fy27-oms-nanh-NOFO.pdf

FY 2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity Applications Due November 13, 2026

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Funding Opportunity Number: NANH-FY27 Assistance Listing Number: 45.308

OMB Control No.: 3137-0095 Expiration Date: 8/31/2027

Table of Contents Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services 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

10. Guidance for Required Registrations

11. Guidance for Completing Forms and Other Application Components

Before You Begin If you believe you’re a good candidate for this funding opportunity, carefully review and follow these application instructions, 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 make sure that your registrations are active, and that all your listed information is accurate.

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 13, 2026.

Bookmark these resources for important information:

eCFR: Title 2 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 200 (2 C.F.R. § 200) -- Uniform

Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards

General Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Awards. IMLS may update the General Terms and Conditions before making awards for this program.

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services 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.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://imls.gov/grants/manage-your-grant/grant-administration https://www.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grant-programs/native-american-native-hawaiian-museum-services

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 NANH Program Goal and Objectives Performance Measures Funding Restrictions Authorizing Statute and Regulations Equal Opportunity

Opportunity Overview 5

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1. Basic Information

Opportunity Overview

Federal Awarding Agency Institute of Museum and Library Services

Funding Opportunity Title Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services

Announcement Type Modification of fiscal year (FY) 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Number NANH-FY27

Assistance Listing Number 45.308

Type of Assistance Instrument Grant

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

Eastern Time on November 13, 2026.

Award Overview 6

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Award Overview

Key Dates

Anticipated date of notification of award decisions

July 2027 (subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion)

Anticipated start dates for new awards Projects must begin on August 1, 2027.

Anticipated period of performance August 1, 2027 – July 31, 2030.

Project activities may be carried out for one to three years

Funding Details

Total amount of funding IMLS expects to award through this announcement

$3,772,000

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 experienced in previous years

$200,000

Executive Summary 7

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The funding in the above Award Overview is subject to the availability of funds and the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS’s) discretion. We are not bound by any estimates in this announcement.

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

Executive Summary The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program (NANH) supports Native American Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians in sustaining heritage, culture, and knowledge. The program supports projects such as educational services and programs, workforce professional development, organizational capacity building, community engagement, and collections stewardship involving, but not limited to:

• educational programming for all ages;

• language preservation and revitalization;

• oral history collection and documentation;

• digital media and technology enhancements;

• institutional planning and policy development;

• professional training, internships, and mentorships;

• supporting and engaging with cultural practitioners and scholars;

• exhibition development, design, fabrication, and interpretation;

• collections information management, research, and planning;

• digitization and digital asset management;

• repatriation-related research, consultation, and documentation; and

• conservation surveys, treatments, and environmental improvements.

The goal of the program is to build the capacity of Native American Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to provide museum services to their communities through support of the:

preservation and perpetuation of languages and cultural practices;

professional development of the museum workforce; and management and care of museum collections and their associated documentation.

The primary audiences for this program are Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions providing museum services, and the professionals engaged with such institutions per the eligibility restrictions below.

Agency Contact Information 8

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Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are:

• a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe, or

• a Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians.

Agency Contact Information IMLS staff are available by phone and/or email to answer programmatic and administrative questions relating to this grant program.

https://www.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grant-programs/native-american-native-hawaiian-museum-services

Eligible Applicants 9

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2. Eligibility

Eligible Applicants To be eligible for an award under the NANH program, your organization must be either:

• a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe, or

• a Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians.

Federally Recognized Indian Tribe “Indian Tribe” means any Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village, regional corporation, or village corporation (as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq.), which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. The Bureau of Indian Affairs publishes updated official lists of federally recognized Indian Tribes in the Federal Register under the title, “Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs.”

Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians The term "Native Hawaiian", as defined in the Native Hawaiian Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 7517(2)), means:

a) any individual who is a citizen of the United States and

b) a descendant of the aboriginal people who, prior to 1778, occupied and exercised sovereignty in the area that now comprises the state of Hawaii, as evidenced by genealogical records, Kupuna (elders) or Kamaʻāina (long-term community residents) verification, or certified birth records.

See Conditionally Required Documents for more information about the documentation required of nonprofit organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title43/chapter33&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title43/chapter33&edition=prelim https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/30/2026-01899/indian-entities-recognized-by-and-eligible-to-receive-services-from-the-united-states-bureau-of https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter70/subchapter6/partB&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter70/subchapter6/partB&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter70/subchapter6/partB&edition=prelim

Other Eligibility Information 10

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Other Eligibility Information Application Limits

We will not consider applications proposing to renew or add funding to active IMLS 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.

Entities such as libraries, museums, schools, Tribal colleges, or departments of education are not eligible lead applicants, although they may be involved in the administration of this program and their staff may serve as project directors.

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.

Federally operated libraries and museums may not apply for NANH grants, but may serve as nonessential partners to applicants, as long as they do not receive IMLS grant funds from the project. Contact us before submitting an application involving a federal agency or federal collection.

Ineligible Applicants We will not review applications from or make awards to ineligible applicants. We will notify you if your application will not be reviewed because the organization is determined to be ineligible.

To receive an IMLS award, your organization must be determined to be eligible and must comply with all applicable IMLS, administrative and national policy requirements.

https://www.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grant-programs/native-american-native-hawaiian-museum-services https://www.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grant-programs/native-american-native-hawaiian-museum-services

Cost Share Requirements 11

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Application Deadlines, Funding Range, and Completeness You must submit your application by the deadline in accordance with the Submission Dates and Times section of this NOFO. IMLS generally will reject applications received after the deadline. At its discretion and in rare circumstances, IMLS may consider a late application. IMLS retains the sole discretion to determine whether to accept a late application, and such determinations are final.

If your request for federal funding as shown on the IMLS Budget Form, including all direct and indirect costs, is outside the funding range for the program ($5,000 - $250,000), we may reject your application.

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

Cost Share Requirements For the NANH program, cost share is voluntary. It is allowed but not required and is not considered in the review of applications.

Cost share is the portion of a project’s total 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. Federally appropriated funds, whether they are disbursed directly to you by an agency of the federal government or indirectly through another organization, may not count toward cost share.

Carefully calculate any cost share that you include in your project budget. If you receive an award, you must meet your cost share commitments.

Learn more about Cost Sharing in the Budget

Agency Mission, Goals, and Objectives 12

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3. Program Description

Agency Mission, Goals, and Objectives The mission of the IMLS is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. These goals 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 broad public engagement.

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 NANH program supports the achievement of these agency-level goals to facilitate the delivery of significant results consistent with IMLS’s federal authorizing legislation (20 U.S.C.

§9101 et seq.; in particular, 20 U.S.C.§ 9173(d) (Services for Native Americans). Each award that we make through the NANH 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

NANH Program Goal and Objectives 13

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NANH Program Goal and Objectives NANH has one program goal and three associated objectives. Your proposed project should align with the program goal and one of the associated objectives. You’ll select an objective on the IMLS Museum Program Information Form, and you should clearly identify your choice in your project Narrative.

NANH Program Goal:

Build the capacity of Native American Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to provide museum services to their communities.

Objective 1

Support the preservation and perpetuation of languages and cultural practices.

Objective 2

Support the professional development of the museum workforce.

Objective 3

Support the management and care of museum collections and their associated documentation.

Performance Measures 14

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

Effectiveness: The extent to which activities contribute to achieving the intended results of the NANH 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 (This is different from evaluating the performance of your project)

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 objective.

Funding Restrictions

Allowable and Unallowable Costs You may use IMLS funds and cost share only for allowable costs as set forth in the OMB government-wide cost-principles and in IMLS’s supplemental regulations.

Please consult 2 C.F.R. § 200 and 2 C.F.R. § 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 funds 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-A/chapter-II/part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXI/part-3187

Funding Restrictions 15

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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 equipment to improve collections storage and exhibit environments 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 pre-award costs, at the discretion of and with prior written approval from the agency

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

You must explain all proposed expenses in the Budget Justification.

Funding Restrictions 16

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If you have questions about whether specific activities are allowable, contact us for 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 cannot be provided to any federal agency serving as a third party.

Indirect Costs In your budget, you can decide to:

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

use a rate proposed to a federal agency for negotiation, but not yet finalized. However, the rate must be finalized by the time your budget is approved before we make an 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.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grant-programs/native-american-native-hawaiian-museum-services https://www.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grant-programs/native-american-native-hawaiian-museum-services 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 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.331

Authorizing Statute and Regulations 17

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Authorizing Statute and Regulations

Statute: 20 U.S.C. § 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9173(d) (Services for Native Americans).

Regulations: 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI, 2 C.F.R. Chapter XXXI, and 2 C.F.R. § 200

Award recipients must follow the regulations that are in effect at the time the award is made.

The OMB guidance on Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) is set forth at 2 C.F.R. part 200.

*Please note: OMB is in the process of updating the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR § 200 (Uniform Guidance Revisions). For IMLS grant awards made on or after October 1, 2026, the Uniform Guidance Revisions will apply.

IMLS regulations at 2 C.F.R. § 3187 formally adopt the Uniform Guidance and include certain agency-specific provisions.

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

For further information, email ogc@imls.gov or write to the Office of the General Counsel, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Suite N-3627, Washington, DC, 20210.

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/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance mailto:ogc@imls.gov

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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 19

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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: NANH-FY27

• Assistance Listing Number: 45.308

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.

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 20

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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. Organizational 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.gov 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.

□ 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: NANH-FY27 or Assistance Listing Number: 45.308

□ Get familiar with Grants.gov Workspace.

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

https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=82f480491b4dfd142fe5ed7ae54bcb0c https://sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://www.grants.gov/search-grants https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview https://www.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grant-programs/native-american-native-hawaiian-museum-services

Prepare Your Application 21

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

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

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

Prepare Your Application 22

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Component File Requirements

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 23

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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 (for organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians)

File Format: PDF

File Name: Proofnonprofit.pdf

Proof of Eligibility (for organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians)

File Format: PDF

File Name: Proofeligibility.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

Detailed Condition Reports and/or Conservation Treatment Proposals

File Format: PDF

File Name: Treatment.pdf

Supporting Documents You may include the following additional documents as needed to support your proposal.

Component File Requirements

Supporting Documents

Information that supplements the Narrative and supports your project

File Format: PDF

File Name(s):

Supportingdoc1.pdf Supportingdoc2.pdf Supportingdoc3.pdf

Prepare Your Application 24

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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.

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 pages over the stated limits, and they will not be sent to peer review; any additional pages will not be considered 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, your application may be rejected by Grants.gov.

Attachment Order

In Grants.gov, attach all application components in the sequence listed in the Table of Application Components. 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.”

Prepare Your Application 25

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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 this form, we collect details about your project, its goals, and financial information.

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

• Your Tribe or organization’s governance structure.

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

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

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

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Narrative Write a Narrative using the structure and format below and save it as a PDF. Be clear and concise and limit the use 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 the program goal, and the program objective you’ve selected.

Narrative - Required Format Page Limit: 7 numbered pages

We will remove any pages over the limit and will not send them to peer review; any additional pages will not be considered 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

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Guidance for Narrative Sections

Narrative Section Guidance

Project Justification o Which NANH objective will your project address?

o How will your project strengthen your Tribe’s and/or Native Hawaiian organization’s museum services?

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 target group or in each primary audience, 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.”

o If applicable, describe and quantify the collections and/or records that are the focus of your project, and their current condition.

Project Work Plan o What specific activities will you carry out and in what sequence?

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

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?

Note: You must include $3,000 per year in your project budget for travel to attend IMLS-designated meetings.

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

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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 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 award period of performance?

o If applicable, how will the care, condition, management, access to, or use of the collections and/or records that are the focus of your project improve?

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

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

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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. We recommend that the schedule should not exceed 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, 1.67MB).

Budget Justification Write a Budget Justification to identify how each expense supports your proposed activities, detail how you calculated all costs, and provide supporting documentation, including any dollar amounts that you may have consolidated and summarized on the IMLS Budget Form. We

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.pdf https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/imls-budget-form.pdf

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Review Opportunity Prepare & Submit Learn About Review Post-Award Other Information Additional Guidance recommend that your Budget Justification have a section for each heading on the IMLS Budget Form. Save this document as a PDF.

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 instead list the position title(s).

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 resumes as 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 all proposed project activities.

Performance Measurement Plan Your Performance Measurement Plan should show how you will monitor and assess your performance as an award recipient 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. A fillable version of this chart is provided (DOCX, 25KB), which you may but are 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

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(Back to Table of Application Components)

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Conditionally Required Documents These documents may be required for your application, depending on specific program requirements. Refer to the table below to determine which, if any, Conditionally Required Documents you need to provide.

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

If you are:

Then you must provide:

Notes:

Applying as a nonprofit organization that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians (as indicated by choosing “M” as the Applicant Type code in 5d of the SF-424S form).

Proof of private, nonprofit status - 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, or an official document identifying the organization as a unit of State or local government.

AND

Proof of eligibility - the organization’s charter documents, including the articles of incorporation, which demonstrates how your organization meets the requirement of primarily serving and representing Native Hawaiians.

Since an organization’s status may change over time, you must submit these documents with each application, even if you have previously submitted it with other applications.

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

If prepared specifically for this application, any nonprofit status certification from a unit of State or local government must be on the ‘parent’ organization’s letterhead and certified by an authorized official of the parent organization.

See 2 C.F.R. § 3187.7(b).

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-3187/section-3187.7#p-3187.7(b)

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If you are:

Then you must provide:

Notes:

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.

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)

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If you are:

Then you must provide:

Notes:

Proposing to undertake conservation treatment as part of your project

A document that identifies your Tribe or organization’s conservation priorities and describes how they were established.

Provide detailed condition reports and/or treatment proposals for each object, specimen, or group to be treated.

This document might be one or more of the following:

• A Conservation Assessment for Preservation (CAP) report

• A Preservation Assistance Grant (PAG) report

• A General Conservation Survey Report (funded by a prior IMLS grant)

• A similar survey report funded by local, state, regional, or private entities

• A current Long-range Conservation Plan approved by the organization’s administration and/or governing body.

(Back to Table of Application Components)

Supporting Documents Applicants may submit 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 or to continue answers to the Narrative questions.

Please refrain from attaching hundreds of pages of supplemental material, as this may cause issues with your application submission through Grants.gov.

Give each document a clear, descriptive title at the top of the first page. You may 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 https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/collections-assessment-preservation-program-cap https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/collections-assessment-preservation-program-cap

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• Letters of support from experts, stakeholders, or Tribal leadership

• Relevant images that support your proposed project

• Exhibit design plans

• Reports from planning activities

• Contractor quotes

• Equipment specifications

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

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

• Collections, technology, or other departmental plans for the Tribe or organization as applicable to the proposed project

• Web links to relevant online materials

• Needs assessments

(Back to Table of Application Components)

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Application Checklist Use this checklist to make sure you have everything needed 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 Profile

□ Narrative

□ Schedule of Completion

□ IMLS Budget Form

□ Budget Justification

□ List of Key Project Staff and Consultants

□ Resumes of Key Project Staff and Consultants

□ Performance Measurement Plan

□ Any Conditionally Required Documents, if applicable

□ Supporting Documents, if any

□ Double-check format, file names, page limits, and attachment order for all your PDF documents.

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Disclosure of Information in Applications We may share grant applications, products, and reports to further the agency’s mission and the development of museum, library, archival, and information services. As a general practice, and except for information that is privacy-protected, information contained in IMLS applications that receive funding may be made public. Please identify any information in your application that you consider to be confidential and/or proprietary and seek to have protected.

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5. Submission Requirements and Deadline

Submission Instructions You must submit your applications for funding using Grants.gov Workspace. Do not submit your application to IMLS via email, U.S. postal mail, or delivery service; IMLS will reject applications not submitted via the Grants.gov Workspace.

Review the Registration Requirements and time frames. We strongly recommend that you obtain a UEI number, register with SAM.gov and Grants.gov, and complete and submit your application early. Leave plenty of time and use the contact information below to reach out to IMLS, the Federal Service Desk, or Grants.gov for questions and technical difficulties.

Programmatic, Administrative, and Technical Support Contacts

IMLS

IMLS staff are available by phone and email to answer programmatic and administrative questions relating to this grant program. Also, we offer pre-recorded webinars to introduce potential applicants to funding opportunities. For more information, see the NANH page on the IMLS website.

Federal Service Desk Visit the Federal Service Desk for questions about registering or renewing your registration with Login.gov or SAM.gov.

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview…