Following the recommendations of a 2020 museum assessment program (map) report, the springfield and central illinois african american history museum (sciaahm) will increase organizational capacity…

The Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum (SCIAAHM) was awarded a $477,585 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture program. With this funding, SCIAAHM will hire a full-time Museum Director to strengthen operations, sustainability planning, and board development in accordance with recommendations from a 2020 Museum Assessment Program report. The Director will benchmark practices against industry standards through partnerships with larger organizations like the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and Illinois State Museum. SCIAAHM will also build upon existing school programs and expand community outreach under this award. By June 2025, this Project Grant aims to improve the accessibility and sustainability of SCIAAHM's operations and its ability to serve the Springfield community.

Following the recommendations of a 2020 museum assessment program (map) report, the springfield and central illinois african american history museum (sciaahm) will increase organizational capacity by hiring a full-time museum director to support sustainability planning and board development. The director will strengthen operations and benchmark against industry standards and best practices through partnerships with larger organizations, including the abraham lincoln presidential library and museum, the illinois state museum, and the university of illinois museum studies program. The museum will build upon existing programs for local schools and expand community outreach. As a result of these activities, sciaahm will improve the accessibility and sustainability of its operations, as well as its ability to serve the needs of the springfield community.