public libraries, public elementary and secondary school libraries, college and university libraries, research libraries and archives that are not an integral part of an institution of higher education and that make publicly available library services and materials that are suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available.

More information is available at http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=14.

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Dia 2014 Mini-grants Available — Deadline is Nov. 30, 2013

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is now accepting applications for mini-grants intended to prepare libraries to incorporate Día into their existing programs throughout the entire year. Mini-grants will be used to initiate a Día Family Book Club Program in libraries. Up to 15 mini-grants will be awarded at $2,000 each.

Intended as an expansion of El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día), the mini-grants will be awarded to libraries that demonstrate a need to better address the diverse backgrounds within their communities.

The mini-grants are part of the Everyone Reads @ your library grant awarded to ALSC from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. In addition to these mini-grants, funding from this grant will also allow ALSC to create a Día Family Book Club curriculum that will be accessible to all.

Mini-Grant Eligibility

  • Must be a public library with a demonstrated need and the capacity to address the diverse backgrounds within their community and commit to incorporating Día into existing programs.
  • Must be located within 20 miles of a Dollar General Store, distribution center, or corporate office (please visit Dollar General’s Store Locator at http://www.dollargeneral.com/storeLocator)
  • Must have the capability to initiate a Día Family Book Club that will meet at regular intervals a minimum of 6 times.

The deadline for applications is November 30, 2013. For more information and to access the application, go to http://dia.ala.org/dia-2014-mini-grants-available.

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NEH Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Grants – applications due Dec. 3, 2013

National Endowment for the Humanities Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Grants help cultural institutions meet the complex challenge of preserving large and diverse holdings of humanities materials for future generations by supporting preventive conservation measures that mitigate deterioration and prolong the useful life of collections.

Libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations across the country are responsible for collections of books and manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art, and historical objects that facilitate research, strengthen teaching, and provide opportunities for life-long learning in the humanities. To preserve and ensure continued access to such collections, institutions must implement preventive conservation measures, which encompass managing relative humidity, temperature, light, and pollutants in collection spaces; providing protective storage enclosures and systems for collections; and safeguarding collections from theft and from natural and man-made disasters.

Closing date for applications: December 3, 2013

For more information, visit http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/sustaining-cultural-heritage-collections.

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ARSL Conference Scholarships Now Available from the Nebraska Library Commission

Nebraska public librarians have a terrific opportunity to attend a national professional conference this fall–right in their own backyard!  Because we think this is such a great opportunity, the Nebraska Library Commission is offering grants to Nebraska public library staffers to attend the Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference, September 25-28 in Omaha.  The grants will cover virtually all the expenses of attending the conference—registration, mileage, lodging, and meals.

Grant applications are due by July 3 changed to July 12, and we’ll let you know by July 19 if you’ve received a grant, so you’ll have plenty of time to plan.  Apply as soon as you can at:  http://nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/ce/.

If you have any questions, please contact  Laura Johnson 800-307-2665, 402-471-2694.

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NEH America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations – applications due Aug. 4, 2013

National Endowment for the Humanities America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations grants (AHCO) grants provide support for museums, libraries, historic places, and other organizations that produce public programs in the humanities.

Grants support the following formats:

  • exhibitions at museums, libraries, and other venues;
  • interpretations of historic places, sites, or regions;
  • book/film discussion programs; living history presentations; other face-to-face programs at libraries, community centers, and other public venues; and
  • interpretive websites and other digital formats.

Types of America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations awards:

  • Planning grants support the early stages of project development, including consultation with scholars, refinement of humanities themes, preliminary design, testing, and audience evaluation.
  • Implementation grants support final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public.

Closing date for applications: August 14, 2013

For more information, visit http://www.neh.gov/grants/ahco.

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NEH Digital Humanities Start-up Grants – Applications due Sept. 12, 2013

Closing Date for Applications: September 12, 2013
Award Amount: Up to $60,000

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) invites applications to the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants program. This program is designed to encourage innovations in the digital humanities. By awarding relatively small grants to support the planning stages, NEH aims to encourage the development of innovative projects that promise to benefit the humanities. Proposals should be for the planning or initial stages of digital initiatives in any area of the humanities:

  • planning and developing prototypes of new digital tools for preserving, analyzing, and making accessible digital resources, including libraries’ and museums’ digital assets;
  • scholarship that focuses on the history, criticism, and philosophy of digital culture and its impact on society;
  • scholarship or studies that examine the philosophical or practical implications and impact of the use of emerging technologies in specific fields or disciplines of the humanities, or in interdisciplinary collaborations involving several fields or disciplines;
  • innovative uses of technology for public programming and education utilizing both traditional and new media; and
  • new digital modes of publication that facilitate the dissemination of humanities scholarship in advanced academic as well as informal or formal educational settings at all academic levels.

Details are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/odh/digital-humanities-start-grants .

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NEH Humanities Collections and Reference Resources – applications due July 18, 2013

Posted Date: Apr 19, 2013
Closing Date for Applications: July 18, 2013
Award Amount: Varies
Awarding Institution: National Endowment for the Humanities

The Humanities Collections and Reference Resources (HCRR) program supports projects that provide an essential underpinning for scholarship, education, and public programming in the humanities. Thousands of libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations across the country maintain important collections of books and manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art and material culture, and digital objects. Funding from this program strengthens efforts to extend the life of such materials and make their intellectual content widely accessible, often through the use of digital technology. Awards are also made to create various reference resources that facilitate use of cultural materials, from works that provide basic information quickly to tools that synthesize and codify knowledge of a subject for in-depth investigation. HCRR offers two kinds of awards: 1) for implementation and 2) for planning, assessment, and pilot efforts (HCRR Foundations grants).

Details are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/humanities-collections-and-reference-resources.

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National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grants – applications due May 1, 2013

Posted Date: Feb 19, 2013
Closing Date for Applications: May 1, 2013
Award Amount: Varies

National Endowment for the Humanities challenge grants are capacity-building grants, intended to help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements in and support for their humanities programs and resources. Through these awards, many organizations and institutions have been able to increase their humanities capacity and secure the permanent support of an endowment. Grants may be used to establish or enhance endowments or spend-down funds that generate expendable earnings to support and enhance ongoing program activities. Challenge grants may also provide capital directly supporting the procurement of long-lasting objects, such as acquisitions for archives and collections, the purchase of equipment, and the construction or renovation of facilities needed for humanities activities. Funds spent directly must be shown to bring long-term benefits to the institution and to the humanities more broadly. Grantee institutions may also expend up to 10 percent of total grant funds (federal funds plus matching funds) to defray costs of fundraising to meet the NEH challenge. Because of the matching requirement, these NEH grants also strengthen the humanities by encouraging nonfederal sources of support.

Applications are welcome from colleges and universities, museums, public libraries, research institutions, historical societies and historic sites, scholarly associations, state humanities councils, and other nonprofit humanities entities.

Details are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/challenge/challenge-grants.

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National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions – applications due May 1, 2013

Closing Date for Applications: May 1, 2013
Award Amount: Up to $6,000

National Endowment for the HumanitiesNational Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions—such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities—improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials. Applicants must draw on the knowledge of consultants whose preservation skills and experience are related to the types of collections and the nature of the activities that are the focus of their projects. Small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant are especially encouraged to apply.

Details are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/preservation-assistance-grants-smaller-institutions.

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NEA Challenge America Fast-Track Grants – applications due May 23, 2013

NEA logo

Posting date: Jan. 3, 2013
Application deadline: May 23, 2013
Award amount: $10,000

The National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Fast-Track category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations — those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.

Challenge America Fast-Track grants:

  • Extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations.
  • Are limited to the specific types of projects outlined below.
  • Are for a fixed amount of $10,000 and require a minimum $10,000 match.
  • Receive an expedited application review. Organizations are notified whether they have been recommended for a grant approximately six months after they apply; projects may start shortly thereafter.

Under the Engagement project type:

An arts event or events that will feature one or more guest artists. The project (such as a festival, exhibit, recital, reading, performance, screening, broadcast, lecture) must include the participation of guest artist(s). Artistic staff and resident artists of an applicant organization do not qualify as guest artists. In addition to artists’ fees, the project may include public relations, professional documentation, and program enhancements that are integral to the event. Examples of program enhancements include interpretive material, transportation, program accommodations (e.g., sign language interpretation, audio description, Braille, tactile exhibit tours), catalogues, brochures, or publications. Other enhancements such as specific lecture-demonstrations, pre- or post-event talks, or workshops relevant to the proposed arts event also are eligible.

Closing date for applications: May 23, 2013

For more information, visit http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/GAP14/Challenge.html.

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Public Libraries Invited to Apply for Internship Grants — Applications due Feb. 15, 2013

Posting date: Dec. 17, 2012
Application deadline: Feb. 15, 2013
Award amount: $500 – $1,000

The Nebraska Library Commission’s Cultivating Rural Librarians’ Technology Skills program offers support for internships through grants to accredited public libraries. In partnership with the Nebraska Library Association and funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, the internship grants increase awareness about library professions and education and the opportunities for employment in Nebraska libraries.

So, what can your library do with the internship program?

  • Share your enthusiasm for library education and the library profession
  • Expand your programming
  • Bring in fresh faces
  • Show interns what happens behind-the-scenes
  • Partner with other library types to show the variety of work settings

Internship grants range from $500 to $1,000. A library may provide one 100-hour internship during the summer months that might last eight weeks, or two 50-hour internships during the school year that might last ten weeks, depending on the needs of the library and the scheduling needs and qualifications of the internship candidates. Library grantees will recruit, select, and hire their interns. Usually, interns are hired as contract workers and paid on a stipend rather than an hourly wage, but the terms of employment are determined by the library’s governing body. Interns provide valuable assistance with library service activities and local library programming. Library staff help introduce interns to the joys of library service careers. Partnership projects involving collaboration between a public library and another type of library will be given special consideration.

Reflection from one intern:

I learned various things from working as a librarian. I learned that the job entails numerous activities. I didn’t previously realize how much work and preparation goes into being a librarian. Also, I learned more about how libraries operate. A lot must take place in order for libraries to be successful. It was fun to learn about different books, computers, and the OPAC system used in most libraries. Overall, throughout this internship experience, I learned that the job of a librarian is exciting, interesting, and ever-changing.

Web conferencing: NLC staff are available by phone and through e-mail to discuss general issues relating to the internship grant program. We also invite you to participate in a webinar to learn more about the program from previous grant recipients, ask questions, and listen to the questions and comments of other participants. NLC’s NCompass Live will air Internships: Cultivating Nebraska’s Future Librarians on Wednesday, January 9, at 10 a.m. Central time. In this session, participating libraries will share their experiences with the internship program, including successes and lessons learned. This session will also introduce the upcoming 2013 grant opportunity for internships.

To apply: Applications are now being accepted. The deadline for applications is Feb. 15, 2013. More information is available on the Now Hiring @ your library® website, at http://nlc1.nlc.state.ne.us/nowhiring/Internships.asp.

– – –

As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services — “bringing together people and information.”

The Nebraska Library Association is the cornerstone of the Nebraska library community. The Association advocates for its members, enriches their professional lives, advances the lifelong learning of all Nebraskans, and promotes all library interests in Nebraska. For more information, visit http://nebraskalibraries.org.

IMLS LogoThe Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit http://www.imls.gov.

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IMLS National Leadership Grants – Applications due 2/1/2013

National Leadership Grants support projects that address challenges faced by the museum, library, and/or archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. Successful proposals will seek innovative responses to the challenge(s) identified in the proposals, and will have national impact. For FY2013, IMLS continues to pursue its commitment to early learning by seeking proposals addressing learners from ages 0-8 and their parents and caregivers. Library applicants are encouraged to partner with community organizations to address at least one of the challenges identified by the Campaign for Grade Level Reading including school readiness, summer reading loss, and chronic school absence. Click here to learn more about IMLS’s role in this initiative. Projects addressing the goals of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading should check the appropriate box on the Program Information Sheet component of the application.

The National Leadership Grant program accepts applications under four main categories:

  • Advancing Digital Resources—Support the creation, use, presentation, and preservation of significant digital resources as well as the development of tools to enhance access, use, and management of digital assets.
  • Research—Research—Support research that investigates key questions that are important to museum, library, and archival practice.
  • Demonstration—Demonstration—Support projects that produce a replicable model or practice that is usable, adaptable, or scalable by other institutions for improving services and performance.
  • Library Museum Collaboration Grants— Support collaborative projects (between museums and/or libraries and other community organizations) that address the educational, economic, cultural, or social needs of a community. In 2012, a funding priority will be projects that promote early learning.

Applicants may choose to submit a Project Grant, Planning Grant, or National Forum Grant proposal in any of the above categories. Project Grants support fully developed projects for which needs assessments, partnership development, feasibility analyses, prototyping, and other planning activities have been completed. Planning Grants allow project teams to perform preliminary planning activities that could lead to a subsequent full project, such as needs and feasibility analyses, solidifying partnerships, developing project work plans, or developing prototypes or proofs of concept. Applications for Planning Grants must include at least one formal partner in addition to the lead applicant. National Forum Grants provide the opportunity to convene qualified groups of experts and key stakeholders to consider issues or challenges that are important to libraries, museums, and/or archives across the nation. Grant-supported meetings are expected to produce widely disseminated reports with expert recommendations for action or research that address a key challenge identified in the proposal. The expert recommendations resulting from these meetings are intended to guide future proposals to the National Leadership Grant program.

Eligibility: Libraries that fulfill the general criteria for libraries may apply. See program guidelines for special conditions of eligibility for this program. Museums that fulfill the general criteria for museums may apply. Public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations, or associations that engage in activities designed to advance museums and the museum profession may also apply. In addition, institutions of higher education, including public and non-profit universities, are eligible.

More information is available at http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=14.

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Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums – Application due 2/1/2013

Deadline: Feb. 1, 2013
Amount: $10,000 – $25,000
Awarding institution: Institute of Museum and Library Services

IMLS LogoThe Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums are a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership Grants program. These small grants encourage libraries, museums, and archives to test and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Sparks Grants support the deployment, testing, and evaluation of promising and groundbreaking new tools, products, services, or organizational practices. You may propose activities or approaches that involve risk, as long as the risk is balanced by significant potential for improvement in the ways libraries and museums serve their communities.

Successful proposals will address problems, challenges, or needs of broad relevance to libraries, museums, and/or archives. A proposed project should test a specific, innovative response to the identified problem and present a plan to make the findings widely and openly accessible.

To maximize the public benefit from federal investments in these grants, the Sparks Grants will fund only projects with the following characteristics:

Broad Potential Impact—You should identify a specific problem or need that is relevant to many libraries, archives, and/or museums, and propose a testable and measurable solution. Proposals must demonstrate a thorough understanding of current issues and practices in the project’s focus area and discuss its potential impact within libraries, archives, and/or museums. Proposed innovations should be widely adoptable or adaptable.

Significant Innovation—The proposed solution to the identified problem must offer strong potential for non-incremental, significant advancement in the operation of libraries, archives, and/or museums. You must explain how the proposed activity differs from current practices or takes advantage of an unexplored opportunity, and the potential benefit to be gained by this innovation.

Eligibility: Libraries that fulfill the general criteria for libraries may apply. Museums that fulfill the general criteria for museums may apply. Public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations, or associations that engage in activities designed to advance museums and the museum profession may also apply. In addition, institutions of higher education, including public and nonprofit universities, are eligible.

For more information: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=19

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NEH Digital Humanities Implementation Grants – applications due Jan. 23, 2013

National Endowment for the Humanities Digital Humanities Implementation Grants provide support for museums, libraries, historic places, and other organizations that produce public programs in the humanities.

This program is designed to fund the implementation of innovative digital-humanities projects that have successfully completed a start-up phase and demonstrated their value to the field. Such projects might enhance our understanding of central problems in the humanities, raise new questions in the humanities, or develop new digital applications and approaches for use in the humanities. The program can support innovative digital-humanities projects that address multiple audiences, including scholars, teachers, librarians, and the public. Applications from recipients of NEH’s Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants are welcome.

Unlike NEH’s start-up grant program, which emphasizes basic research, prototyping, experimentation, and potential impact, the Digital Humanities Implementation Grants program seeks to identify projects that have successfully completed their start-up phase and are well positioned to have a major impact.

Proposals are welcome for digital initiatives in any area of the humanities. Digital Humanities Implementation Grants may involve

  • implementation of computationally-based methods or techniques for humanities research;
  • implementation of new digital tools for use in humanities research, public programming, or educational settings;
  • efforts to ensure the completion and long-term sustainability of existing digital resources (typically in conjunction with a library or archive);
  • studies that examine the philosophical or practical implications of the use of emerging technologies in specific fields or disciplines of the humanities, or in interdisciplinary collaborations involving several fields or disciplines; or
  • implementation of new digital modes of scholarly communication that facilitate peer review, collaboration, or the dissemination of humanities scholarship for various audiences.

Successful projects must make digital innovations and be significant to the humanities.

Closing date for applications: January 23, 2013

For more information, visit http://www.neh.gov/grants/odh/digital-humanities-implementation-grants.

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NEH America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations – applications due Jan. 9, 2013

National Endowment for the Humanities America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations grants provide support for museums, libraries, historic places, and other organizations that produce public programs in the humanities.

Grants support the following formats:

  • exhibitions at museums, libraries, and other venues;
  • interpretations of historic places, sites, or regions;
  • book/film discussion programs; living history presentations; other face-to-face programs at libraries, community centers, and other public venues; and
  • interpretive websites.

NEH offers two categories of grants for America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations:

  • Implementation grants support final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public.
  • Planning grants support the early stages of project development, including consultation with scholars, refinement of humanities themes, preliminary design, and audience evaluation.

Closing date for applications: January 9, 2013

For more information, visit http://www.neh.gov/grants/ahco.

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Nebraska Arts Council grant applications due Oct. 1, 2012

October 1, 2012, is the deadline for Nebraska Arts Council-funded projects that will take place between January 1 and June 30, 2013 :

Nebraska organizations (which may include library Friends and Foundation groups, public libraries, and schools) may apply for NAC funding if they:

  • are incorporated as a nonprofit organization, and are physically located in the State of Nebraska, with articles of incorporation on file and current in the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office;  OR they are a subdivision of government, school, or religious organization with appropriate legal status.
  • have a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
  • have received federal tax-exempt status.  Religious organizations, schools, and divisions of government must submit a copy of the sales tax exemption certificate from the State Department of Revenue.

Using the same criteria the grant panelists use, NAC staff members can review your application and offer advice on presenting a complete, well-prepared, and clearly presented application that includes an accurate and realistic budget; review your support materials; and will review your application as a whole to help make your proposal as competitive as it can be. In order for them to have time to review the draft of your application—and for you to then have time to make any recommended changes before the deadline—staff  ask that you contact them no later than Wednesday, September 19.

Before beginning your application, NAC encourages you to review the NAC’s Eligibility Criteria. You are also encouraged to watch the NAC Grants Info Tutorial YouTube video , which provides a 13-minute overview of the NAC’s grant programs. For more detail about the various grant categories, please visit the Grants Information section of the NAC website.

NAC is also hosting several “NAC Good Grantsmanship” workshops in Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha leading up to the October 1 project grant deadline. These workshops, conducted by NAC staff members, will provide specifics on writing competitive applications for NAC funding. The sessions are free of charge, will last approximately 1.5 hours, and will include time for questions and answers. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required. A list of dates, times, and locations can be found below.

To register for one of these workshops, click here and click on the date on the NAC Calendar.

Please note that all October 1 grant applications are submitted via eGrant. NAC recommends that first time eGrant users download the eGrant User Guide and watch the 15-minute eGrant Online Tutorial YouTube video before starting an application in eGrant.

Floating deadlines for other grants (funding availability for grants varies):

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IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Grants – Deadline Sept 24, 2012

Closing Date for Applications: September 24, 2012;
Award Amount: Up to $500,000;
Issuing agency: Institue of Museum and Library Services;
Project Types: Community Engagement, Formal Education, Informal Learning, Partnerships, Professional Development/Continuing Education, Research

Institutions: Archives, Federally Recognized Native American Tribe, Historical Society, Library, Nonprofits that serve Native Hawaiians, Professional Association, Regional Organization, State Library Administrative Agency, State or Local Government, Public or Private Non-profit Institutions of Higher Education
Informational webinars: Wednesday, July 25, 2012, 3:00-4:00 (EDT); Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 3:00-4:00 (EDT)

IMLS LogoThe Institue of Museum and Library Services Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program invests in the nation’s information infrastructure by funding projects designed to address the education and training needs of the professionals who help build, maintain, and provide public access to the world’s wide-ranging information systems and sources. In 2013, the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program will support projects to develop faculty and library leaders, to recruit and educate the next generation of librarians and archivists, to build institutional capacity in graduate schools of library and information science, and to assist in the professional development of librarians and archivists. This grant program is especially interested in developing information professionals who can help manage the burgeoning data generated by the nation’s researchers, serve as stewards of the nation’s cultural legacy, and meet the information needs of the underserved. The program also seeks to help librarians develop the information and digital literacy of their communities, as well as other critical skills their users will need to be successful in the 21st century. This program addresses the field’s need to advance the work of new faculty in library and information science by supporting an early career development program for untenured, tenure-track faculty. Research conducted under the early careers program should be in the faculty member’s particular research area and is not restricted to research on the profession.

The primary goal of this grant program is to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the library and archives workforce to meet the information needs of the nation. Five project categories of grants are featured in FY 2013. The goals of each LB21 project category are described here:

  1. Doctoral Programs
  2. Master’s Programs
  3. Early Career Development
  4. Programs to Build Institutional Capacity
  5. Continuing Education

Regardless of the project category you choose, you must also decide which of the following funding categories you want to apply for:

  1. Project Grants — Amount of grant: $50,000 to $500,000.
  2. Collaborative Planning Grants — Amount of grant: Up to $50,000

In all project and funding categories, if your application has a recruitment component, you should address ways to 1.bring to the profession skills required to enhance library and/or archives services; and2.broaden participation in the library profession, including but not limited to members of traditionally underserved groups and communities We encourage proposals that seek to increase the ability of librarians to provide programs and services relating to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) across all categories.

Details are available at http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=9.

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U.S. Department of Education Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grants — Applications due Aug. 10, 2012

Closing Date for Applications: August 10, 2012

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) invites applications to the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program.

The IAL program supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade within the attendance boundaries of high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) intends to support innovative programs that promote early literacy for young children, motivate older children to read, and increase student achievement by using school libraries, distributing free books to children and their families, and offering high-quality literacy activities.

The Department will award no less than 50 percent of FY 2012 funds to applications from LEAs (on behalf of school libraries) for high-quality school library projects that increase access to a wide range of literacy resources (either print or electronic) and provide learning opportunities to all students.

Absolute priority: The IAL program supports the implementation of high-quality plans for childhood literacy activities and book distribution efforts that are supported by at least one study that meets the definition of scientifically valid research (as defined in the notice).

Proposed projects under the IAL program, based on those plans, may include, among other things, activities that—

  • Increase access to a wide range of literacy resources (either print or electronic) that prepare young children to read, and provide learning opportunities to all participating students;
  • Provide high-quality childhood literacy activities with meaningful opportunities for parental engagement, including encouraging parents to read books often with their children in their early years of school and of life, and teaching parents how to use literacy resources effectively;
  • Strengthen literacy development across academic content areas by providing a wide range of literacy resources spanning a range of both complexity and content (including both literature and informational text) to effectively support reading and writing;
  • Offer appropriate educational interventions for all readers with support from school libraries or not-for-profit organizations;
  • Foster collaboration and joint professional development opportunities for teachers, school leaders, and school library personnel with a focus on using literacy resources effectively to support reading and writing and academic achievement. For example, an approach to professional development within the IAL program might be collaboration between library and school personnel to plan subject-specific pedagogy that is differentiated based on each student’s developmental level and is supported by universal design for learning (as defined in this notice), technology, and other educational strategies; and
  • Provide resources to support literacy-rich academic and enrichment activities and services aligned with State college- and career-ready academic content standards and the comprehensive statewide literacy plan (SLP) (as defined in the notice).

Competitive preference priorities:

  1. Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools
  2. Technology
  3. Improving Early Learning Outcomes
  4. Serving Rural LEAs

A synopsis of this grant opportunity is available at http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=183113.

The full announcement is accessible at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/07/11/2012-16930/applications-for-new-awards-innovative-approaches-to-literacy-program#h-3 or http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-07-11/pdf/2012-16930.pdf. The official version of this document is published in the Federal Register, Vol. 77, No. 133, Wednesday, July 11, 2012, Notices).

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