fy25-oms-me-NOFO.pdf

FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity Applications Due November 15, 2024

Museums Empowered Funding Opportunity Number: ME-FY25 Assistance Listing Number: 45.301

OMB Control No.: 3137-0107 Expiration date: 8/31/2027

Table of Contents Museums Empowered Table of Contents Before You Begin Review the Opportunity

1. Basic Information

2. Eligibility

3. Program Description

Prepare and Submit Your Application

4. Application Contents and Format

5. Submission Requirements and Deadline

Learn About Application Review

6. Application Review Information

7. Award Notices

Find Post-Award Information

8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

Other Information

9. Other Important Information

Additional Guidance

Guidance for Required Registrations

Guidance for Completing Forms and Other Application Components

Before You Begin If you believe you’re a good candidate for this funding opportunity, review the application deadline, and leave plenty of time to prepare.

Set up your SAM.gov (including Unique Entity Identifier) and Grants.gov registrations now. If you’re already registered, check to be sure your registrations are active, and all information is up to date.

Register in SAM.gov (registration can take several weeks):

Your organization must have an active SAM.gov account and a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) before you apply.

See Registration Requirements and Guidance for Required Registrations.

Register in Grants.gov (registration can take several days):

You must have an active Grants.gov registration. You’ll need an active SAM.gov account and a Login.gov account to register and access Grants.gov.

See Registration Requirements and Guidance for Required Registrations.

Apply by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on November 15, 2024.

Bookmark these resources for important information:

eCFR: 2 CFR Part 200 -- Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit

Requirements for Federal Awards

2024 2 CFR Revisions for awards issued after October 1, 2024 – Federal Register

General Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Awards

Museums Empowered Program page (IMLS.gov)

This NOFO has internal links to help you quickly find what you need.

In Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow (Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-07496 https://imls.gov/grants/manage-your-grant/grant-administration https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/museums-empowered-professional-development-opportunities-museum-staff

Jump to a step

Review Opportunity Prepare and Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Review the Opportunity

In this step:

1. Basic Information

Opportunity Overview Award Overview Executive Summary Agency Contact Information

2. Eligibility

Eligible Applicants Other Eligibility Information Cost Share Requirements

3. Program Description

Agency Mission, Goals, and Objectives Museums Empowered Program Goals and Objectives Performance Measures Funding Restrictions Authorizing Statute and Regulations Equal Opportunity

Opportunity Overview 5

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

1. Basic Information

Opportunity Overview

Federal Awarding Agency Institute of Museum and Library Services

Funding Opportunity Title Museums Empowered

Announcement Type New

Funding Opportunity Number ME-FY25

Assistance Listing Number 45.301

Type of Assistance Instrument Grant

Application Deadline Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S.

Eastern Time on November 15, 2024.

Award Overview 6

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Award Overview

Key Dates

Anticipated date of notification of award decisions

August 2025 (subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion)

Anticipated start dates for new awards Projects must begin on September 1, 2025.

Anticipated period of performance September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2028.

Project activities may be carried out for one to three years

Funding Details

Total amount of funding IMLS expects to award through this announcement

$4,299,000

Expected performance indicators, targets, baseline data, and data collection

See Performance Measures.

Anticipated number of awards 20

Expected amount of individual awards $5,000 - $250,000

Average amount of funding per award in previous years $214,950

The funding in the above Award Overview is subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion. We are not bound by any estimates in this announcement.

Executive Summary 7

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Contingent upon the availability of funds, the quality of applications, and IMLS discretion, we may make additional awards from the pool of unfunded applications from this competition.

Executive Summary Museums Empowered (ME) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program.

It supports projects that use the transformative power of professional development and training to generate systemic change within museums of all types and sizes.

IMLS recognizes the many challenges facing individual museums and the need to invest resources, time, and energy towards nurturing the professional development of staff and strengthening museum operations. The Museums Empowered grant program identifies four areas of museum operations to focus for professional development.

Digital Technology focused projects will support the work of museum staff in using digital technology to enhance audience engagement, collections access, or general museum operations.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion focused projects will increase cultural competency among museum staff and support relevancy of museum programs through learning activities that strengthen their ability to connect with the communities they serve.

Evaluation focused projects will enhance the ability of museum staff to understand a broad spectrum of evaluation methods and techniques as well as better use evaluation reports, data, and metrics to improve the design and delivery of programs.

Organizational Management focused projects will help museum staff develop and implement effective practices in organizational management, human resources, and strategic planning in response to emerging internal or external priorities.

We expect successful Museums Empowered projects to:

reflect a solid understanding of relevant theory and effective practices in professional development, organizational dynamics and change management.

engage staff, leadership, and volunteers in a series of training activities tied to directly to a key need or challenge.

generate systemic change or organizational growth that results in a more agile and sustainable museum.

Agency Contact Information 8

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Agency Contact Information IMLS staff are available by phone and email to answer programmatic and administrative questions relating to this grant program. We also host webinars to introduce potential applicants to funding opportunities. For more information, see our list of webinars and instructions for accessing them.

https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/museums-empowered-professional-development-opportunities-museum-staff https://www.imls.gov/webinars https://www.imls.gov/webinars

Eligible Applicants 9

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

2. Eligibility

Eligible Applicants To be eligible for an award under the ME program, your organization must meet all three of the following eligibility criteria.

Your organization must be:

a unit of State, local, or Tribal government; or a private, nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (you will need to include proof of this if applicable to your organization. See Conditionally Required Documents for more information);

and:

Your organization must be located in:

one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia; or the Republic of Palau.

Eligible Applicants 10

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance and:

Your organization must qualify as one of the following:

3(a) A museum that:

uses a professional staff;

is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes;

owns or uses tangible objects, and/or living collections;

cares for these objects; and exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates.

What types of institutions are included in the term “museum”?

If they otherwise meet these requirements, “museums” include, but are not limited to:

• anthropology museums

• aquariums

• arboretums

• art museums

• botanical gardens

• children’s/youth museums

• general museums (those having two or more significant disciplines)

• historic houses/sites

• history museums

• natural history museums

• nature centers

• planetariums

• science/technology centers

• specialized museums (limited to a single distinct subject), and

• zoological parks.

What does it mean to “use a professional staff”?

An institution uses a professional staff if it employs at least one staff member, or the full-time equivalent, whether paid or unpaid, primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the institution.

What does it mean to “exhibit the objects to the general public”?

An institution exhibits objects to the general public if such exhibition is a primary purpose of the institution. An institution that exhibits objects to the general public for at least 120 days a year is deemed to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis.

Eligible Applicants 11

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

An institution that does not have the exhibition of objects as a primary purpose and/or does not exhibit objects to the public for at least 120 days a year may be determined to be eligible as a museum under certain circumstances. For more information, please see 2 C.F.R. § 3187.3 Definition of a museum.

3(b) A public or private nonprofit agency that is responsible for the operation of a museum that meets the eligibility criteria in 1, 2, and 3(a), applying on behalf of the museum.

Native American Tribal organizations may apply if they otherwise meet the above eligibility requirements.

Eligibility of Museums Located within a Parent Organization

A museum located within a parent organization that is a State, local, or Tribal government or multipurpose nonprofit entity, such as a university, historical society, foundation, or cultural center, may apply on its own behalf if the museum:

• can independently fulfill all the eligibility requirements listed in the above three criteria;

• functions as a discrete unit within the parent organization;

• has its own fully segregated and itemized operating budget; and

• has the authority to make the application on its own.

When any of the last three conditions cannot be met, a museum may only apply through its parent organization.

Eligibility of Nonprofit Organization Affiliated with a Museum

We may determine that a nonprofit organization affiliated with a museum is eligible for this program if:

• its sole mission is to support the specified museum;

• it has the ability to administer the project; and

• it can ensure compliance with the terms of this Notice of Funding Opportunity and the applicable law, including the IMLS Assurances and Certifications.

We require that you provide an agreement from the museum that details the activities the applicant and museum will perform and binds the museum to the statements and assurances in the application.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-3187.3 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-3187.3 https://imls.gov/grants/assurances-certifications

Other Eligibility Information 12

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Other Eligibility Information Application Limits

Applications for renewal or supplementation of your currently active IMLS awards are not eligible to compete with applications for new awards.

If eligible, you may submit multiple applications for support of separate and distinct projects under this announcement and/or through other IMLS grant programs.

Partnerships and Collaborations Applications involving partnerships or collaborations are welcome.

When two or more institutions or organizations work together on a project, one of them must meet all eligibility requirements, serve as the lead applicant, and administer the award on behalf of the other(s).

If we fund the project, the lead applicant will be programmatically, fiscally, and legally responsible for the award.

Ineligible Applicants We will not review applications from ineligible applicants. We will notify each applicant whose application will not be reviewed because the organization is determined to be ineligible.

We will not make awards to ineligible applicants. To receive an IMLS award, your organization must be eligible and in compliance with applicable IMLS, administrative and national policy requirements.

Application Completeness and Deadlines Applicants must submit their materials by the deadline indicated in the Opportunity Overview. We won’t consider late applications for funding under this notice.

If your request for federal funding as shown on the IMLS Budget Form, including all direct and indirect costs, is outside the funding range (less than $5,000 or more than $250,000), we may reject your application from consideration for funding in this program.

Your application must be complete, and your project and budget must adhere to the program’s guidelines and funding restrictions.

Cost Share Requirements 13

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Cost Share Requirements For the ME program, awardees must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of the federal award.

Cost share is the portion of project costs that is not paid by IMLS funds. Common examples of cost share include cash outlays; contribution of property and services; and in-kind contributions, such as staff or volunteer time that support project activities.

Cost share is an eligibility criterion and is not considered in peer review of applications.

Calculate any cost share you include in your project budget carefully. If you receive an award, you will be required to meet your cost share commitments. If you do not include at least 1:1 cost share on your IMLS Budget Form, we may reject your application from further consideration.

Learn more about Cost Sharing in the Budget

Agency Mission, Goals, and Objectives 14

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

3. Program Description

Agency Mission, Goals, and Objectives The mission of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Three agency-level goals, with two objectives each, guide our grantmaking.

Agency-Level Goal 1 Champion Lifelong Learning

Objective 1.1 Advance shared knowledge and learning opportunities for all.

Objective 1.2 Support the training and professional development of the museum and library workforce.

Agency-Level Goal 2 Strengthen Community Engagement

Objective 2.1 Promote inclusive engagement across diverse audiences.

Objective 2.2 Support community collaboration and foster civic discourse.

Agency-Level Goal 3 Advance Collections Stewardship and Access

Objective 3.1 Support collections care and management.

Objective 3.2 Promote access to museum and library collections.

The ME program supports the achievement of these agency-level goals to facilitate the delivery of significant results consistent with the IMLS federal authorizing legislation (20 U.S.C. §9101 et seq.; in particular § 9173 (Museum services activities). Each award that we make through the ME Program will contribute meaningfully to the achievement of both program and agency-level goals.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter72&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter72&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title20-section9173&num=0&edition=prelim

Museums Empowered Program Goals and Objectives 15

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Museums Empowered Program Goals and Objectives Reflecting IMLS’s agency-level goals, Museums Empowered has four program goals and two objectives associated with each goal. You should align your proposed project with one of these four goals and one of the associated objectives, and clearly identify your choices in your project Narrative.

ME Program Goal 1, Digital Technology

Provide museum staff with the skills to integrate digital technology into museum operations.

Objective 1.1 Support staff learning and integration of digital communication platforms and social media tools to enhance audience engagement and community outreach.

Objective 1.2 Objective 1.2: Support staff learning and integration of digital tools and services that enhance access to museum collections.

ME Program Goal 2, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Support museum staff in providing inclusive and equitable services to people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds and to individuals with disabilities.

Objective 2.1 Create training and learning opportunities that increase cultural competency of museum staff and enhance relevancy of museum programs.

Objective 2.2 Develop and implement inclusive and equitable fellowship, internship, and mentoring programs to increase support for emerging professionals from diverse communities entering the museum field.

Museums Empowered Program Goals and Objectives 16

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

ME Program Goal 3, Evaluation

Strengthen the ability of museum staff to use evaluation as a tool to shape museum programs and improve outcomes.

Objective 3.1 Increase staff knowledge of program evaluation methods and the usefulness of evaluation reports, tools, data, and metrics.

Objective 3.2 Provide museum staff with the tools and strategies to adapt evaluation methods to address a specific audience or institutional need.

ME Program Goal 4, Organizational Management

Strengthen and support museum staff as the essential part of a resilient organizational culture.

Objective 4.1 Develop comprehensive organizational learning opportunities that address one or more emerging priorities facing a museum.

Objective 4.2 Develop programs that address the specific learning and growth opportunities identified by staff needs assessments.

Search awards made through the ME program by year, award number, state, city, and/or keyword.

You can also refer to samples of recently funded ME applications.

https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded-grants?field_states=All&field_city=&field_institution=&field_program_categories_text=Museums+Empowered%3A+Professional+Development+Opportunities+for+Museum+Staff&fulltext_search= https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded-grants?field_states=All&field_city=&field_institution=&field_program_categories_text=Museums+Empowered%3A+Professional+Development+Opportunities+for+Museum+Staff&fulltext_search= https://www.imls.gov/grants/apply-grant/sample-applications#me https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded-grants?field_states=All&field_city=&field_program_categories_text=Laura+Bush+21st+Century+Librarian+Program&field_institution=&fulltext_search=

Performance Measures 17

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Performance Measures We use four performance measures as a basis for understanding how well the ME program is meeting its goals and how awardees are managing individual projects.

Effectiveness: The extent to which activities contribute to achieving the intended results of the ME program

Efficiency: How well resources (e.g., funds, expertise, time) are used while generating maximum value for the primary audience

Quality: How well the activities meet the requirements and expectations of the primary audience

Timeliness: The extent to which each task/activity is completed within the timeframe proposed

You will need to provide a Performance Measurement Plan to describe how you will use these four performance measures to monitor and assess your performance in carrying out your project and meeting your selected program goal and objective.

Funding Restrictions

Allowable and Unallowable Costs You may use IMLS funds and cost share only for allowable costs as found in IMLS and OMB government-wide cost-principle rules.

Please consult 2 C.F.R. part 200 and 2 C.F.R. part 3187 for additional guidance on allowable costs.

The following lists include some examples of generally allowable costs and unallowable costs, both for IMLS funds and for cost share under this announcement.

Learn about creating a Performance Measurement Plan.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXI/part-3187

Funding Restrictions 18

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Allowable Costs personnel salaries, wages, and fringe benefits, including annual cost of living increases travel expenses for key project staff and consultants materials, supplies, software, and equipment related directly to project activities adaptive and/or assistive technologies and other resources and services to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities participant support costs third-party costs design and publication costs program evaluation staff and volunteer training paid internships/fellowships stipends or honoraria for project advisors and participants indirect or overhead costs

Unallowable Costs general fundraising costs, such as development office staff or other staff time devoted to general fundraising contributions to endowments general operating support acquisition of collections general advertising or public relations costs designed solely for promotional activities other than those related to the specific project construction or renovation of facilities (generally, any activity involving the construction trades is not an allowable cost) social activities, receptions, or entertainment research projects.

You must explain all proposed expenses in the Budget Justification.

If you have questions about whether specific activities are allowable, contact us for guidance.

https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/museums-empowered-professional-development-opportunities-museum-staff https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/museums-empowered-professional-development-opportunities-museum-staff

Funding Restrictions 19

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Costs for Third Parties When a project requires the payment of federal funds to third parties (such as partners, consultants, collaborators, vendors, and/or service providers), it is your responsibility to determine whether you should characterize a third party as a subrecipient or a contractor and include that determination in your agreement with them.

IMLS grant funds may not be provided to any Federal agency serving as a third party.

Indirect Costs You can choose to:

use a rate not to exceed your current indirect cost rate already negotiated with a federal agency;

use an indirect cost rate proposed to a federal agency for negotiation, but not yet finalized, as long as it is finalized by the time of the award;

use a rate not to exceed 15 percent of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) if your organization currently does not have a Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and is not subject to other requirements; or not include any indirect costs.

See Indirect Costs in the Budget

Learn more:

2 C.F.R. § 200.1 for definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, and subrecipient;

2 C.F.R. § 200.331 (Subrecipient and contractor determinations).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Contract) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Contract) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Contract) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.1#p-200.1(Contract) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.331 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.331

Authorizing Statute and Regulations 20

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Authorizing Statute and Regulations

Statute: 20 U.S.C. § 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9173 (Museum services activities).

Regulations: 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI, 2 C.F.R. Chapter XXXI, and 2 C.F.R. Title 2

Award recipients must follow the IMLS regulations that are in effect at the time of the award.*

You can find the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance on Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) at 2 C.F.R. part 200.

*Please note: OMB has recently updated the Uniform Guidance (see Uniform Guidance Revisions). For IMLS awards made after October 1, 2024, the Uniform Guidance Revisions will apply. We have tried to align this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to the Uniform Guidance Revisions. In the event of any differences between the Uniform Guidance Revisions provisions and the current (pre-Oct. 1, 2024) Uniform Guidance provisions, the Uniform Guidance Revisions provisions shall govern.

With certain IMLS-specific additions, IMLS regulations at 2 C.F.R. part 3187 have formally adopted the current (pre-October 1, 2024) Uniform Guidance and will automatically adopt the Uniform Guidance Revisions when they become effective on October 1, 2024.

Equal Opportunity IMLS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.

For further information, email the Civil Rights Officer at CivilRights@imls.gov or write to the Civil Rights Officer, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 955 L’Enfant Plaza North, SW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC, 20024-2135.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter72&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title20-section9173&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title20-section9173&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-B/chapter-XI https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXI https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-07496 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-07496 mailto:CivilRights@imls.gov

Review Opportunity Prepare and Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Prepare and Submit Your Application

4. Application Contents and Format

Get Ready to Apply Registration Requirements Application Package Readiness Checklist

Prepare Your Application Application Components Instructions for Required Documents Conditionally Required Documents Supporting Documents Application Checklist

Disclosure of Information in Applications

5. Submission Requirements and Deadline

Submission Instructions Programmatic, Administrative and Technical Support Contacts

IMLS

Federal Service Desk Grants.gov

Submission Dates and Times Emergency Extensions Intergovernmental Review

Get Ready to Apply 22

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

4. Application Contents and Format

Get Ready to Apply

Registration Requirements Before you apply, your organization must have:

a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;

a current and active System for Award Management (SAM) registration; and an active Grants.gov registration with an approved Authorized Organization Representative (AOR).

Check your materials and registrations now to ensure that they are accurate, current, and active.

We strongly recommend that you obtain a UEI number and complete registration with SAM and Grants.gov well ahead of the application deadline.

Application Package You must apply electronically through Grants.gov Workspace or a Grants.gov system-to-system solution.

Use one of the following identifiers to locate the application package in Grants.gov:

• Funding Opportunity Number: ME-FY25

• Assistance Listing Number: 45.301

To request an audio recording of this announcement, call 202-653-4744. To request a paper copy of this announcement, call 202-653-4744 or email imls-museumgrants@imls.gov.

Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing (TTY Users) can contact IMLS at 202-207-7858 via 711 for TTY-Based Telecommunications Relay Service.

See Guidance for Required Registrations for detailed information and resources to help you make sure your required registrations are complete and active by the time you’re ready to apply.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/search-grants mailto:imls-museumgrants@imls.gov

Get Ready to Apply 23

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Readiness Checklist Applying for an award takes time. Registering with SAM.gov can take several weeks. There are a few important things you’ll need to do before you can apply.

Be sure to…

□ Carefully read through this NOFO to get a good understanding of how to craft your narrative, what documents we require, and how we review applications.

□ Review the eligibility requirements for this program and confirm that your organization is eligible.

1. Organization type

2. Organization location

3. Museum eligibility criteria

□ Review the Funding Restrictions and keep them in mind as you develop your application and budget.

□ Register in SAM.gov (or make sure your organization’s registration is current) as early as possible. Remember that SAM registration can take several weeks.

To register, go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and click Get Started.

See the SAM.gov Entity Registration checklist for what you’ll need to register in SAM.

□ Get a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. You’ll get your organization’s UEI when you register in SAM.gov. (This is not a DUNS number. See the DUNS to UEI transition information.)

□ Register in Grants.gov.

□ Make sure you understand the review criteria.

□ Review the post-award requirements to make sure you can meet them.

□ Find the application package. Go to Grants.gov and search for Funding Opportunity Number: ME-FY25 or Assistance Listing Number: 45.301

□ Get familiar with Grants.gov Workspace.

□ Contact an IMLS Program Officer to discuss your ideas, or if you have questions related to the application process.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=82f480491b4dfd142fe5ed7ae54bcb0c https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://www.grants.gov/search-grants https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/museums-empowered-professional-development-opportunities-museum-staff

Prepare Your Application 24

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Prepare Your Application This section outlines the components, format, and content requirements to help you prepare a complete application.

You must apply by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on November 15, 2024. We make awards only to eligible applicants that submit applications through Grants.gov on or before this deadline.

If your application is missing any Required Documents or Conditionally Required Documents from the list below, we will consider it to be incomplete, and may reject it from further consideration (see 2 C.F.R. § 3187.9.).

Application Components

Required Documents You must include all these components for your application to be complete.

Component File Requirements

The Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form (SF-424S)

Format: Grants.gov web form

IMLS Museum Program Information Form

Format: Grants.gov web form

Organizational Profile

File Format: PDF

Page Limit: 1 page (recommended).

File Name: OrganizationalProfile.pdf

Strategic Plan Summary

File Format: PDF

Page Limit: 2 pages (recommended).

File Name: StrategicPlan.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXI/part-3187/subpart-B/subject-group-ECFR4860f8e7b5a3d23/section-3187.9

Prepare Your Application 25

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Component File Requirements

Narrative

File Format: PDF

Page Limit: 7 pages max.

File Name: Narrative.pdf

Schedule of Completion

File Format: PDF

Page Limit: 1 page per year (recommended)

File Name: Scheduleofcompletion.pdf

IMLS Budget Form File Format: IMLS PDF form

File Name: Budget.pdf

Budget Justification File Format: PDF

File Name: Budgetjustification.pdf

List of Key Project Staff and Consultants

File Format: PDF

Page Limit: 1 page (recommended)

File Name: Projectstaff.pdf

Resumes of Key Project Staff and Consultants

File Format: PDF

Page Limit: 2 pages each (recommended)

File Name: Resumes.pdf

Performance Measurement Plan

File Format: PDF

Page Limit: 2 pages (recommended)

File Name: Perfmeasurement.pdf

Prepare Your Application 26

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Conditionally Required Documents You must include these components if they are applicable to your institution or your project.

Refer to Conditionally Required Documents to determine which, if any, you need to include in your application.

Component File Requirements

Proof of Private, Nonprofit Status File Format: PDF

File Name: Proofnonprofit.pdf

Final Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

File Format: PDF

File Name: Indirectcostrate.pdf

Digital Products Plan

File Format: PDF

Page Limit: 2 pages (recommended)

File Name: Digitalproduct.pdf

Supporting Documents You may include additional documents to support your proposal.

Component File Requirements

Supporting Documents (Information that supplements the Narrative and supports your project description)

File Format: PDF

File Name(s):

Supportingdoc1.pdf Supportingdoc2.pdf Supportingdoc3.pdf

Format, Name, and Sequence of Application Components Document Format and File Size Aside from the SF-424S and the IMLS Museum Program Information Form, which are created in Grants.gov Workspace, all application components must be submitted as PDF documents.

Prepare Your Application 27

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Use standard formatting and fonts in your application components and limit individual file sizes to 200mb or less.

Page Limits Note the page limits listed in the table of Application Components. We will remove any additional pages and not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

Naming Convention

Use the naming conventions indicated in the table of Application Components.

IMPORTANT: Attachment file names are limited to the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period (.). If attachment file names use any other characters, the application may be rejected by Grants.gov.

Attachment Order

In Grants.gov, attach all application components in the sequence listed in the tables. Use all 15 fields in the “Attachments Form” first. If your application requires more than 15 attachments, select the “Other Attachments Form.” Note that if you select the “Other Attachments Form,” you will be required to upload the 16th attachment in the “Mandatory Other Attachment” field first; any subsequent attachments should be uploaded under the “Optional Other Attachments.”

Instructions for Required Documents

Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form

(SF-424S)

The SF-424S is part of the application package that you complete in Grants.gov Workspace. It collects basic information about your organization and your project.

IMLS Museum Program Information Form The IMLS Museum Program Information Form is part of the application package that you complete in Grants.gov Workspace. In it, we collect details about your project, its goals, and financial information.

Find detailed instructions to help you complete these Grants.gov forms:

Detailed instructions for completing the SF424S

Detailed instructions for completing the IMLS Museum Program Information Form

Prepare Your Application 28

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Organizational Profile Write a brief Organizational Profile for the lead applicant and save it as a PDF. We recommend limiting the Organizational Profile to one page. Include the following information:

• Your organization’s mission or statement of purpose, noting the source, approving body, and date of the official document in which it appears.

• Your organization’s governance structure. If your museum is located within a parent organization or if your organization is a nonprofit affiliated with a museum, explain the relationship.

• Your service area (i.e., communities and/or audiences served, including size, demographic characteristics, and geographic area).

• A brief history of your organization, focusing on the organizational unit that will be directly involved in carrying out the work.

Strategic Plan Summary Write a summary of your organization’s strategic plan as context for linking your project to your institutional goals and objectives. Please do not submit a copy of your organization’s entire strategic plan. We recommend limiting the Strategic Plan Summary to two pages.

Indicate who approved the plan and when. Save this document as a PDF.

Narrative Write a Narrative using the structure and format below and save it as a PDF. Be clear and concise with a minimum of technical jargon and acronyms. Include references throughout your Narrative to any Supporting Documents that provide supplementary material.

When writing your narrative, consider the review criteria and the program goal and objective you selected.

Prepare Your Application 29

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Narrative - Required Format Page Limit: 7 numbered pages

We will remove any additional pages and will not send them to reviewers as part of your application.

File Name: Narrative.pdf

IMPORTANT: Attachment file names are limited to the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period (.). If attachment file names use any other characters, the application may be rejected by Grants.gov.

File Format: PDF

Font Size: 11-point or higher

Margins: 0.5 inches or greater

Components: Organize the Narrative using the following section headings, and respond to the question prompts in the Guidance for Narrative Sections:

• Project Justification

• Project Work Plan

• Project Results

Prepare Your Application 30

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Guidance for Narrative Sections

Narrative Section Guidance

Project Justification o Which ME program goal and associated objective will your project address?

o How will your project advance your museum’s strategic plan?

o What need, problem, or challenge will your project address, and how was it identified?

o Who is the primary audience for your project and how have they been involved in the planning? “Primary audience” refers to those who will be most immediately and positively affected by your project.

Identify the number of individuals in the primary audience or in each group, if you identify more than one.

o Who are the ultimate beneficiaries for this project?

“Beneficiaries” refers to those who are likely to be aided in the long-term by your project. They may or may not be the same as your “primary audience.”

Project Work Plan o What specific activities will you carry out?

o Who will plan, implement, and manage your project?

o What time, financial, personnel, and other resources will you need to carry out the activities?

o How will you organize and structure the project team to support equitable and inclusive engagement of all participants?

o What are the risks to the project and how will you mitigate them?

o How will you track your progress toward achieving your intended results?

Prepare Your Application 31

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Narrative Section Guidance

Project Results o What are your project’s intended results and how will they address the need, problem, or challenge you have identified?

o How will the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and/or attitudes of the primary audience change because of your project?

o How will the proposed activities result in organizational growth or systemic change for the museum?

o What products will result from your project, and how will you make them accessible to the primary audience?

o How will you sustain the benefit(s) of your project beyond the conclusion of the period of performance?

Refer to the Evaluation Resources on the IMLS website for program planning tools, evaluation definitions, and methodologies.

Refer to our guidance on disclosing information in your application.

Reviewers may also choose to visit your organization's website, as listed on the SF-424S form provided with your application.

https://www.imls.gov/research-evaluation/evaluation-resources

Prepare Your Application 32

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Schedule of Completion The Schedule of Completion should reflect each major activity identified in your application Narrative and the project dates identified on the SF-424S and the IMLS Budget Form. It should show when each major project activity will start and end. The schedule should be no longer than one page per project year. See the sample Schedule of Completion below. Save your document as a PDF.

IMLS Budget Form Download and complete the current IMLS Budget Form (PDF, 1.7MB).

Budget Justification Write a Budget Justification to identify each expense and show the method of cost computation used to determine each dollar amount, including any that you may have consolidated and summarized on the IMLS Budget Form. Save this document as a PDF.

Find detailed instructions to help you complete an IMLS Budget Form and write a Budget Justification:

Detailed instructions for completing the IMLS Budget Form

Detailed instructions for writing a Budget Justification https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/imls-budget-form-fy25.pdf

Prepare Your Application 33

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

List of Key Project Staff and Consultants Write a list of only those staff and consultants whose expertise is essential to the success of the project and save it as a PDF. Do not list all staff involved in the project. If you cannot identify key project staff by the application deadline, then list the position title(s) instead.

This list must include the Project Director listed in Item 7 of the SF-424S. We recommend limiting this list to one page.

Resumes of Key Project Staff and Consultants Provide a resume for each person whose expertise is essential to the success of the project.

We recommend limiting each resume to two pages. Use standard fonts and formatting, and save all the resumes in a single PDF. You must include the resume of the Project Director listed in Item 7 of the SF-424S.

If you cannot identify key project staff by the application deadline, then instead of a resume, provide position description(s) including the qualities, range of experience, and education necessary to successfully implement and complete project activities.

Performance Measurement Plan Your Performance Measurement Plan should show how you will monitor and assess your performance as an awardee and achieve your selected program goal and objective from the perspectives of Effectiveness, Efficiency, Quality, and Timeliness for your overall project.

For each performance measure, identify what data you will collect from what source, the method you will use to collect it, and according to what schedule. The chart below provides sample statements for each measure and a space to record your own. We've provided a fillable version of this chart (DOCX, 25KB), which you are welcome, but not required, to use.

We recommend limiting your Performance Measurement Plan to two pages. Save your document as a PDF.

https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2021-08/imls-performance-measurement-plan.docx https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2021-08/imls-performance-measurement-plan.docx

Prepare Your Application 34

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

(Back to Table of Application Components)

Prepare Your Application 35

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Conditionally Required Documents These documents may be required for your application, depending upon the circumstances.

Refer to the table below to determine which, if any, Conditionally Required Documents you may need to provide.

If you fail to provide a Conditionally Required Document, we will consider your application incomplete, and may reject it from further consideration.

If you are:

Then you must provide:

Notes:

Applying as a private, nonprofit institution (as indicated by choosing “M” as the Applicant Type code in 5d of the SF-424S form).

A copy of the IRS letter indicating your eligibility for nonprofit status under the applicable provision of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.

You must submit this letter with each application even if you have submitted it with other applications in the current year or in previous years.

We will not accept a letter of State sales tax exemption as proof of nonprofit status.

See 2 C.F.R. § 3187.7(b).

Using a Federally negotiated indirect cost rate in your budget.

A copy of your current Final Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

If you do not have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate and elect to charge a de minimis rate of up to 15 percent of Modified Total Direct Costs (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f)), you do not need to provide any documentation.

Proposing to generate any digital content, resources, assets, or software

A Digital Products Plan (two pages, recommended)

Describe the types of digital content or products you will create during your project and address issues relating to availability, access, and sustainability for each type.

See Guidance for creating a Digital Products Plan.

(Back to Table of Application Components) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-3187/section-3187.7#p-3187.7(b) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.414#p-200.414(f) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/section-200.414#p-200.414(f)

Prepare Your Application 36

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Supporting Documents Applicants may submit a reasonable number of optional Supporting Documents that supplement the Narrative in support of the project description. Optional Supporting Documents should help IMLS staff and reviewers envision the project in greater detail, but they should not be used to introduce new topics nor to continue answers to the Narrative questions.

Give each document a clear, descriptive title at the top of the first page. You may wish to consider the following:

• Letters of commitment from partners, consultants, or any third party that will receive grant funds or make substantial contributions towards the completion of project activities

• Bibliography or references relevant to your proposed project design or evaluation strategy

• Letters of support from experts and stakeholders

• Needs assessments identifying knowledge gaps and areas of growth for the primary audience

• Recruitment plans showing proposed outreach strategies for the primary audience

• Learning objectives and/or curriculum for a proposed training program, internship, mentoring, or fellowship opportunity

• Logic models, assessment strategies, or evaluation frameworks

• Reports from planning activities

• Contractor quotes

• Equipment specifications

• Products or evaluations from previously completed or ongoing projects of a similar nature

• Web links to relevant online materials.

(Back to Table of Application Components)

Prepare Your Application 37

Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance

Application Checklist Use this checklist to make sure you have everything you need to submit a complete proposal.

General Readiness

□ Review the Readiness Checklist and make sure your organization has a UEI, and that your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations are current and active.

Forms (follow form and Grants.gov instructions)

□ SF-424S

□ IMLS Museum Program Information Form

Files Formatting Instructions

□ Organizational…