Assistance Listings

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Program

Objectives

The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program (NANH) supports Indian Tribes 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. GOAL: Build the capacity of Native American Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to provide museum services to their communities. Obj. 1: Support the preservation and perpetuation of Indigenous languages and cultural practices. Obj. 2: Support the professional development of the workforce of Indigenous museums. Obj. 3: Support the management and care of Indigenous collections and their associated documentation.

Examples of Funded Projects

Assistance Listing Description

The Act authorizes the Director of IMLS to award grants to or enter into cooperative agreements with Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians to support museums in providing learning and access to collections, information, and educational resources.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

FY2023 awards ranged from $35,383 to $216,982. Average = $110,944. FY2024 awards ranged from $102,850 to $250,000. Average = $209,556. In FY2025, requests may range from $5,000 to $250,000.

Accomplishments

Account Identification

59-0300-0-1-503

Types of Assistance

B - Project Grants

Credentials and Documentation

Applicant Eligibility

Federally Recognized Indian Tribe: To be eligible for funding as this type of entity, an organization must be an “Indian tribe,” which 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. A list of eligible entities is available from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians: To be eligible for funding as this type of entity, an organization must be a nonprofit that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians, as that term is defined in 20 U.S.C. § 7517. In order for a museum to be eligible, it must demonstrate that it is established as an organization that meets this statutory eligibility criteria.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Projects must begin on July 1, 2025, and project activities may be carried out for one to three years. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Funds are released as advances or reimbursements in response to requests for payment.

Use of Assistance

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; 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.Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services is a discretionary grant program.

Deadlines

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedures

2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program.

Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) for this listing will be posted on Grants.gov (opens in new window) (opens in new window).

1. Ensure that required registrations are active and user names and passwords are in place. 2. Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity carefully to get all the information required for applying. 3. Compose the complete application, using resources available through www.imls.gov (e.g. on-demand webinars, instructions, Sample Applications, Reviewer Resources). 4. Contact an IMLS staff member to ask any questions about the application and review process. 5. Submit the application via Grants.gov by the deadline.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Successful applications in this grant program are structured to address an identified need or challenge facing an organization; reflect a thorough understanding of current practice and knowledge about the subject matter; define a work plan consisting of a set of logical, interrelated activities tied directly to addressing a key need or challenge; and are designed to generate measurable results that tie directly to the identified need or challenge. IMLS staff review applications for eligibility and completeness. IMLS uses a peer review process to evaluate all eligible and complete applications. Peer reviewers are experts in the field with relevant knowledge and expertise in the types of project activities identified in the applications. IMLS instructs reviewers to evaluate applications according to the review criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Peer reviewers must comply with Federal ethics and conflicts of interest requirements.

Award Procedure

The IMLS Director takes into account the input provided by the review process and makes final funding decisions consistent with the purposes of the agency’s mission and programs. Funded and non-funded applicants are notified of funding decisions when all deliberations are complete.

Date Range for Approval/Disapproval

> 180 Days. IMLS will not release information about the status of an application until the applications have been reviewed and all deliberations are concluded. IMLS expects to notify both successful and unsuccessful applicants of the final decisions by email by June 2025.

Renewals

IMLS may extend particular grants at the discretion of the Director.

Appeals

IMLS will provide copies of reviewer comments and scores to all unsuccessful applicants and invite them to consult with specific IMLS staff when determining whether to revise the proposal and submit it again to IMLS or another funding agency.

Policy Requirements

Reports

Audits

Records

Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other project records must be retained for three years following the submission of the final financial report.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature

2 CFR Part 200 and 2 CFR Part 3187. 20 USC Chapter 72 Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, § 9101-9176, in particular § 9173 (d) (Services for Native Americans). Guidelines are available online at https://www.imls.gov/grants/grant-programs or upon request from IMLS, 955 L’Enfant Plaza North, SW, Suite 4000, Washington DC 20024-2135. See the IMLS website at www.imls.gov for the most current program information.

Formula and Matching Requirements

Regional or Local Locations:

Headquarters Office: