Library of Congress Grants

The Library of Congress administers Library of Congress Grants (CFDA 42.011), which funds contemporary cultural documentation projects led by or closely affiliated with diverse, often underrepresented communities in the United States. The most recent grant opportunities posted in June 2023 closed on August 18, 2023; no currently open solicitations appear in the source.

The program supports community-led archival collection creation through cooperative agreements and grants, with eligible applicants including individuals and organizations such as nonprofits, tribal governments, higher education institutions, and for-profit organizations. Funded projects document cultural traditions, practices, and experiences from community perspectives, with collections preserved at the American Folklife Center and made accessible through the Library of Congress website. Allowable costs include travel, equipment rental or purchase, and other expenses associated with cultural documentation fieldwork. The Library provides technical support through American Folklife Center folklorists and archivists, who assist with training in fieldwork methods, archival practices, and digital technologies. Awardees receive opportunities to present work in forums at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and may develop public programs in their home communities as potentially supported by additional funds.

Recent grant opportunities operated as part of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation–funded "Of the People: Widening the Path" multiyear initiative, which explicitly targets Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and other racial and ethnic minority populations. The 2023 solicitations (030ADV23R0050 for individuals and 030ADV23R0051 for organizations) were the most recent postings. Earlier opportunities posted in 2022 and 2021 included Artist or Scholar in Residence awards providing $50,000 in the first year and $100,000 in the second year, as well as Community Collections grants to both individuals and organizations. The Artist or Scholar in Residence program sought individuals whose work connects technology, cultural heritage, and the legacies of racial division in the United States.

No recent grant awards are present in the source. The source does not contain a grant award portfolio block with current award counts, dollar totals, or assistance-type distribution.