# Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (45.309)

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/programs/45-309-museum-grants-for-african-american-history-and-culture/  
Publisher: Well Told Grants. Data: USAspending.gov and Grants.gov, updated November 7, 2026.

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture is run by Institute of Museum and Library Services. From fiscal 2021 to 2025 it awarded $25.4 million in 154 grants, about $165,080 per award.

## Objectives

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC) is designed to build the capacity of African American museums and support the growth and development of museum professionals at African American museums. The program supports projects that nurture museum professionals, build institutional capacity, and increase access to museum and archival collections at African American museums and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program has two goals, each with associated objectives. GOAL 1: Build the capacity of African American museums and HBCUs to serve their communities. Obj. 1.1: Develop, enhance, or expand public programs, exhibitions, and/or school programs. Obj. 1.2: Strengthen museum operations aby developing new or improved strategic plan, management practices, or institutional policies. nd professional management. Obj. 1.3: Improve care and conservation of museum collections and archives, and expand access to collections. GOAL 2: Support the growth and development of museum professionals at African American museums and HBCUs. Obj. 2.1: Develop and implement internship, fellowship, and mentoring programs to support people entering the museum field. Obj. 2.2: Create learning and growth opportunities designed to build knowledge, skills, and abilities of museum staff and/or volunteers.

## Funding by fiscal year

| Year | Amount | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $3.0 million | 24 |
| 2022 | $4.3 million | 34 |
| 2023 | $6.0 million | 35 |
| 2024 | $6.1 million | 31 |
| 2025 | $6.0 million | 31 |

## Largest recipients

| Recipient | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Blues Museum | Missouri | $1.1 million |
| The Museum of the African Diaspora | California | $985,872 |
| Motown Historical Museum | Michigan | $884,046 |
| Florida a & M University | Florida | $862,321 |
| Center for African American Military History, Inc | Texas | $856,250 |
| Jack Hadley's Black History Memorabilia, Inc. | Georgia | $745,119 |
| The Association of African American Museums | District of Columbia | $730,617 |
| The Amistad Research Center | Louisiana | $680,837 |
| Dr Carter G Woodson African American Museum Inc | Florida | $580,741 |
| The Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford-Stuyvesant History | New York | $557,586 |
| Museum of African American History, Incorporated | Massachusetts | $548,789 |
| Great Plains Black History Museum Archives and Interpretative Center Inc. | Nebraska | $520,576 |
| National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Inc. | Ohio | $500,000 |
| Ferris State University | Michigan | $499,719 |
| Black Inventors Hall of Fame a NJ Nonprofit Corporation | New Jersey | $498,306 |
| Spelman College | Georgia | $491,063 |
| Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia | Virginia | $475,425 |
| Louis Armstrong House Museum | New York | $448,500 |
| Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium | Alabama | $426,898 |
| Houston Freedmens Town Conservancy | Texas | $398,857 |

## Open opportunities

- [Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (2027)](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/aahc-fy27-museum-grants-for-african-american-history-and-culture/), closes November 13, 2026