WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 1 00:00:04.040 --> 00:00:07.555 Welcome to the Institute of Museum and Library Services 2 00:00:07.555 --> 00:00:10.883 Office of Museum Service Informational Video Inspire 3 00:00:10.883 --> 00:00:14.712 Grants for Small Museums Grant Program Applicant Information 4 00:00:14.712 --> 00:00:18.793 Session. The goal of this video is to provide an overview of our 5 00:00:18.793 --> 00:00:22.685 Inspire Grants for Small Museums grant program, which we call 6 00:00:22.685 --> 00:00:26.013 "Inspire" for short, and the process of preparing an 7 00:00:26.013 --> 00:00:27.520 application for funding. 8 00:00:30.010 --> 00:00:33.503 This video is organized into 7 chapters. "What is Inspire?": 9 00:00:33.503 --> 00:00:36.434 This section explains the purpose and design of the 10 00:00:36.434 --> 00:00:39.927 Inspire grant program. "What Can Inspire Grants Fund?": This 11 00:00:39.927 --> 00:00:43.365 section explains the types of projects that can be funded in 12 00:00:43.365 --> 00:00:46.464 inspire and the amount of funds that can be requested. 13 00:00:46.464 --> 00:00:49.451 "Application Components Introduction": This section 14 00:00:49.451 --> 00:00:52.944 describes the types of documents that are needed to create an 15 00:00:52.944 --> 00:00:54.409 Inspire grant application. 16 00:00:55.570 --> 00:00:58.565 "Application Components Organizational Profile": This 17 00:00:58.565 --> 00:01:01.995 section is where you will talk about your institution and make 18 00:01:01.995 --> 00:01:05.208 the case for being a small museum. "Application Components 19 00:01:05.208 --> 00:01:08.312 Narrative": This section provides guidance on composing 20 00:01:08.312 --> 00:01:11.144 the narrative part of the application. "Application 21 00:01:11.144 --> 00:01:14.357 Components Budget": This section provides details on the 22 00:01:14.357 --> 00:01:17.624 information to include in your project budget. "Application 23 00:01:17.624 --> 00:01:20.783 Tips, and Next Steps": The concluding section provides a 24 00:01:20.783 --> 00:01:22.090 few tips and next steps. 25 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:26.850 The complete set of instructions for how to prepare and submit an 26 00:01:26.850 --> 00:01:30.298 Inspire grant application are found in the Notice of Funding 27 00:01:30.298 --> 00:01:33.576 Opportunity published on Grants.gov and also available on 28 00:01:33.576 --> 00:01:36.741 the IMLS website. Please refer to the Notice of Funding 29 00:01:36.741 --> 00:01:39.963 Opportunity for the most detailed information to prepare 30 00:01:39.963 --> 00:01:43.128 your application. To get the most out of this video, we 31 00:01:43.128 --> 00:01:46.746 recommend that you watch it in its entirety. This will give you 32 00:01:46.746 --> 00:01:50.137 an understanding of the Inspire grant program, the types of 33 00:01:50.137 --> 00:01:51.720 projects that can be funded, 34 00:01:52.150 --> 00:01:56.071 and the necessary application components. You may also want to 35 00:01:56.071 --> 00:01:59.619 review the Inspire notice of Funding Opportunity before, 36 00:01:59.619 --> 00:02:03.229 during, and after you watch the video. Notices of Funding 37 00:02:03.229 --> 00:02:07.088 Opportunities, also known as NOFOs, are documents that detail 38 00:02:07.088 --> 00:02:11.009 the requirements of each of our grant programs for fiscal year 39 00:02:11.009 --> 00:02:14.743 2024. All of our NOFOs can be found at IMLS.gov\ Grants. As 40 00:02:14.743 --> 00:02:18.540 you navigate the application process, you can use this video 41 00:02:18.540 --> 00:02:19.910 as the reference tool. 42 00:02:20.770 --> 00:02:24.493 If you'd like to skip to a specific section, please use the 43 00:02:24.493 --> 00:02:28.404 time bar below or the links in the description box to navigate 44 00:02:28.404 --> 00:02:32.438 the chapters. In this section we will answer the question, 'What 45 00:02:32.438 --> 00:02:35.851 is Inspire?", providing information on the purpose and 46 00:02:35.851 --> 00:02:39.699 intent of this grant program and who it is designed to serve. 47 00:02:39.699 --> 00:02:43.672 Inspire Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative of the 48 00:02:43.672 --> 00:02:45.410 Museums for America program. 49 00:02:46.200 --> 00:02:49.512 The overall goal of the program is to support activities that 50 00:02:49.512 --> 00:02:52.504 strengthen the abilities of individual small museums to 51 00:02:52.504 --> 00:02:55.657 serve their publics. This might be through activities that 52 00:02:55.657 --> 00:02:58.809 reflect museums as active resources for lifelong learning, 53 00:02:58.809 --> 00:03:02.122 as institutions important in improving the wellbeing of their 54 00:03:02.122 --> 00:03:05.434 communities, or as good stewards of the nation's collections. 55 00:03:05.434 --> 00:03:08.800 Inspire is all about what your museum needs in order to better 56 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:12.166 serve your public. It may well be exactly the same as what the 57 00:03:12.166 --> 00:03:15.158 museum across town or in a neighboring state needs, and 58 00:03:15.158 --> 00:03:15.800 that's okay. 59 00:03:16.270 --> 00:03:20.408 The important thing here is that our support should help you make 60 00:03:20.408 --> 00:03:24.421 a local impact. Inspire projects are expected to focus on a key 61 00:03:24.421 --> 00:03:27.996 component of your museum's strategic plan. IMLS wants to 62 00:03:27.996 --> 00:03:31.507 support your museum in priority areas that benefit your 63 00:03:31.507 --> 00:03:35.395 community. Priorities in your strategic plan may connect to a 64 00:03:35.395 --> 00:03:38.656 range of activities from exhibitions, educational / 65 00:03:38.656 --> 00:03:42.669 interpretive programs, digital learning resources, professional 66 00:03:42.669 --> 00:03:44.990 development, institutional planning, 67 00:03:45.990 --> 00:03:49.197 audience focused studies, and / or collections management, 68 00:03:49.197 --> 00:03:52.241 curation, care and conservation. These are the kinds of 69 00:03:52.241 --> 00:03:55.611 activities that can be funded in the Inspire grant program. A 70 00:03:55.611 --> 00:03:58.873 characteristic of a successful Inspire grant application is 71 00:03:58.873 --> 00:04:02.188 making the connection between the proposed project and a key 72 00:04:02.188 --> 00:04:05.559 need or challenge that faces your museum and whose resolution 73 00:04:05.559 --> 00:04:08.929 is identified in your strategic plan. To help illustrate that 74 00:04:08.929 --> 00:04:11.701 connection in your grant application, we ask for a 75 00:04:11.701 --> 00:04:13.550 summary of your strategic plan -- 76 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:17.614 usually no more than two pages -- so that reviewers will be 77 00:04:17.614 --> 00:04:20.971 able to understand how your proposed projects activities 78 00:04:20.971 --> 00:04:24.388 will further your institutional goals and objectives. The 79 00:04:24.388 --> 00:04:28.158 strategic plan summary is your opportunity to make a thoughtful 80 00:04:28.158 --> 00:04:31.987 and well-constructed connection between the proposed project and 81 00:04:31.987 --> 00:04:35.344 your museum's priorities. Inspire is a grant program for 82 00:04:35.344 --> 00:04:39.232 museums. As a museum, you should keep in mind that all applicants 83 00:04:39.232 --> 00:04:42.648 must meet certain requirements to be eligible for federal 84 00:04:42.648 --> 00:04:43.119 funding. 85 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:47.103 Your organization must be located in one of the United 86 00:04:47.103 --> 00:04:50.111 States 50 states, its territories, or the District of 87 00:04:50.111 --> 00:04:53.620 Columbia. Your organization must be a unit of state, local, or 88 00:04:53.620 --> 00:04:56.851 tribal government, or private nonprofit organization with 89 00:04:56.851 --> 00:05:00.416 tax-exempt status. If you meet those two requirements, then the 90 00:05:00.416 --> 00:05:03.925 next step is to consider what it means to be eligible for IMLS 91 00:05:03.925 --> 00:05:07.212 funding as a museum. Museums must: have at least one full 92 00:05:07.212 --> 00:05:10.610 time or equivalent professional staff person, either paid or 93 00:05:10.610 --> 00:05:11.000 unpaid; 94 00:05:11.620 --> 00:05:15.687 have a physical location that it owns or operates; have been open 95 00:05:15.687 --> 00:05:19.200 to the public for at least 120 days in the year prior to 96 00:05:19.200 --> 00:05:23.021 November 15th, 2023; and own or use tangible objects. Museums 97 00:05:23.021 --> 00:05:27.027 may be standalone organizations, or they may be part of a larger 98 00:05:27.027 --> 00:05:30.848 institution such as a college, university, tribe, or state or 99 00:05:30.848 --> 00:05:34.669 local government. Inspire is a grant program for all types of 100 00:05:34.669 --> 00:05:38.428 museums. Here's a brief list of some of the types of museums 101 00:05:38.428 --> 00:05:41.139 that routinely apply to this grant program. 102 00:05:44.640 --> 00:05:47.394 There are a wide variety of museum disciplines and 103 00:05:47.394 --> 00:05:50.527 geographic locations where museums are located across the 104 00:05:50.527 --> 00:05:53.821 country, and determining an institution's size may rest on a 105 00:05:53.821 --> 00:05:57.008 number of factors. As a result, IMLS invites applicants to 106 00:05:57.008 --> 00:05:59.924 consider whether their organization is a good fit for 107 00:05:59.924 --> 00:06:03.273 this special initiative and to make a case clearly within the 108 00:06:03.273 --> 00:06:06.459 application's Organizational Profile document for why they 109 00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:08.080 think they are a small museum. 110 00:06:09.230 --> 00:06:12.088 Reviewers will use the information provided in the 111 00:06:12.088 --> 00:06:15.339 organizational profile to determine if the applicant made 112 00:06:15.339 --> 00:06:18.871 a clear case for being a small museum. Applicants should think 113 00:06:18.871 --> 00:06:22.402 about a range of attributes that describe their organizations, 114 00:06:22.402 --> 00:06:25.821 such as: number of staff members and volunteers: estimate of 115 00:06:25.821 --> 00:06:29.016 total person hours worked per week; operating budget and 116 00:06:29.016 --> 00:06:32.099 sources of revenue; number and types of objects in the 117 00:06:32.099 --> 00:06:34.509 collection; size of facility and property; 118 00:06:35.230 --> 00:06:38.694 types and numbers of audiences served; and size relative to 119 00:06:38.694 --> 00:06:42.275 other organizations of the same discipline or within the same 120 00:06:42.275 --> 00:06:45.451 geographic region. In this section, we will answer the 121 00:06:45.451 --> 00:06:48.973 question, "What can Inspire Fund?", providing details on the 122 00:06:48.973 --> 00:06:52.438 types of projects and associated goal objectives within the 123 00:06:52.438 --> 00:06:55.960 Inspire grant program, as well as offer some summary data on 124 00:06:55.960 --> 00:06:59.541 the number and type of Inspire projects that were funded last 125 00:06:59.541 --> 00:06:59.829 year. 126 00:07:02.470 --> 00:07:05.397 Inspire grants are designed to support project-based 127 00:07:05.397 --> 00:07:08.712 activities, so let's take a minute to consider just exactly 128 00:07:08.712 --> 00:07:12.082 what that means. The Project Management Institute has a good 129 00:07:12.082 --> 00:07:15.286 definition, which is, "A temporary endeavor undertaken to 130 00:07:15.286 --> 00:07:18.821 create a unique product, service or result." They go on further 131 00:07:18.821 --> 00:07:21.915 to explain that a project is temporary because it has a 132 00:07:21.915 --> 00:07:25.174 defined beginning and end in time and therefore it defines 133 00:07:25.174 --> 00:07:28.544 scope and resources. And the project is unique in that it is 134 00:07:28.544 --> 00:07:29.870 not a routine operation, 135 00:07:30.310 --> 00:07:33.379 but rather, a specific set of operations designed to 136 00:07:33.379 --> 00:07:36.855 accomplish a singular goal. We recommend that you keep this 137 00:07:36.855 --> 00:07:40.272 definition in mind as you conceptualize your IMLS project. 138 00:07:40.272 --> 00:07:43.632 Think of it as a temporary, non-routine set of activities 139 00:07:43.632 --> 00:07:46.992 which collectively have a beginning and an end in time, a 140 00:07:46.992 --> 00:07:50.351 defined scope requiring specific resources, and which are 141 00:07:50.351 --> 00:07:53.189 designed to accomplish a specific singular goal. 142 00:07:55.780 --> 00:07:58.842 Keeping our focus on project-based activities, let's 143 00:07:58.842 --> 00:08:02.366 look a little further at what characteristics are most often 144 00:08:02.366 --> 00:08:05.544 seen in successful Inspire applications. Institutional 145 00:08:05.544 --> 00:08:09.011 Impact: The project addresses a key goal identified in the 146 00:08:09.011 --> 00:08:12.651 institution's strategic plan. In-depth knowledge: The project 147 00:08:12.651 --> 00:08:15.655 design reflects a thorough understanding of current 148 00:08:15.655 --> 00:08:19.295 practice and knowledge about the subject matter. Project-Based 149 00:08:19.295 --> 00:08:19.699 Design: 150 00:08:20.180 --> 00:08:23.471 The work plan consists of a set of logical interrelated 151 00:08:23.471 --> 00:08:26.703 activities tied directly to addressing the key need or 152 00:08:26.703 --> 00:08:30.582 challenge. Demonstrable Results: The project generates measurable 153 00:08:30.582 --> 00:08:33.991 results that tie directly to the need or challenge it was 154 00:08:33.991 --> 00:08:37.634 designed to address. Successful projects most often exemplify 155 00:08:37.634 --> 00:08:41.337 all these four characteristics and fit well within the Inspire 156 00:08:41.337 --> 00:08:44.628 grant program. It has been our experience that unfunded 157 00:08:44.628 --> 00:08:48.154 applications fail to deliver convincingly on one or more of 158 00:08:48.154 --> 00:08:48.859 these areas. 159 00:08:50.730 --> 00:08:54.263 With that concept of project in mind, let's turn to the program 160 00:08:54.263 --> 00:08:57.189 goal and its associated objectives. You should align 161 00:08:57.189 --> 00:09:00.336 your proposed project with one or more of the associated 162 00:09:00.336 --> 00:09:03.483 objectives. The choice of objective should be identified 163 00:09:03.483 --> 00:09:06.741 clearly in the narrative, and the choice of objective also 164 00:09:06.741 --> 00:09:10.164 informs the choice of project category, which we will discuss 165 00:09:10.164 --> 00:09:13.256 on the next slide. After selecting a program objective. 166 00:09:13.256 --> 00:09:16.458 This is likely to be the most important decision you make 167 00:09:16.458 --> 00:09:18.170 about your funding application. 168 00:09:18.740 --> 00:09:22.044 As you can see here, there are three options Lifelong learning, 169 00:09:22.044 --> 00:09:24.884 Institutional Capacity and Collections Stewardship and 170 00:09:24.884 --> 00:09:27.776 Access. You will find these three areas align with your 171 00:09:27.776 --> 00:09:30.616 selection of a program objective. You will select your 172 00:09:30.616 --> 00:09:33.714 program goal, objective, and project category on the Museum 173 00:09:33.714 --> 00:09:36.760 Program Information Form. Why is your decision about which 174 00:09:36.760 --> 00:09:39.910 project category to choose so important? For one thing, your 175 00:09:39.910 --> 00:09:43.111 application will be reviewed by museum professionals who have 176 00:09:43.111 --> 00:09:45.900 experience and expertise in these general categories. 177 00:09:46.460 --> 00:09:49.321 And for another, your application will be competing 178 00:09:49.321 --> 00:09:52.843 against others who have chosen the same category. In short, the 179 00:09:52.843 --> 00:09:55.815 entire review process incorporates an assumption that 180 00:09:55.815 --> 00:09:59.227 your project aligns with the category you've identified. It's 181 00:09:59.227 --> 00:10:02.749 an important choice. So, let's look at what kinds of activities 182 00:10:02.749 --> 00:10:05.830 a project in each of these categories might include. In 183 00:10:05.830 --> 00:10:09.242 this and the two slides that follow, we include a list of the 184 00:10:09.242 --> 00:10:12.049 types of projects that fit within the category and 185 00:10:12.049 --> 00:10:13.260 associated objectives. 186 00:10:14.230 --> 00:10:17.423 A project in Lifelong Learning might include, but is not 187 00:10:17.423 --> 00:10:20.953 limited to, all or part of an exhibit, program development for 188 00:10:20.953 --> 00:10:24.259 all types of audiences, creating interpretive plans, media 189 00:10:24.259 --> 00:10:27.397 training for teachers, partnerships with schools or out 190 00:10:27.397 --> 00:10:30.759 of school audiences, or program evaluation As you plan your 191 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:34.233 project in this category, we strongly recommend starting with 192 00:10:34.233 --> 00:10:37.482 the concept of learner at the center and build around it. 193 00:10:37.482 --> 00:10:40.620 Spend time really thinking through who your learners in 194 00:10:40.620 --> 00:10:43.030 this project are and what their needs are. 195 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:46.815 It's not likely going to be everybody. So, who is it really? 196 00:10:46.815 --> 00:10:50.190 What do they want to learn? What do you want them to learn, and 197 00:10:50.190 --> 00:10:53.247 what's the best way to go at that? We'll get to the whole 198 00:10:53.247 --> 00:10:56.516 idea of problems and needs in a few minutes, but a major take 199 00:10:56.516 --> 00:10:59.679 away here is to be focused on identifying your audience and 200 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:02.684 then thinking about how you were going to serve them. An 201 00:11:02.684 --> 00:11:06.006 Institutional Capacity project is likely to include activities 202 00:11:06.006 --> 00:11:09.327 that contribute directly to your work to build the capacity of 203 00:11:09.327 --> 00:11:09.960 your museum. 204 00:11:10.910 --> 00:11:14.177 An institutional capacity project might include, but is 205 00:11:14.177 --> 00:11:17.794 not limited to, institutional planning and policy development 206 00:11:17.794 --> 00:11:21.411 and the recruitment, training and development of museum staff 207 00:11:21.411 --> 00:11:24.562 and volunteers. Our third project category is that of 208 00:11:24.562 --> 00:11:27.946 Collection Stewardship and access, and this includes just 209 00:11:27.946 --> 00:11:31.563 about anything you need to do for and with collections except 210 00:11:31.563 --> 00:11:35.181 acquire them. We are very open to projects that have multiple 211 00:11:35.181 --> 00:11:38.389 components configured in ways that make sense for you. 212 00:11:39.150 --> 00:11:42.248 One project might consist of cataloging, taking digital 213 00:11:42.248 --> 00:11:45.457 photographs, and updating database records. While another 214 00:11:45.457 --> 00:11:48.610 might combine digitization activities with rehousing. We 215 00:11:48.610 --> 00:11:52.206 support conservation projects of all kinds, general detailed and 216 00:11:52.206 --> 00:11:55.692 environmental surveys, as well as treatments and environmental 217 00:11:55.692 --> 00:11:58.845 improvements. And you are welcome to incorporate aspects 218 00:11:58.845 --> 00:12:02.275 of training and or collections management into these projects 219 00:12:02.275 --> 00:12:04.710 if doing so makes sense for your situation. 220 00:12:05.660 --> 00:12:08.927 It's important to note that in this project category, we 221 00:12:08.927 --> 00:12:11.737 encourage a step-by-step progressive approach to 222 00:12:11.737 --> 00:12:14.775 collections work, including conservation. This means 223 00:12:14.775 --> 00:12:18.215 assessing needs, creating a prioritized list of activities, 224 00:12:18.215 --> 00:12:21.884 and following through by doing the most important things first. 225 00:12:21.884 --> 00:12:25.438 Before we close our discussion of project categories, we want 226 00:12:25.438 --> 00:12:28.592 to mention our guidance for projects that could belong 227 00:12:28.592 --> 00:12:30.140 logically in more than one. 228 00:12:30.890 --> 00:12:34.011 Sometimes it's tough to choose, and you might be tempted to 229 00:12:34.011 --> 00:12:37.237 think that the best strategy would be to align with more than 230 00:12:37.237 --> 00:12:40.255 one, two and maybe even three. We advise against that for 231 00:12:40.255 --> 00:12:42.960 several reason reasons. The project categories have 232 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:46.186 different goals, and we expect the projects aligned with each 233 00:12:46.186 --> 00:12:49.464 will address different problems, use different approaches, and 234 00:12:49.464 --> 00:12:52.326 will measure success in achieving the intended results 235 00:12:52.326 --> 00:12:55.656 in different ways. So, how can you choose the best category for 236 00:12:55.656 --> 00:12:58.570 your project? Here are three things we suggest you try. 237 00:12:59.950 --> 00:13:03.128 Think carefully about what is in the center of your project. Is 238 00:13:03.128 --> 00:13:06.257 it the learner? Will people who engage with you as a result of 239 00:13:06.257 --> 00:13:09.337 your project to create a new exhibition and programming to go 240 00:13:09.337 --> 00:13:12.366 with it acquire new knowledge, develop a skill, experience a 241 00:13:12.366 --> 00:13:15.346 change in attitude about the subject of your exhibit? Or is 242 00:13:15.346 --> 00:13:18.426 it your institution that's in the center of your thinking? Is 243 00:13:18.426 --> 00:13:21.406 your project one that will address an important need within 244 00:13:21.406 --> 00:13:24.485 the museum, and will it result in an enhanced technology or a 245 00:13:24.485 --> 00:13:27.018 new policy or staff that has received professional 246 00:13:27.018 --> 00:13:28.309 development opportunities? 247 00:13:29.380 --> 00:13:32.534 Or is your project about the collections? Will your project 248 00:13:32.534 --> 00:13:35.373 result in a better managed, better care for, and more 249 00:13:35.373 --> 00:13:38.528 accessible set of objects? A second way to go at this might 250 00:13:38.528 --> 00:13:41.787 be to think about who you want to review your application. If 251 00:13:41.787 --> 00:13:44.574 you apply under Lifelong Learning, you will put your 252 00:13:44.574 --> 00:13:47.413 application in front of educators, learning theorists 253 00:13:47.413 --> 00:13:50.567 and professionals with deep experience and understanding of 254 00:13:50.567 --> 00:13:53.617 how people learn in museum environments. Would you rather 255 00:13:53.617 --> 00:13:56.614 be put it in front of a combination of experts in museum 256 00:13:56.614 --> 00:13:58.980 planning, website design or policy creation? 257 00:13:59.280 --> 00:14:02.033 If that sounds right, then it may push you toward 258 00:14:02.033 --> 00:14:05.061 Institutional Capacity. If you apply under Collections 259 00:14:05.061 --> 00:14:08.090 Stewardship and Access, you can be confident that your 260 00:14:08.090 --> 00:14:11.614 application will be reviewed by some combination of registrars, 261 00:14:11.614 --> 00:14:14.918 collection managers, curators, conservators, or collections 262 00:14:14.918 --> 00:14:18.442 information specialist. If that seems appropriate, then this is 263 00:14:18.442 --> 00:14:21.911 most likely your best choice. A third strategy to try might be 264 00:14:21.911 --> 00:14:24.939 to make a list of all the activities you plan to carry 265 00:14:24.939 --> 00:14:25.159 out. 266 00:14:25.800 --> 00:14:29.285 And then assign each to a project category and then count 267 00:14:29.285 --> 00:14:32.830 to see where most of these activities occur and where most 268 00:14:32.830 --> 00:14:36.255 of the time and money will be spent. And that might well 269 00:14:36.255 --> 00:14:39.920 provide your answer. Inspire supports projects of all sizes, 270 00:14:39.920 --> 00:14:43.826 but there is a specific range of funding available in this grant 271 00:14:43.826 --> 00:14:47.552 program. For a small project, your project budget can request 272 00:14:47.552 --> 00:14:51.457 a minimum of $5000 to a maximum of $25,000 in federal funds with 273 00:14:51.457 --> 00:14:52.840 no cost-share required. 274 00:14:53.740 --> 00:14:57.837 For large project, your project budget can request a minimum of 275 00:14:57.837 --> 00:15:01.870 $25,001 to a maximum of $75,000 with the one-to-one cost share 276 00:15:01.870 --> 00:15:05.839 required. If you ask for less than $5000 or more than $75,000 277 00:15:05.839 --> 00:15:09.744 in federal grant funds, your application may be rejected and 278 00:15:09.744 --> 00:15:13.842 not reviewed. Remember to keep your budget aligned to the scope 279 00:15:13.842 --> 00:15:17.683 and scale of your project, including all costs necessary to 280 00:15:17.683 --> 00:15:19.860 complete the proposed activities. 281 00:15:20.850 --> 00:15:24.693 Cost share can take a number of forms. Among them are cash, 282 00:15:24.693 --> 00:15:28.216 staff time, volunteer time, third party contributions, 283 00:15:28.216 --> 00:15:31.867 grants from foundations, and support from state or local 284 00:15:31.867 --> 00:15:35.902 government. Cost share cannot come from other federal sources. 285 00:15:35.902 --> 00:15:39.938 In the Inspire program, small project budgets are not required 286 00:15:39.938 --> 00:15:43.717 to have cost share. In the graph on the screen there are 4 287 00:15:43.717 --> 00:15:47.560 examples. The first example is of a total project budget of 288 00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:49.290 $25,000 with no cost share. 289 00:15:50.050 --> 00:15:53.602 In the three other examples, the IMLS request amount never 290 00:15:53.602 --> 00:15:57.095 exceeds $25,000, but the applicant is choosing to include 291 00:15:57.095 --> 00:16:00.527 partial cost share. Large project budgets in the Inspire 292 00:16:00.527 --> 00:16:04.260 program are required to have at least a one-to-one nonfederal 293 00:16:04.260 --> 00:16:08.114 cost share. In the graph on the screen there are 4 examples. In 294 00:16:08.114 --> 00:16:11.727 all examples the IMLS request amount and the cost share are 295 00:16:11.727 --> 00:16:15.099 one-to-one. Applicants can choose to have more than the 296 00:16:15.099 --> 00:16:18.170 required one-to-one cost share for large projects. 297 00:16:20.420 --> 00:16:24.032 The amount of applications received and the amount of 298 00:16:24.032 --> 00:16:28.180 awards made can vary from year to year. Here is a snapshot of 299 00:16:28.180 --> 00:16:32.394 our most recent application and award cycle. In FY23 IMLS made 300 00:16:32.394 --> 00:16:36.274 77 Inspire awards with a total of $3.4 million in federal 301 00:16:36.274 --> 00:16:39.954 funds. We received 234 Inspire applications last year, 302 00:16:39.954 --> 00:16:43.499 resulting in 33% of those applications being funded. 303 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:48.946 About 44% of the Inspire awards were for project supporting the 304 00:16:48.946 --> 00:16:52.496 Lifelong Learning goal, 39% of the project supported the 305 00:16:52.496 --> 00:16:55.922 Collections Stewardship and Access goal and 17% of the 306 00:16:55.922 --> 00:16:59.286 project supported the Institutional Capacity goal. In 307 00:16:59.286 --> 00:17:03.085 this section, we will introduce the components of an Inspire 308 00:17:03.085 --> 00:17:06.947 grant application and provide an overview about the required, 309 00:17:06.947 --> 00:17:10.000 conditionally required and supporting documents. 310 00:17:13.840 --> 00:17:17.185 The Inspire Notice of Funding Opportunity includes a complete 311 00:17:17.185 --> 00:17:20.098 list of all the application components. Most of these 312 00:17:20.098 --> 00:17:23.120 components are created by applicants and saved as a PDF 313 00:17:23.120 --> 00:17:26.033 for uploading as part of your application package. In 314 00:17:26.033 --> 00:17:29.109 Grants.gov, the table of application components starting 315 00:17:29.109 --> 00:17:32.292 on page 8, Section D2A of the NOFO lists which application 316 00:17:32.292 --> 00:17:35.799 components are required, as well as those that are conditionally 317 00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:38.983 required. For example, some components are included in the 318 00:17:38.983 --> 00:17:42.328 application depending on the type of applicant or the type of 319 00:17:42.328 --> 00:17:42.760 project. 320 00:17:43.470 --> 00:17:47.249 Aside from the SF424S and the IMLS Program Information form 321 00:17:47.249 --> 00:17:50.587 which are completed in the Grants.gov workspace, all 322 00:17:50.587 --> 00:17:54.303 application components must be submitted as PDF documents. 323 00:17:54.303 --> 00:17:57.830 These are the required documents. All applications must 324 00:17:57.830 --> 00:18:01.672 include the documents listed here. Omission of even just one 325 00:18:01.672 --> 00:18:04.884 might result in your applications rejection. Also, 326 00:18:04.884 --> 00:18:08.790 important to note, there is a 5-page limit for the narrative. 327 00:18:09.390 --> 00:18:12.257 If you exceed the page limit specified in the Notice of 328 00:18:12.257 --> 00:18:15.329 Funding Opportunity, you must remove the extras before your 329 00:18:15.329 --> 00:18:18.503 application goes out for review. That means your reviewer may 330 00:18:18.503 --> 00:18:21.729 well see a paragraph or sentence end in midair and will wonder 331 00:18:21.729 --> 00:18:24.750 about your organizational skills and your attentiveness to 332 00:18:24.750 --> 00:18:27.822 detail. So, make sure your content fits into the page limit 333 00:18:27.822 --> 00:18:30.842 specified and make sure the number of pages holds when you 334 00:18:30.842 --> 00:18:32.430 convert your document to a PDF. 335 00:18:35.100 --> 00:18:38.168 The second category of application components is that 336 00:18:38.168 --> 00:18:41.293 of conditionally required documents. Some applications 337 00:18:41.293 --> 00:18:44.873 must include one, two or even all four of these, and it's your 338 00:18:44.873 --> 00:18:48.225 job to figure out which are required for yours. If you are 339 00:18:48.225 --> 00:18:51.691 applying as a nonprofit, then you must include your proof of 340 00:18:51.691 --> 00:18:55.101 nonprofit status issued by the Internal Revenue Service. We 341 00:18:55.101 --> 00:18:58.340 will not accept a letter of state sales tax exemption as 342 00:18:58.340 --> 00:19:01.522 proof of nonprofit status. If you are using a federally 343 00:19:01.522 --> 00:19:04.419 negotiated indirect cost rate in your budget, then 344 00:19:04.900 --> 00:19:08.293 you must include a copy of your final rate agreement. If you 345 00:19:08.293 --> 00:19:11.353 will create digital products during the course of your 346 00:19:11.353 --> 00:19:14.803 project, then you must complete and submit a Digital products 347 00:19:14.803 --> 00:19:17.751 plan. If you are requesting support for conservation 348 00:19:17.751 --> 00:19:21.312 treatment, then you must include detailed condition reports and 349 00:19:21.312 --> 00:19:24.539 or formal conservation treatment proposals. Just like the 350 00:19:24.539 --> 00:19:27.933 required documents omission of even one might result in your 351 00:19:27.933 --> 00:19:31.215 applications rejections. Please note that the term digital 352 00:19:31.215 --> 00:19:34.220 product includes: digitized and born digital content, 353 00:19:34.570 --> 00:19:38.014 resources or assets; and software. If you are creating 354 00:19:38.014 --> 00:19:42.023 any of these types of materials, you must include the form with 355 00:19:42.023 --> 00:19:45.781 your application. The third group of application components 356 00:19:45.781 --> 00:19:49.225 is Supporting Documents, and here is a partial list of 357 00:19:49.225 --> 00:19:52.983 examples. Supporting documents are optional. You may submit 358 00:19:52.983 --> 00:19:57.054 some or none. Include only those items that will supplement your 359 00:19:57.054 --> 00:20:00.499 proposal. This is not the place to introduce brand new 360 00:20:00.499 --> 00:20:03.129 information, rather as the name suggests, 361 00:20:03.600 --> 00:20:06.793 they should lend support to your project justification, work 362 00:20:06.793 --> 00:20:10.039 plan, and intended results that you've already spelled out in 363 00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:13.337 your application narrative. For example, have you identified a 364 00:20:13.337 --> 00:20:16.792 partner whose involvement is key to the project's success? If so, 365 00:20:16.792 --> 00:20:19.619 a letter of support or commitment would go a long way 366 00:20:19.619 --> 00:20:22.499 to reassuring reviewers that they are on board and the 367 00:20:22.499 --> 00:20:25.744 project will succeed. Pictures can help reviewers who may not 368 00:20:25.744 --> 00:20:28.100 be familiar with your institution, programs, 369 00:20:28.100 --> 00:20:30.980 collections, or community a better idea of what you're 370 00:20:30.980 --> 00:20:32.760 describing within your narrative. 371 00:20:33.470 --> 00:20:36.782 Vendor quotes or equipment specifications show you've done 372 00:20:36.782 --> 00:20:39.981 some of the legwork in getting appropriate estimates for 373 00:20:39.981 --> 00:20:43.237 project cost. We recommend that you be respectful of your 374 00:20:43.237 --> 00:20:46.662 reviewer's time and avoid any temptation to include hundreds 375 00:20:46.662 --> 00:20:50.367 of pages of extraneous material. Being judicious really does work 376 00:20:50.367 --> 00:20:53.847 to your benefit, as supporting documents can make or break an 377 00:20:53.847 --> 00:20:57.328 application. Include what is important, helpful, and directly 378 00:20:57.328 --> 00:20:59.630 relevant to your project and stop there. 379 00:21:02.470 --> 00:21:06.305 In the following sections of this presentation, we will focus 380 00:21:06.305 --> 00:21:09.831 on these application components: Organizational Profile, 381 00:21:09.831 --> 00:21:13.481 Narrative, Budget. Go to the Notice of Funding Opportunity 382 00:21:13.481 --> 00:21:17.441 for complete instructions on how to prepare and complete all of 383 00:21:17.441 --> 00:21:21.214 the application components. In this section, we will go over 384 00:21:21.214 --> 00:21:25.174 the Organizational Profile and what you need to include on each 385 00:21:25.174 --> 00:21:28.700 page of this required document. We ask that you create a 386 00:21:28.700 --> 00:21:31.669 two-page document describing your organization. 387 00:21:32.040 --> 00:21:35.498 On the first page, we ask that you address: your organization's 388 00:21:35.498 --> 00:21:38.957 mission or statement of purpose; your organization's governance 389 00:21:38.957 --> 00:21:42.308 structure, including if your museum is an organizational unit 390 00:21:42.308 --> 00:21:45.280 under a larger "parent" organization (for instance, if 391 00:21:45.280 --> 00:21:48.469 the applicant is an art museum under a university) and the 392 00:21:48.469 --> 00:21:51.766 level of support provided by the "parent" organization; your 393 00:21:51.766 --> 00:21:54.954 service area; and a brief history of your organization. On 394 00:21:54.954 --> 00:21:56.359 page two of this document, 395 00:21:56.790 --> 00:22:00.232 we ask that you describe your organization's size using a 396 00:22:00.232 --> 00:22:03.260 range of attributes that we shared earlier in this 397 00:22:03.260 --> 00:22:07.059 presentation. This is where you make the case for being a small 398 00:22:07.059 --> 00:22:10.858 museum. In this section, we will go over the questions you will 399 00:22:10.858 --> 00:22:14.538 need to answer in your project narrative and offer details on 400 00:22:14.538 --> 00:22:17.981 the review criteria associated with each section: Project 401 00:22:17.981 --> 00:22:21.424 Justification, Project Work Plan, and the Project Result. 402 00:22:21.424 --> 00:22:24.630 Now, let's talk about the Narrative of your proposal. 403 00:22:25.130 --> 00:22:28.707 You have 5 pages to cover 3 very important issues and the Notice 404 00:22:28.707 --> 00:22:32.065 of Funding Opportunity provides lengthy guidance on what the 405 00:22:32.065 --> 00:22:35.642 narrative should cover. First is the Project Justification. What 406 00:22:35.642 --> 00:22:39.275 need, problem, or challenge will you your project address and how 407 00:22:39.275 --> 00:22:42.412 is it identified? Describe how you have used demographic 408 00:22:42.412 --> 00:22:44.999 information, economic circumstances, condition 409 00:22:44.999 --> 00:22:48.411 assessments, and other relevant data from reliable sources to 410 00:22:48.411 --> 00:22:51.769 define the need, problem, or challenge and develop the scope 411 00:22:51.769 --> 00:22:52.650 for the project. 412 00:22:53.890 --> 00:22:57.366 Who is the target group for your project and how have they been 413 00:22:57.366 --> 00:23:00.843 involved in the planning? Target group refers to those who will 414 00:23:00.843 --> 00:23:03.668 be most immediately and positively affected by your 415 00:23:03.668 --> 00:23:07.145 project. Identify the number of individuals in the target group 416 00:23:07.145 --> 00:23:10.622 or in each target group, if you identify more than one, who are 417 00:23:10.622 --> 00:23:13.827 the ultimate beneficiaries for this project. Beneficiaries 418 00:23:13.827 --> 00:23:17.250 refers to those who are likely to be aided in the long-term by 419 00:23:17.250 --> 00:23:20.564 your project. They may or may not be the same as your target 420 00:23:20.564 --> 00:23:20.890 group. 421 00:23:22.130 --> 00:23:25.042 Identify the number of individuals who will benefit 422 00:23:25.042 --> 00:23:27.955 from your project in the long-term, if reliable and 423 00:23:27.955 --> 00:23:30.980 defensible accounts are possible. Otherwise, describe 424 00:23:30.980 --> 00:23:34.230 the characteristics of the beneficiaries you expect to be 425 00:23:34.230 --> 00:23:37.311 served eventually by your project. In Section E of the 426 00:23:37.311 --> 00:23:40.840 Notice of Funding Opportunity, under Review Criteria, you will 427 00:23:40.840 --> 00:23:44.313 find a list of questions that reviewers are asked to consider 428 00:23:44.313 --> 00:23:46.049 when they review your proposal. 429 00:23:46.530 --> 00:23:49.413 It is a good idea to refer to these as you craft your 430 00:23:49.413 --> 00:23:52.885 narrative to be certain you are providing reviewers clear, solid 431 00:23:52.885 --> 00:23:56.143 information. You will see that they correspond directly with 432 00:23:56.143 --> 00:23:59.347 the prompts you were given to write your narrative. Because 433 00:23:59.347 --> 00:24:02.338 the need, problem, or challenge is foundational in your 434 00:24:02.338 --> 00:24:05.702 application, keep these points in mind. The federal government 435 00:24:05.702 --> 00:24:09.067 wants its investment to result in something getting better. As 436 00:24:09.067 --> 00:24:12.324 you define your need, problem, or challenge, articulate what 437 00:24:12.324 --> 00:24:15.529 will get better as a result of your project as precisely as 438 00:24:15.529 --> 00:24:16.009 possible. 439 00:24:16.910 --> 00:24:20.080 Will someone learn something? Develop a skill? Change an 440 00:24:20.080 --> 00:24:23.641 attitude? Will members of your community be better able to work 441 00:24:23.641 --> 00:24:27.313 together to solve problems? Will collections be better cared for? 442 00:24:27.313 --> 00:24:30.929 Will their lifespan be extended? Will access to your collections 443 00:24:30.929 --> 00:24:34.433 and the information surrounding them be expanded? Identify why 444 00:24:34.433 --> 00:24:37.938 it is important that that this particular change happens. Hone 445 00:24:37.938 --> 00:24:40.887 your problem definition carefully in clear, succinct 446 00:24:40.887 --> 00:24:44.058 terms. Gather and present data that support your problem 447 00:24:44.058 --> 00:24:44.670 definition. 448 00:24:49.450 --> 00:24:52.730 Project Work Plan: If the Project Justification section 449 00:24:52.730 --> 00:24:56.187 was the "Why?", the Project Work Plan section is where you 450 00:24:56.187 --> 00:24:59.526 identify the "Who, what, when and how". Who will do what 451 00:24:59.526 --> 00:25:03.217 activities? When, and using what resources? You should explain 452 00:25:03.217 --> 00:25:06.967 how you will track your progress toward achieving your intended 453 00:25:06.967 --> 00:25:10.540 results and what you'll do if you need to correct course. We 454 00:25:10.540 --> 00:25:12.650 also ask that you think about risks 455 00:25:13.270 --> 00:25:16.486 that are inherent in your particular project, and to tell 456 00:25:16.486 --> 00:25:19.869 us how you've taken that into account in your planning, I'll 457 00:25:19.869 --> 00:25:23.308 say more about that in a few minutes. Reviewers will evaluate 458 00:25:23.308 --> 00:25:26.580 your proposal and how well your activities are informed by 459 00:25:26.580 --> 00:25:30.185 appropriate theory and practice; whether the goals, assumptions, 460 00:25:30.185 --> 00:25:33.513 and risk are clearly stated. Reviewers want to see that the 461 00:25:33.513 --> 00:25:37.118 team you've put together has the experience and skills necessary 462 00:25:37.118 --> 00:25:40.002 to complete the work successfully, and whether your 463 00:25:40.002 --> 00:25:42.110 schedule is realistic and achievable. 464 00:25:42.680 --> 00:25:46.167 They'll also be looking at whether the time, personnel and 465 00:25:46.167 --> 00:25:49.772 financial resources identified are appropriate for the scope 466 00:25:49.772 --> 00:25:53.023 and scale of the project. They will consider if you've 467 00:25:53.023 --> 00:25:56.569 described, clear methodology for tracking your progress and 468 00:25:56.569 --> 00:26:00.411 adjusting course when necessary. Your work plan will be built on 469 00:26:00.411 --> 00:26:04.016 activities, so it's important to be clear about just what an 470 00:26:04.016 --> 00:26:07.562 activity is. An activity is something that someone does. It 471 00:26:07.562 --> 00:26:10.400 has a beginning and an end, just like projects. 472 00:26:11.150 --> 00:26:14.567 And you know when you finished it because it doesn't need to be 473 00:26:14.567 --> 00:26:17.985 done anymore. It is no longer on your "To Do List". An activity 474 00:26:17.985 --> 00:26:21.350 is not a goal or result or an outcome. Rather, it is something 475 00:26:21.350 --> 00:26:24.287 you do as part of striving to achieve those. Aim for a 476 00:26:24.287 --> 00:26:27.759 reasonable level of granularity and identifying your activities. 477 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:30.803 That might be hard, but strive for not too much, not too 478 00:26:30.803 --> 00:26:34.114 little, but rather just right. We also ask you to think about 479 00:26:34.114 --> 00:26:37.479 risks that are inherent in your particular project and to tell 480 00:26:37.479 --> 00:26:40.470 us how you've taken that into account in your planning. 481 00:26:41.090 --> 00:26:44.379 Think of it as answering the question "What if?" There is no 482 00:26:44.379 --> 00:26:47.398 checklist of risk, but every project has them. The best 483 00:26:47.398 --> 00:26:50.471 proposals will show that you were aware of them and have 484 00:26:50.471 --> 00:26:53.653 thought through a plan for dealing with them. Look at your 485 00:26:53.653 --> 00:26:56.942 activities and think about what could go wrong. Focus on the 486 00:26:56.942 --> 00:27:00.339 ones where your experience (your own or that of a group) tells 487 00:27:00.339 --> 00:27:03.897 you, "Yes that could happen" and identify steps you would take in 488 00:27:03.897 --> 00:27:07.186 response. IMLS knows things go differently than expected, we 489 00:27:07.186 --> 00:27:10.098 just want you to prepare by identifying implementable 490 00:27:10.098 --> 00:27:10.529 options. 491 00:27:11.240 --> 00:27:14.740 Here are some examples of risk that might be part of a project. 492 00:27:14.740 --> 00:27:17.912 A project might be structured around interns, who will be 493 00:27:17.912 --> 00:27:21.303 selected and trained according to well thought out processes. 494 00:27:21.303 --> 00:27:24.693 What will happen if one or more interns drops out? What's the 495 00:27:24.693 --> 00:27:27.811 plan for replacing them mid-project? A project involving 496 00:27:27.811 --> 00:27:30.928 rehousing collections into new museum quality collection 497 00:27:30.928 --> 00:27:34.538 storage furniture might run into delays in preparing the space or 498 00:27:34.538 --> 00:27:38.038 in the delivery of the cabinets. What happens to the collection 499 00:27:38.038 --> 00:27:38.640 items then? 500 00:27:39.050 --> 00:27:42.644 How will the institution ensure that they will remain safe and 501 00:27:42.644 --> 00:27:46.124 secure? Project Results: The third section of your narrative 502 00:27:46.124 --> 00:27:48.920 should be devoted to articulating your project's 503 00:27:48.920 --> 00:27:52.457 intended results. This section is your chance to convince the 504 00:27:52.457 --> 00:27:55.937 reviewers that your project will result in something getting 505 00:27:55.937 --> 00:27:59.303 better. The need or problem you identified in your project 506 00:27:59.303 --> 00:28:02.099 budget will be addressed directly and it will be 507 00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:04.210 diminished or eliminated altogether. 508 00:28:04.910 --> 00:28:08.271 We ask you to tell us what data you will collect and report in 509 00:28:08.271 --> 00:28:11.580 order to measure your project's success. If your project will 510 00:28:11.580 --> 00:28:14.995 generate tangible products, and most do, here's the opportunity 511 00:28:14.995 --> 00:28:18.251 to describe them and make the case that they will be useful. 512 00:28:18.251 --> 00:28:21.506 And last but not least, we ask that you tell us how you will 513 00:28:21.506 --> 00:28:24.174 sustain the benefit of the project. How will this 514 00:28:24.174 --> 00:28:27.643 improvement that you propose to make continue once your grant is 515 00:28:27.643 --> 00:28:27.910 over? 516 00:28:30.430 --> 00:28:33.358 Reviewers will give us their opinions on how well you've 517 00:28:33.358 --> 00:28:36.440 designed a feasible plan for collecting and reporting data; 518 00:28:36.440 --> 00:28:39.677 how likely the improvements that you propose will be realized; 519 00:28:39.677 --> 00:28:42.913 will the tangible products you plan to create be accessible to 520 00:28:42.913 --> 00:28:45.739 the targeted audience you identified, and whether your 521 00:28:45.739 --> 00:28:48.976 plan for sustaining the benefits of the project are reasonable 522 00:28:48.976 --> 00:28:52.058 and practical. We often hear that defining intended results 523 00:28:52.058 --> 00:28:54.884 and success measures is challenging for applicants, so 524 00:28:54.884 --> 00:28:57.349 it's worth spending a bit of time on this here. 525 00:28:57.990 --> 00:29:00.737 Let's think back to the questions we referenced a couple 526 00:29:00.737 --> 00:29:03.340 of slides ago when we talked about defining the need, 527 00:29:03.340 --> 00:29:06.329 problem, or challenge that your project is addressing. If you 528 00:29:06.329 --> 00:29:09.077 said someone will learn something, how will you know? If 529 00:29:09.077 --> 00:29:12.162 your problem related to segments of your community being better 530 00:29:12.162 --> 00:29:15.054 able to work together? How will you know when that has been 531 00:29:15.054 --> 00:29:18.236 achieved? If collections will be better cared for -- how will you 532 00:29:18.236 --> 00:29:21.369 be sure and how will you measure better? If you're digitizing to 533 00:29:21.369 --> 00:29:24.309 expand accessibility, how will you know when you've done it? 534 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:28.770 All of your results should tie back to your need, problem, or 535 00:29:28.770 --> 00:29:32.150 challenge. You may well experience tangential benefits 536 00:29:32.150 --> 00:29:35.900 and or positive outcomes, but make sure you identify them as 537 00:29:35.900 --> 00:29:39.096 "in addition to" and not "instead of" your original 538 00:29:39.096 --> 00:29:42.537 intended results. Reviewers are likely to see that as a 539 00:29:42.537 --> 00:29:46.287 disconnect. So, to recap, your Narrative has three sections: 540 00:29:46.287 --> 00:29:50.159 Project Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results, 541 00:29:50.159 --> 00:29:51.879 and you have 5 pages for it. 542 00:29:52.530 --> 00:29:55.604 The sections are all equally important. Write clearly, 543 00:29:55.604 --> 00:29:58.679 address what we ask you to address, and keep an eye on 544 00:29:58.679 --> 00:30:01.977 those review criteria. We're telling you here exactly what 545 00:30:01.977 --> 00:30:05.610 the reviewers will look for, so make it easy for them to find it 546 00:30:05.610 --> 00:30:08.461 and understand it. In this section we will provide 547 00:30:08.461 --> 00:30:11.703 information on what to include in your Project Budget and 548 00:30:11.703 --> 00:30:15.281 Budget Justification and provide some examples of allowable and 549 00:30:15.281 --> 00:30:18.915 unallowable costs. An important component of your application is 550 00:30:18.915 --> 00:30:19.530 the budget. 551 00:30:20.210 --> 00:30:23.190 This is the part of the application where you specify 552 00:30:23.190 --> 00:30:26.336 all the costs associated with your proposed project. The 553 00:30:26.336 --> 00:30:29.924 budget consists of two required components, the IMLS Budget Form 554 00:30:29.924 --> 00:30:33.015 and the Budget Justification. The IMLS Budget Form is a 555 00:30:33.015 --> 00:30:36.327 fillable PDF that accommodates up to three years of project 556 00:30:36.327 --> 00:30:39.362 activities and expenses. The budget should include the 557 00:30:39.362 --> 00:30:42.564 project costs that will be charged to grant funds as well 558 00:30:42.564 --> 00:30:45.986 as those that will be supported by cost share. If applicable, 559 00:30:45.986 --> 00:30:49.353 in-kind contributions to cost share may include the value of 560 00:30:49.353 --> 00:30:49.850 services, 561 00:30:50.760 --> 00:30:54.065 (e.g., donated volunteer or consultant time) or equipment 562 00:30:54.065 --> 00:30:57.485 donated to the project between the authorized start and end 563 00:30:57.485 --> 00:31:00.791 dates of your project. All the items listed here, whether 564 00:31:00.791 --> 00:31:04.267 supported by grant funds or cost share, must be necessary to 565 00:31:04.267 --> 00:31:07.573 accomplish project objectives, allowable according to the 566 00:31:07.573 --> 00:31:10.480 applicable federal cost principles, auditable, and 567 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:14.185 incurred during the award period of performance. The IMLS Budget 568 00:31:14.185 --> 00:31:17.320 Form can be downloaded directly from the IMLS website. 569 00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:24.606 As you develop your budget, keep in mind that there are certain 570 00:31:24.606 --> 00:31:28.288 costs that are either allowable or unallowable according to 571 00:31:28.288 --> 00:31:31.785 federal regulations. The allowability of a cost item for 572 00:31:31.785 --> 00:31:35.221 all federal grants are specified in the Code of Federal 573 00:31:35.221 --> 00:31:38.902 Regulation or CFR, sometimes referred to as "2 CFR 200" for 574 00:31:38.902 --> 00:31:42.706 short, but the full title is "Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter 2, 575 00:31:42.706 --> 00:31:43.320 Part 200 - 576 00:31:43.740 --> 00:31:46.873 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, 577 00:31:46.873 --> 00:31:50.354 and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards". Using the 2 CFR 578 00:31:50.354 --> 00:31:54.067 200 as a basis, we've developed a short-list of allowable costs 579 00:31:54.067 --> 00:31:57.606 that are most common to Inspire projects. See page 18 of the 580 00:31:57.606 --> 00:32:00.855 Inspire Notice of Funding Opportunity, which includes a 581 00:32:00.855 --> 00:32:04.627 partial list of the most common examples of allowable cost. This 582 00:32:04.627 --> 00:32:08.340 short list of allowable costs is also shown on the slide. These 583 00:32:08.340 --> 00:32:11.647 costs may be part of what you asked IMLS to pay for with 584 00:32:11.647 --> 00:32:12.459 federal funds, 585 00:32:12.940 --> 00:32:16.465 or what you will pay for as part of your cost share. The rules 586 00:32:16.465 --> 00:32:19.934 about allowability apply equally to grant funds as well as to 587 00:32:19.934 --> 00:32:23.627 cost share. When completing your project budget, be sure to check 588 00:32:23.627 --> 00:32:26.928 out all the costs you include, whether grant funds or cost 589 00:32:26.928 --> 00:32:30.118 share are allowable. There are also some costs which are 590 00:32:30.118 --> 00:32:33.419 unallowable according to the federal regulations and 2 CFR 591 00:32:33.419 --> 00:32:36.552 200. On pages 18 to 19 of the Inspire Notice of Funding 592 00:32:36.552 --> 00:32:40.133 Opportunity, we also provide an abbreviated list of unallowable 593 00:32:40.133 --> 00:32:42.540 costs. These are also listed on the slide. 594 00:32:43.090 --> 00:32:46.512 Unallowable costs may not be part of what you ask IMLS to pay 595 00:32:46.512 --> 00:32:49.934 for, nor can they be part of what you will pay for as part of 596 00:32:49.934 --> 00:32:53.191 your cost share. In fact, unallowable expenses cannot show 597 00:32:53.191 --> 00:32:56.614 up anywhere in your proposal as you prepare your application. 598 00:32:56.614 --> 00:32:59.870 It's a good idea to compare your list of proposed expenses 599 00:32:59.870 --> 00:33:03.127 against these lists of allowable and unallowable costs and 600 00:33:03.127 --> 00:33:06.550 against the appropriate set of cost principles. If after that 601 00:33:06.550 --> 00:33:09.862 you have specific questions, please contact us and we'll be 602 00:33:09.862 --> 00:33:10.690 happy to help. 603 00:33:13.010 --> 00:33:16.338 In addition to the IMLS Budget Form, you will also prepare a 604 00:33:16.338 --> 00:33:19.775 Budget Justification. This is an opportunity to provide a more 605 00:33:19.775 --> 00:33:23.213 detailed narrative format and explanation or justification for 606 00:33:23.213 --> 00:33:26.541 the project cost. The budget justification should be written 607 00:33:26.541 --> 00:33:29.924 to follow the cost categories in the IMLS Budget Form. In the 608 00:33:29.924 --> 00:33:33.525 justification, you will identify each expense and show the method 609 00:33:33.525 --> 00:33:36.690 of cost computation used to determine each dollar amount, 610 00:33:37.130 --> 00:33:40.742 including any that you may have consolidated and summarized on 611 00:33:40.742 --> 00:33:44.240 the IMLS Budget Form. In other words, please show your math. 612 00:33:44.240 --> 00:33:47.624 For example, in the section Salaries and Wages, you should 613 00:33:47.624 --> 00:33:50.835 identify each person whose salary or wages will be paid 614 00:33:50.835 --> 00:33:54.161 with IMLS funds or by cost share. Provide their names and 615 00:33:54.161 --> 00:33:57.545 describe their role in the project. Document the method of 616 00:33:57.545 --> 00:34:00.928 cost computation by including the base salary or wages for 617 00:34:00.928 --> 00:34:04.598 each person and the percentage of time each person is allocated 618 00:34:04.598 --> 00:34:06.089 to the project activities, 619 00:34:06.550 --> 00:34:09.318 which may be shown as a percentage of time, number of 620 00:34:09.318 --> 00:34:12.446 days, or number of hours. If cost share is being provided by 621 00:34:12.446 --> 00:34:15.727 unpaid volunteers, explain how you arrived at the dollar amount 622 00:34:15.727 --> 00:34:18.906 used to represent the value of their services. In the section 623 00:34:18.906 --> 00:34:22.033 for supplies, materials, and equipment, you should list each 624 00:34:22.033 --> 00:34:24.904 type of supply, material, and equipment you proposed to 625 00:34:24.904 --> 00:34:27.878 purchase or provide as cost share for the project. Detail 626 00:34:27.878 --> 00:34:30.903 the number and unit cost for each item and explain how you 627 00:34:30.903 --> 00:34:32.389 arrive at the dollar amounts. 628 00:34:32.890 --> 00:34:36.154 You may also provide vendor quotes or price lists as 629 00:34:36.154 --> 00:34:39.726 supporting documents with your application. In this final 630 00:34:39.726 --> 00:34:43.669 section of our presentation, we offer some Application Tips and 631 00:34:43.669 --> 00:34:47.303 Next Steps. We can only make grants to eligible applicants 632 00:34:47.303 --> 00:34:50.074 that submit complete applications, including 633 00:34:50.074 --> 00:34:53.893 attachments on or before the deadline. So, here are some tips 634 00:34:53.893 --> 00:34:57.835 to help you do just that. Start early. You've already done that 635 00:34:57.835 --> 00:34:59.929 by participating in this webinar. 636 00:35:00.630 --> 00:35:03.326 Become familiar with Grants.gov's workspace. It has 637 00:35:03.326 --> 00:35:06.592 many good features, including upfront validation, which allows 638 00:35:06.592 --> 00:35:09.859 you to correct errors prior to submission, and the opportunity 639 00:35:09.859 --> 00:35:12.815 to collaborate with others in creating your application. 640 00:35:12.815 --> 00:35:15.926 Consider starting with the Workspace Overview and check out 641 00:35:15.926 --> 00:35:18.622 the tutorials. Do your background research. Make it 642 00:35:18.622 --> 00:35:21.889 easy for the reviewers to see that you are up to date and know 643 00:35:21.889 --> 00:35:24.741 what you're talking about. Be sure your application is 644 00:35:24.741 --> 00:35:28.007 complete. Check it against the table of application components 645 00:35:28.007 --> 00:35:30.030 and the Notice of Funding opportunity. 646 00:35:30.620 --> 00:35:33.898 Make sure all application components are in the proper 647 00:35:33.898 --> 00:35:37.475 format and follow the correct naming conventions. Submit to 648 00:35:37.475 --> 00:35:41.112 Grants.gov early so you can correct any errors and avoid any 649 00:35:41.112 --> 00:35:44.629 trauma created by technology challenges. It's important to 650 00:35:44.629 --> 00:35:48.445 get your application submitted online through Grants.gov before 651 00:35:48.445 --> 00:35:51.962 the deadline. IMLS does not accept applications by mail or 652 00:35:51.962 --> 00:35:52.380 e-mail. 653 00:35:53.300 --> 00:35:56.218 In order to register with Grants.gov, you must have an 654 00:35:56.218 --> 00:35:59.667 active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity Identifier Number. 655 00:35:59.667 --> 00:36:02.904 So, make sure your registrations for both of these sites are 656 00:36:02.904 --> 00:36:06.035 complete, your accounts are active, and that any necessary 657 00:36:06.035 --> 00:36:08.688 passwords are current. These registrations expire 658 00:36:08.688 --> 00:36:11.660 periodically, so do not wait until it's time to hit the 659 00:36:11.660 --> 00:36:15.003 submit button to check on them. You should coordinate with any 660 00:36:15.003 --> 00:36:18.080 other staff members, such as your authorized organization 661 00:36:18.080 --> 00:36:21.424 representative, who may hold the accounts and passwords you'll 662 00:36:21.424 --> 00:36:22.220 need to submit. 663 00:36:23.250 --> 00:36:26.535 Both the SAM.gov and Grants.gov websites have robust help 664 00:36:26.535 --> 00:36:29.820 features and FAQ's. If you run into technical issues with 665 00:36:29.820 --> 00:36:33.106 either of these sites, you should reach out to their help 666 00:36:33.106 --> 00:36:36.618 desk and request a tracking case or ticket number in order to 667 00:36:36.618 --> 00:36:40.356 document your issue and attempts at resolving it. Failure to have 668 00:36:40.356 --> 00:36:43.868 active SAM.gov or Grants.gov registrations by the application 669 00:36:43.868 --> 00:36:47.323 deadline is not an excuse for submitting a late application. 670 00:36:47.323 --> 00:36:48.569 So again, start early. 671 00:36:51.200 --> 00:36:54.428 There are many components to the application, and the Narrative 672 00:36:54.428 --> 00:36:57.202 is an essential and critical part of the package. Peer 673 00:36:57.202 --> 00:37:00.430 reviewers, museum professionals from all types of museums, will 674 00:37:00.430 --> 00:37:03.305 be selected by IMLS to read each application and provide 675 00:37:03.305 --> 00:37:06.130 constructive and critical comments on the strengths and 676 00:37:06.130 --> 00:37:09.056 weaknesses of the proposed projects. They also base their 677 00:37:09.056 --> 00:37:12.183 reviews only on the information contained in the application. 678 00:37:12.183 --> 00:37:15.260 So, don't assume that a reviewer or IMLS will know something 679 00:37:15.260 --> 00:37:17.480 about your museum or your proposed project. 680 00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:21.636 To help make sure your narrative is as clear and complete as 681 00:37:21.636 --> 00:37:24.820 possible, revisit the Inspire notice of Funding Opportunity 682 00:37:24.820 --> 00:37:28.323 and follow the narrative outline it provides. Be sure to consider 683 00:37:28.323 --> 00:37:31.294 the review criteria associated with each section of the 684 00:37:31.294 --> 00:37:33.947 narrative. Use headings, subheadings, or numbered 685 00:37:33.947 --> 00:37:37.131 sections in your narrative to make it easy for reviewers to 686 00:37:37.131 --> 00:37:40.262 read. Avoid generalities, acronyms, and jargon, the people 687 00:37:40.262 --> 00:37:43.605 who will review your application are museum professionals, but 688 00:37:43.605 --> 00:37:46.789 they may not be totally familiar with your particular field 689 00:37:46.789 --> 00:37:47.319 shorthand. 690 00:37:47.730 --> 00:37:51.262 Make it easy for them to understand what you mean. An 691 00:37:51.262 --> 00:37:54.991 advantage to starting your application early is that you 692 00:37:54.991 --> 00:37:58.720 can ask a colleague to review everything with fresh eyes 693 00:37:58.720 --> 00:38:02.907 before you submit. Ask them to act like a reviewer who's seeing 694 00:38:02.907 --> 00:38:06.571 this for the first time. Here are a few important dates 695 00:38:06.571 --> 00:38:09.973 relating to Inspire applications. Applications must 696 00:38:09.973 --> 00:38:13.833 be received through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 697 00:38:13.833 --> 00:38:17.170 November 15th to 2023. The date is non-negotiable. 698 00:38:17.670 --> 00:38:20.980 The time stamp is auto generated by the Grants.gov system and we 699 00:38:20.980 --> 00:38:24.240 have no ability to override it. We will say this repeatedly, to 700 00:38:24.240 --> 00:38:27.245 start early and submit your application early. That way if 701 00:38:27.245 --> 00:38:30.199 you encounter difficulty of any kind when submitting your 702 00:38:30.199 --> 00:38:33.357 proposal, you'll have some time to resolve the problem. After 703 00:38:33.357 --> 00:38:36.107 the application deadline, IMLS staff will review your 704 00:38:36.107 --> 00:38:39.367 application for completeness and eligibility, and you will hear 705 00:38:39.367 --> 00:38:41.710 from us via e-mail if there are any problems. 706 00:38:42.840 --> 00:38:46.337 Next, we will select experienced and knowledgeable peer reviewers 707 00:38:46.337 --> 00:38:49.410 to read your applications and provide scores and comments 708 00:38:49.410 --> 00:38:52.801 based on the criteria outlined in the Inspire Notice of Funding 709 00:38:52.801 --> 00:38:55.715 Opportunity. IMLS staff will examine your budget, your 710 00:38:55.715 --> 00:38:58.683 financials, and your track record with past and current 711 00:38:58.683 --> 00:39:01.544 grants. We then prepare materials for the IMLS Deputy 712 00:39:01.544 --> 00:39:04.776 Director for Museums and the IMLS Director. By law, the IMLS 713 00:39:04.776 --> 00:39:08.008 Director is charged with the authority and responsibility to 714 00:39:08.008 --> 00:39:11.400 make final award decisions, and this typically happens in July. 715 00:39:12.280 --> 00:39:15.676 In early August 2024, we will notify you by e-mail of the 716 00:39:15.676 --> 00:39:19.364 award decisions and provide the scores and comments created by 717 00:39:19.364 --> 00:39:22.995 the reviewers. Inspire projects must be scheduled to start on 718 00:39:22.995 --> 00:39:26.859 the first day of September 2024. As you read through the NOFO and 719 00:39:26.859 --> 00:39:30.196 prepare your application, additional questions may arise 720 00:39:30.196 --> 00:39:33.885 before the application deadline. We can help you with learning 721 00:39:33.885 --> 00:39:37.164 more about the Inspire grant program or any other grant 722 00:39:37.164 --> 00:39:38.160 programs at IMLS, 723 00:39:38.600 --> 00:39:41.679 address any specific concerns with the various applications 724 00:39:41.679 --> 00:39:44.707 and components, or help you understand the review process. 725 00:39:44.707 --> 00:39:47.529 You may contact IMLS Program staff by e-mail or phone. 726 00:39:47.529 --> 00:39:50.814 Contact information is listed on the grant program landing page 727 00:39:50.814 --> 00:39:53.944 on the IMLS website. You may also schedule a counseling call 728 00:39:53.944 --> 00:39:57.024 to meet directly with program staff. Use the links found on 729 00:39:57.024 --> 00:40:00.206 the grant program landing page to find an available time slot 730 00:40:00.206 --> 00:40:03.233 on our calendars. You will then receive an e-mail with the 731 00:40:03.233 --> 00:40:05.799 calendar invite and Microsoft Teams meeting link. 732 00:40:08.520 --> 00:40:11.151 Thank you very much for your interest in IMLS and in the 733 00:40:11.151 --> 00:40:14.152 Inspire Grants for Small Museums funding opportunity. I hope you 734 00:40:14.152 --> 00:40:17.014 have found the information in this applicant webinar helpful. 735 00:40:17.014 --> 00:40:19.784 Good luck and we look forward to seeing your application in 736 00:40:19.784 --> 00:40:20.200 November.