Federal grant programs / Institute of Museum and Library Services

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (45.309)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$25.4 million
• Grant awards154
• Typical award$100,000
• Awarded in FY 2025$6.0 million
• Size rank1,235 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceProject grants, direct payments for specified use

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $3.0 million in fiscal 2021 to $6.0 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1235th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 50% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 28 states and territories.

What the program funds

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.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

• Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (2027)
  Open · Closes November 13, 2026 (6 days left) · up to $500,000

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

An applicant to Museum Grants for African American History and Culture must meet geographic and governance criteria and qualify as one of following types of organizations: 1. A museum whose primary purpose, as reflected in its mission, is African American life, art, history, and/or culture, encompassing: the period of slavery; the era of Reconstruction; the Harlem renaissance; the civil rights movement; and other periods of the African American diaspora; and using a professional staff, is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage or aesthetic purposes; owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; cares for these objects; and exhibits these objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates. For more information, please see 2 C.F.R. §3187.3. 2. 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. 3. A museum service organization or association whose primary purpose, as reflected in its mission, is to support museums whose primary purpose, as reflected in their mission, is African American life, art, history and/or culture; or 4. A historically black college or university, as defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. Section 1061, and pursuant to Executive Order 13256, dated February 12, 2002.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Grant funds must be used for the purposes outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, and in accordance with the Institute of Museum and Library Services General Terms and Conditions. Examples of allowable costs include personnel salaries, wages, and fringe benefits for project staff; 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; equipment to improve collections storage and exhibit environments; third-party costs; publication design and printing; program evaluation; staff and volunteer training; student tuition and fees; paid internships/fellowships; and indirect or overhead costs. Examples of unallowable costs include general fundraising costs; 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; social activities, receptions or entertainment; and research projects.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. The requirements to provide cost share differ according to funding level requested in the AAHC program. Cost share is not required for requests from $5,000-$100,000. At least one-to-one cost share from non-federal sources is required for requests from $100,001-$500,000.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

Jan 13, 2026 to Mar 13, 2026

Award range and average, in the agency's words

FY2023: Awards ranged from $75,369 to $500,000. Average: $176,471. FY2024: Awards ranged from $34,180 to $500,000. Average = $200,694. In FY2025, requests may range from $5,000 to $500,000, and applicants may choose between two funding levels. Small projects will range from $5,000 to $100,000. Large projects will range from $100,001 to $500,000.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.

By state

10 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.