WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 1 00:00:04.520 --> 00:00:08.394 Welcome to the Institute of Museum and Library Services 2 00:00:08.394 --> 00:00:12.200 Informational video on Museums Empowered Grant Program 3 00:00:12.200 --> 00:00:16.559 Applicant Information Session. My name is Mark Isaksen. One of 4 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:20.849 the program staff in the Office of Museum Services is at IMLS 5 00:00:20.849 --> 00:00:24.239 and I'll be narrating this presentation for you. 6 00:00:26.590 --> 00:00:30.559 The goal of this video is to provide an overview of our 7 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:35.025 Museums Empowered Grant program in the process of preparing an 8 00:00:35.025 --> 00:00:39.066 application for funding. The video is organized into six 9 00:00:39.066 --> 00:00:42.964 chapters. First, is "What is Museums Empowered?". This 10 00:00:42.964 --> 00:00:47.430 introductory section explains the purpose of the design of the 11 00:00:47.430 --> 00:00:51.613 grant program. Next, is "What can Museums Empowered Grants 12 00:00:51.613 --> 00:00:56.150 Fund?". This section provides a detail on the types of projects 13 00:00:57.260 --> 00:01:01.988 funded in the grant program and the amount of funds that can be 14 00:01:01.988 --> 00:01:06.643 requested. Next, is "Application Components and Introduction", 15 00:01:06.643 --> 00:01:10.928 which describes the types of documents that are needed to 16 00:01:10.928 --> 00:01:15.214 create a grant application. Then next is the "Application 17 00:01:15.214 --> 00:01:20.016 Components - Narrative" section, providing guidance on composing 18 00:01:20.016 --> 00:01:24.228 the narrative part of the application. Then "Application 19 00:01:24.228 --> 00:01:25.780 Components - Budget", 20 00:01:26.310 --> 00:01:30.374 which provides information on what to include in your project 21 00:01:30.374 --> 00:01:34.372 budget and finally, "Application Tips and Next Steps", which 22 00:01:34.372 --> 00:01:38.698 offers a few tips and next steps on preparing and submitting your 23 00:01:38.698 --> 00:01:42.828 grant application. The complete set of instructions for how to 24 00:01:42.828 --> 00:01:46.827 prepare and submit a Museums Empowered grant application are 25 00:01:46.827 --> 00:01:50.694 found in the "Notice of Funding Opportunity", published on 26 00:01:50.694 --> 00:01:53.710 Grants.gov and available on the IMLS website. 27 00:01:55.170 --> 00:01:58.634 Please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the most 28 00:01:58.634 --> 00:02:01.658 detailed information on preparing your application. To 29 00:02:01.658 --> 00:02:05.123 get the most out of this video, we recommend that you watch it 30 00:02:05.123 --> 00:02:08.367 in an entirety. This will give you an understanding of the 31 00:02:08.367 --> 00:02:11.886 Museums Empowered grant program, the types of projects that can 32 00:02:11.886 --> 00:02:15.241 be funded, and the necessary application components. You may 33 00:02:15.241 --> 00:02:18.540 also want to review the Museums Empowered Notice of Funding 34 00:02:18.540 --> 00:02:21.729 Opportunity before, during, or after you watch the video. 35 00:02:22.550 --> 00:02:25.611 Notices of Funding Opportunities, known as NOFOs, 36 00:02:25.611 --> 00:02:29.162 are documents that detail the requirements of each of our 37 00:02:29.162 --> 00:02:33.019 grant programs. All of them can be found on our website as you 38 00:02:33.019 --> 00:02:36.509 navigate the application process. You can use this video 39 00:02:36.509 --> 00:02:40.182 as a reference tool, and if you'd like to get to a specific 40 00:02:40.182 --> 00:02:44.162 section, please use the time bar or the links in the description 41 00:02:44.162 --> 00:02:46.550 box to navigate to a specific chapter. 42 00:02:50.570 --> 00:02:54.487 In this section, we will answer the question what is Museums 43 00:02:54.487 --> 00:02:58.726 Empowered, providing information on the purpose and intent of the 44 00:02:58.726 --> 00:03:02.258 grant program and who it is designed to serve. Museums 45 00:03:02.258 --> 00:03:05.661 Empowered is a special initiative of the Museums for 46 00:03:05.661 --> 00:03:09.386 America or MFA grant program. Now, like MFA, the Museum's 47 00:03:09.386 --> 00:03:12.726 Empower grant program is designed to strengthen the 48 00:03:12.726 --> 00:03:16.130 ability of an individual museum to serve its public. 49 00:03:17.160 --> 00:03:20.720 However, what's unique in Museums Empowered is the 50 00:03:20.720 --> 00:03:24.908 emphasis on helping your museum tap into the transformative 51 00:03:24.908 --> 00:03:28.399 power of professional development and training to 52 00:03:28.399 --> 00:03:32.099 generate a systemic change within your museum. These 53 00:03:32.099 --> 00:03:36.218 projects are expected to involve multiple levels of staff, 54 00:03:36.218 --> 00:03:40.406 leadership, and volunteers in a set of logical interrelated 55 00:03:40.406 --> 00:03:44.106 activities tied directly to addressing a key need or 56 00:03:44.106 --> 00:03:46.480 challenge in your strategic plan. 57 00:03:48.990 --> 00:03:52.617 Museums Empowered, sometimes referred to as ME, is a grant 58 00:03:52.617 --> 00:03:56.552 program that supports projects that focus on a key component of 59 00:03:56.552 --> 00:04:00.548 your museum strategic plan. IMLS wants to help advance something 60 00:04:00.548 --> 00:04:04.237 that is a priority for your museum, and hopefully something 61 00:04:04.237 --> 00:04:07.495 that will ultimately benefit your community. To help 62 00:04:07.495 --> 00:04:11.307 demonstrate that connection in your grant application, we ask 63 00:04:11.307 --> 00:04:15.181 for a summary of your strategic plan, usually no more than two 64 00:04:15.181 --> 00:04:15.550 pages. 65 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:20.588 So that reviewers will be able to understand how your proposed 66 00:04:20.588 --> 00:04:24.867 projects activities will further your institutional goals and 67 00:04:24.867 --> 00:04:29.147 objectives. The Strategic Plan Summary is your opportunity to 68 00:04:29.147 --> 00:04:32.598 make a thoughtful and well-constructed connection 69 00:04:32.598 --> 00:04:37.015 between the proposed project and your museum's priorities. Now, 70 00:04:37.015 --> 00:04:41.087 keep in mind that Museums Empowered is a grant program for 71 00:04:41.087 --> 00:04:41.640 museums. 72 00:04:42.230 --> 00:04:45.952 And as a museum, you should keep in mind that all applicants must 73 00:04:45.952 --> 00:04:49.448 meet certain requirements to be eligible for federal funding. 74 00:04:49.448 --> 00:04:52.550 Your organization must be located in one of the United 75 00:04:52.550 --> 00:04:56.103 States, its territories, or the District of Columbia; and your 76 00:04:56.103 --> 00:04:59.148 organization must be a unit of state, local or tribal 77 00:04:59.148 --> 00:05:02.363 government, or a private nonprofit organization with tax 78 00:05:02.363 --> 00:05:06.029 exempt status. Now, if you meet those two requirements, then the 79 00:05:06.029 --> 00:05:09.582 next step is to consider what it means to be eligible for IMLS 80 00:05:09.582 --> 00:05:10.710 funding as a museum. 81 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:16.004 And museums must: have at least one full time or equivalent 82 00:05:16.004 --> 00:05:19.848 professional staff, person, paid or unpaid; have a physical 83 00:05:19.848 --> 00:05:23.501 location that it owns or operates; have been open to the 84 00:05:23.501 --> 00:05:26.961 public for at least 120 days in the year prior to the 85 00:05:26.961 --> 00:05:30.998 application deadline; and own or use tangible objects. Museums 86 00:05:30.998 --> 00:05:34.009 may be stand-alone organizations, or part of a 87 00:05:34.009 --> 00:05:37.854 larger institution such as a college, university, tribe, or 88 00:05:37.854 --> 00:05:39.520 state or local government. 89 00:05:42.840 --> 00:05:46.853 And again, ME is a grant program for all types of museums. Now, 90 00:05:46.853 --> 00:05:50.428 here's a brief list of some of the types of museums that 91 00:05:50.428 --> 00:05:53.877 routinely apply to this grant program. If you have any 92 00:05:53.877 --> 00:05:57.452 questions about eligibility, feel free to reach out to a 93 00:05:57.452 --> 00:06:01.152 program staff person to talk further about eligibility for 94 00:06:01.152 --> 00:06:04.476 the grant program. In this section, we'll answer the 95 00:06:04.476 --> 00:06:07.800 question, "What can Museums Empowered grants fund?". 96 00:06:08.630 --> 00:06:12.452 Writing details on the types of projects and associated goals 97 00:06:12.452 --> 00:06:16.212 within the Museums Empowered grant program, as well as offer 98 00:06:16.212 --> 00:06:20.096 some summary data on the number and type of projects that were 99 00:06:20.096 --> 00:06:23.733 funded last year. Museums Empowered grants are designed to 100 00:06:23.733 --> 00:06:26.815 support project-based activities, so let's take a 101 00:06:26.815 --> 00:06:30.268 minute to consider exactly what that means. The Project 102 00:06:30.268 --> 00:06:33.720 Management Institute has a good definition, which is: a 103 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:34.830 temporary endeavor 104 00:06:35.280 --> 00:06:39.644 undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. 105 00:06:39.644 --> 00:06:43.934 They go on further to explain that a project is temporary 106 00:06:43.934 --> 00:06:48.224 because it has a defined beginning and end, and therefore 107 00:06:48.224 --> 00:06:53.033 a defined scope and resources. A project is unique in that it is 108 00:06:53.033 --> 00:06:57.027 not a routine operation, but rather a specific set of 109 00:06:57.027 --> 00:07:00.799 operations designed to accomplish a singular goal. 110 00:07:02.010 --> 00:07:05.593 So, we recommend that you keep this definition in mind as you 111 00:07:05.593 --> 00:07:09.118 conceptualize your IMLS project. Think of it as a temporary, 112 00:07:09.118 --> 00:07:12.354 non-routine set of activities which collectively have a 113 00:07:12.354 --> 00:07:15.764 beginning and an end in time, and therefore defined scope, 114 00:07:15.764 --> 00:07:19.347 requiring specific resources which are designed to accomplish 115 00:07:19.347 --> 00:07:20.850 a specific, singular goal. 116 00:07:23.510 --> 00:07:27.370 But keeping our focus on project-based activities, let's 117 00:07:27.370 --> 00:07:31.502 look a little further at what characteristics are most often 118 00:07:31.502 --> 00:07:35.363 seen in successful Museums Empowered applications. First 119 00:07:35.363 --> 00:07:39.495 off is "Institutional Impact". The project uses professional 120 00:07:39.495 --> 00:07:42.746 development for staff at multiple levels of the 121 00:07:42.746 --> 00:07:46.607 organization with the goal of generating systemic change 122 00:07:46.607 --> 00:07:50.807 within a museum. Creating that institutional impact. Next, is 123 00:07:50.807 --> 00:07:52.230 "In-Depth Knowledge". 124 00:07:52.790 --> 00:07:56.492 The project design reflects A thorough understanding of 125 00:07:56.492 --> 00:08:00.524 current practice and knowledge about the subject matter. You 126 00:08:00.524 --> 00:08:04.689 demonstrate that in the writing of your application narrative. 127 00:08:04.689 --> 00:08:08.787 "Project-based Design": the work consists of a set of logical 128 00:08:08.787 --> 00:08:12.754 interrelated activities tied directly to addressing the key 129 00:08:12.754 --> 00:08:17.117 need or challenge. And lastly is "Demonstrable Results". So, your 130 00:08:17.117 --> 00:08:20.687 project should generate a measurable result or set of 131 00:08:20.687 --> 00:08:21.150 results 132 00:08:21.640 --> 00:08:25.987 that tie directly to the need or challenge it was designed to 133 00:08:25.987 --> 00:08:30.475 address. The successful projects most often exemplify all these 134 00:08:30.475 --> 00:08:34.191 four characteristics and fit well within the Museums 135 00:08:34.191 --> 00:08:38.048 Empowered grant program. It's been our experience that 136 00:08:38.048 --> 00:08:42.326 unfunded applications fail to deliver convincingly on one or 137 00:08:42.326 --> 00:08:46.813 more of these areas. Keep these in mind as you're crafting your 138 00:08:46.813 --> 00:08:50.320 scope of work and narrative for your application. 139 00:08:55.600 --> 00:09:00.449 Now, if project-based design and institutional impact are core 140 00:09:00.449 --> 00:09:05.299 elements of your idea, then now it's time to consider how your 141 00:09:05.299 --> 00:09:09.302 application aligns with the grant program goals and 142 00:09:09.302 --> 00:09:14.228 associated objectives. The four Museums Empowered program goals 143 00:09:14.228 --> 00:09:17.000 are: First, "Digital Technology": 144 00:09:17.910 --> 00:09:22.310 providing museum staff with the skills to integrate digital 145 00:09:22.310 --> 00:09:26.196 technology into museum operations. Next, "Diversity, 146 00:09:26.196 --> 00:09:30.230 Equity Inclusion", which is supporting museum staff in 147 00:09:30.230 --> 00:09:34.336 providing inclusive and equitable services to people of 148 00:09:34.336 --> 00:09:38.810 diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, 149 00:09:38.810 --> 00:09:43.430 as well as to individuals with disabilities. The third goal is 150 00:09:43.430 --> 00:09:44.750 around evaluation. 151 00:09:45.350 --> 00:09:50.055 To the strengthening and the ability of a museum and its 152 00:09:50.055 --> 00:09:54.926 staff to use evaluation as a tool to shape museum programs 153 00:09:54.926 --> 00:09:59.053 and improve outcomes. And the last goal is around 154 00:09:59.053 --> 00:10:03.924 organizational management, where we want to strengthen and 155 00:10:03.924 --> 00:10:08.712 support museum staff as the essential part of a resilient 156 00:10:08.712 --> 00:10:12.510 organizational culture. Now let's take a look 157 00:10:13.040 --> 00:10:16.589 at each goal in a little more detail. Goal One supports 158 00:10:16.589 --> 00:10:20.012 projects that provide museum staff with the skills to 159 00:10:20.012 --> 00:10:23.943 integrate digital technology into museum operations, and this 160 00:10:23.943 --> 00:10:27.556 might involve activities that support staff learning and 161 00:10:27.556 --> 00:10:30.789 integration of digital communication platforms and 162 00:10:30.789 --> 00:10:34.212 social media tools to enhance audience engagement and 163 00:10:34.212 --> 00:10:38.332 community outreach, or it could be activities that support staff 164 00:10:38.332 --> 00:10:38.839 learning 165 00:10:39.490 --> 00:10:43.943 and integration of digital tools and services that enhance access 166 00:10:43.943 --> 00:10:47.857 to museum collections, for example. And the emphasis here 167 00:10:47.857 --> 00:10:51.704 is on staff learning and integration of these new tools, 168 00:10:51.704 --> 00:10:56.090 not just the acquisition of the new tools. Now here's an example 169 00:10:56.090 --> 00:11:00.476 of a recently funded project in the digital technology area. The 170 00:11:00.476 --> 00:11:03.580 Children's Museum of Indianapolis was awarded 171 00:11:03.580 --> 00:11:06.009 $250,000 -- this is back in 2021 -- 172 00:11:06.530 --> 00:11:10.367 to increase its capacities to prepare for and respond to new 173 00:11:10.367 --> 00:11:14.142 and evolving cybersecurity threats, including those related 174 00:11:14.142 --> 00:11:18.231 to COVID-19 as the public health emergency. Now, we've also made 175 00:11:18.231 --> 00:11:21.943 this available as a sample application, with the narrative 176 00:11:21.943 --> 00:11:25.969 and schedule available as a PDF on the ILMS website. Now, go to 177 00:11:25.969 --> 00:11:29.744 Search Awarded Grants and search by log number to find this 178 00:11:29.744 --> 00:11:33.330 entry, or use the hyperlink at the bottom of this slide. 179 00:11:36.820 --> 00:11:40.394 Here's another example of a digital technology focused 180 00:11:40.394 --> 00:11:43.513 project. The Phillips Collection, right here in 181 00:11:43.513 --> 00:11:47.477 Washington, DC, was awarded $239,000 -- this is back in 2022 182 00:11:47.477 --> 00:11:50.791 -- to improve staff understanding of digital asset 183 00:11:50.791 --> 00:11:54.690 management practices and build consensus around how to best 184 00:11:54.690 --> 00:11:55.859 tour these assets. 185 00:11:56.990 --> 00:12:00.365 So in this project they were putting together a cross 186 00:12:00.365 --> 00:12:03.929 departmental staff team to engage in informal and formal 187 00:12:03.929 --> 00:12:07.680 training designed to develop skills to allow them to select 188 00:12:07.680 --> 00:12:11.743 and roll out the museum's first digital asset management system. 189 00:12:11.743 --> 00:12:15.244 Again, this is the link available on our website if you 190 00:12:15.244 --> 00:12:17.870 want more information about this project. 191 00:12:22.010 --> 00:12:25.796 Goal Two focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion and 192 00:12:25.796 --> 00:12:29.449 supports projects that help museum staff and providing 193 00:12:29.449 --> 00:12:33.833 inclusive and equitable services to people of diverse geographic, 194 00:12:33.833 --> 00:12:37.753 cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds and to individuals 195 00:12:37.753 --> 00:12:41.672 with disabilities. Now, this might involve activities that 196 00:12:41.672 --> 00:12:45.458 create training and learning opportunities that increase 197 00:12:45.458 --> 00:12:47.850 cultural competency of museum staff 198 00:12:49.210 --> 00:12:53.526 or enhance relevancy of museum programs or maybe activities 199 00:12:53.526 --> 00:12:57.195 that develop and implement inclusive and equitable 200 00:12:57.195 --> 00:13:01.223 fellowship programs or internship programs or mentoring 201 00:13:01.223 --> 00:13:04.677 programs that can increase support for emerging 202 00:13:04.677 --> 00:13:08.921 professionals from diverse communities entering the museum 203 00:13:08.921 --> 00:13:13.165 field. So again, here are some examples of recently funded 204 00:13:13.165 --> 00:13:17.266 projects in 2023 we awarded to the Wildlife Conservation 205 00:13:17.266 --> 00:13:17.769 Society 206 00:13:18.450 --> 00:13:23.297 a $250,000 grant to create a new training program, and this is 207 00:13:23.297 --> 00:13:27.760 focused on supervisors of internship programs in five New 208 00:13:27.760 --> 00:13:32.223 York City wildlife focused parks operated by the Wildlife 209 00:13:32.223 --> 00:13:36.532 Conservation Society. That's both in the Bronx Zoo, the 210 00:13:36.532 --> 00:13:41.534 Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park and Queens Zoos and the New York 211 00:13:41.534 --> 00:13:45.381 Aquarium. And this was a professional development 212 00:13:45.381 --> 00:13:46.690 training program, 213 00:13:47.220 --> 00:13:51.278 which had a multi-part focus on youth development, cultural 214 00:13:51.278 --> 00:13:55.270 competency, supervising young adults, mentoring and career 215 00:13:55.270 --> 00:13:58.720 support to help the intern supervisors develop the 216 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:02.981 necessary skills to succeed in this important role. Now again, 217 00:14:02.981 --> 00:14:06.972 we've made this available as a sample application with the 218 00:14:06.972 --> 00:14:11.437 narrative and schedule available as a PDF on the IMLS website and 219 00:14:11.437 --> 00:14:14.820 you can also use the hyperlink here to find that. 220 00:14:20.210 --> 00:14:25.308 And lastly, there was a project to support the Boise Museum of 221 00:14:25.308 --> 00:14:30.488 Art in Boise, ID and $191,000, to increase its ability to serve 222 00:14:30.488 --> 00:14:35.425 members of its community with disabilities. With an emphasis 223 00:14:35.425 --> 00:14:40.200 on the deaf and hard of hearing community, the museum will 224 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:44.490 develop a series of participatory planning processes 225 00:14:44.990 --> 00:14:49.143 working with consultants, working with community members 226 00:14:49.143 --> 00:14:53.516 and ASL interpreters to identify and test tools to make the 227 00:14:53.516 --> 00:14:57.743 museum more accessible. Now, Goal Three supports projects 228 00:14:57.743 --> 00:15:02.261 that strengthen the ability of museum staff to use evaluation 229 00:15:02.261 --> 00:15:06.415 as a tool to shape museum programs and improve outcomes. 230 00:15:06.415 --> 00:15:11.006 This might involve activities that increase staff knowledge of 231 00:15:11.006 --> 00:15:15.379 program evaluation methods and the usefulness of evaluation 232 00:15:15.379 --> 00:15:17.930 reports, tools, data, and metrics. 233 00:15:19.670 --> 00:15:23.938 More activities that provide museum staff with the tools and 234 00:15:23.938 --> 00:15:28.206 strategies to adapt evaluation methods to address a specific 235 00:15:28.206 --> 00:15:32.615 audience for institutional need. Here's an example of recently 236 00:15:32.615 --> 00:15:36.393 funded project focused on evaluation. This was at the 237 00:15:36.393 --> 00:15:40.732 Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, and they were awarded 238 00:15:40.732 --> 00:15:44.860 $247,000 this past year to improve the design and outcomes 239 00:15:44.860 --> 00:15:46.470 of their youth programs 240 00:15:47.140 --> 00:15:50.667 by developing a comprehensive approach to use program 241 00:15:50.667 --> 00:15:54.195 evaluation, working with the consultant and part time 242 00:15:54.195 --> 00:15:58.506 evaluation associate who's going to work with the project team to 243 00:15:58.506 --> 00:16:02.295 both engage youth in developing new evaluation protocols, 244 00:16:02.295 --> 00:16:05.757 developing new techniques, a multisensory evaluation 245 00:16:05.757 --> 00:16:09.220 framework, and then piloting that within the museum. 246 00:16:12.940 --> 00:16:17.584 Again, this is also available as a sample application with the 247 00:16:17.584 --> 00:16:22.228 narrative and schedule available as a PDF on the IM:S website. 248 00:16:22.228 --> 00:16:26.430 Another example focused on evaluation is here on screen. 249 00:16:26.430 --> 00:16:30.853 It's the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, 250 00:16:30.853 --> 00:16:35.055 FL, which was awarded $219,000 to improve the design and 251 00:16:35.055 --> 00:16:39.404 outcomes of its programs by developing an institution wide 252 00:16:39.404 --> 00:16:41.100 approach to evaluation. 253 00:16:42.890 --> 00:16:47.080 And essentially creating an evaluation strategic plan that 254 00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:51.554 would be comprehensive and serve the entire organization. Goal 255 00:16:51.554 --> 00:16:55.745 Four is about organizational management and is intended to 256 00:16:55.745 --> 00:16:59.864 support museum staff as the essential part of a resilient 257 00:16:59.864 --> 00:17:04.338 organizational culture. And this might involve activities that 258 00:17:04.338 --> 00:17:07.747 help you to develop and implement comprehensive 259 00:17:07.747 --> 00:17:11.370 organizational learning opportunities that address 260 00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:17.315 One or more emerging priorities facing a museum. Or maybe it's 261 00:17:17.315 --> 00:17:22.094 activities that you develop and implement programs to address 262 00:17:22.094 --> 00:17:26.180 specific learning and growth opportunities that were 263 00:17:26.180 --> 00:17:30.573 identified by staff needs assessments. So, it might come 264 00:17:30.573 --> 00:17:35.275 upwards from staff through a needs assessment or through the 265 00:17:35.275 --> 00:17:39.900 museum itself as priorities based on your planning efforts. 266 00:17:42.050 --> 00:17:46.287 And some examples of what that looks like: We recently funded 267 00:17:46.287 --> 00:17:50.187 in 2023 the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, 268 00:17:50.187 --> 00:17:54.088 TX, a $209,000 grant to develop a leadership professional 269 00:17:54.088 --> 00:17:58.527 development program to help them attract talent and help grow the 270 00:17:58.527 --> 00:18:02.226 next generation of museum leaders. Again, this is also 271 00:18:02.226 --> 00:18:05.790 available as a sample application with the narrative 272 00:18:05.790 --> 00:18:09.489 and schedule available as a PDF on the IMLS S website. 273 00:18:13.520 --> 00:18:17.269 Another example here was at the Chinese Cultural Center of San 274 00:18:17.269 --> 00:18:20.900 Francisco ordered a grant in 2022 for $199,000 to strengthen 275 00:18:20.900 --> 00:18:24.531 staff, leadership and training as part of a succession plan, 276 00:18:24.531 --> 00:18:28.162 and an external consultant was going to work with the museum 277 00:18:28.162 --> 00:18:31.614 director to facilitate project activities, beginning with 278 00:18:31.614 --> 00:18:33.399 assessment of staff strengths. 279 00:18:34.230 --> 00:18:37.997 And then creating training opportunities and growth 280 00:18:37.997 --> 00:18:42.562 opportunities for staff at all levels of the organization. And 281 00:18:42.562 --> 00:18:46.837 finally, this example from the Denver Museum of Nature and 282 00:18:46.837 --> 00:18:51.184 Science. They were rewarded a grant in 2022 for $211,000 to 283 00:18:51.184 --> 00:18:55.749 develop a training program for emerging leaders in the museum. 284 00:18:55.749 --> 00:19:00.096 Again, 6 cohorts, 12 staff members are going to participate 285 00:19:00.096 --> 00:19:02.270 in a 12-week training program. 286 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:06.104 Working with training specialists and working on 287 00:19:06.104 --> 00:19:09.841 leadership skills. Again, this is building leadership from 288 00:19:09.841 --> 00:19:13.705 within the organization. Now, projects should fit within one 289 00:19:13.705 --> 00:19:17.823 of these 4 grant program goals, and sometimes there's an overlap 290 00:19:17.823 --> 00:19:21.814 in the kinds of activities that you're proposing, and it might 291 00:19:21.814 --> 00:19:25.678 make it difficult to select one program goal. So here's some 292 00:19:25.678 --> 00:19:29.733 strategies to help you select a goal that aligns best with your 293 00:19:29.733 --> 00:19:30.240 project. 294 00:19:30.990 --> 00:19:34.956 Think about what's at the center of your project. Who's going to 295 00:19:34.956 --> 00:19:38.434 benefit? What will be improved once you've finished your 296 00:19:38.434 --> 00:19:42.218 project? Decide who you want to review your application. Also 297 00:19:42.218 --> 00:19:45.879 think about what kind of skill sets and experience you want 298 00:19:45.879 --> 00:19:49.602 them to have. Maybe you want to list the activities that you 299 00:19:49.602 --> 00:19:53.446 plan to carry out and assign to each goal and figure out which 300 00:19:53.446 --> 00:19:56.863 goal gets the most and where will the most resources be 301 00:19:56.863 --> 00:19:57.229 spent. 302 00:19:58.910 --> 00:20:02.849 Why is your decision about which goal to choose so important? 303 00:20:02.849 --> 00:20:06.661 Well, because it impacts the review process. Mostly because 304 00:20:06.661 --> 00:20:10.282 your application will be likely to be reviewed by museum 305 00:20:10.282 --> 00:20:13.777 professionals who have experience and expertise that's 306 00:20:13.777 --> 00:20:17.843 aligned with one of those goals. And your application will also 307 00:20:17.843 --> 00:20:21.655 be competing or be compared to other applications that have 308 00:20:21.655 --> 00:20:22.989 chosen the same goal. 309 00:20:24.990 --> 00:20:29.272 Our advice is to choose one program goal and write your 310 00:20:29.272 --> 00:20:34.167 proposal accordingly. Regardless of the program goals selected, 311 00:20:34.167 --> 00:20:38.526 all Museums Empowered project budgets must stay within a 312 00:20:38.526 --> 00:20:43.345 specific range of funding. Your project budget can request the 313 00:20:43.345 --> 00:20:48.239 minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $250,000 in federal funds. If 314 00:20:48.239 --> 00:20:52.752 you ask for less than five or more than 250,000 in federal 315 00:20:52.752 --> 00:20:53.670 grant funds, 316 00:20:54.140 --> 00:20:57.795 your application may be rejected. And remember to keep 317 00:20:57.795 --> 00:21:01.782 your budget aligned to the scope and scale of your project, 318 00:21:01.782 --> 00:21:05.438 including all costs necessary to complete the proposed 319 00:21:05.438 --> 00:21:09.159 activities. Now, in this grant program, the budgets are 320 00:21:09.159 --> 00:21:12.881 required to have at least a one-to-one non-federal cost 321 00:21:12.881 --> 00:21:16.404 share. So, here are a few examples to illustrate the 322 00:21:16.404 --> 00:21:19.860 point. If your total project budget was $100,000 -- 323 00:21:21.350 --> 00:21:25.734 all the activities, all the cost -- total project budget $100,000 324 00:21:25.734 --> 00:21:29.919 -- then you'd be able to request $50,000 in federal grant fund 325 00:21:29.919 --> 00:21:33.971 and a cost share of at least $50,000 and that would comprise 326 00:21:33.971 --> 00:21:37.691 your entire budget for the project of $100,000. So, say 327 00:21:37.691 --> 00:21:41.677 your total project budget was $300,000, so you'd be able to 328 00:21:41.677 --> 00:21:45.597 ask for $150,000 in federal grant funds and then provide a 329 00:21:45.597 --> 00:21:47.590 cost year of at least $150,00. 330 00:21:48.780 --> 00:21:53.065 And if your total project budget was $500,000 -- well, you would 331 00:21:53.065 --> 00:21:56.823 be able to request up to $250,000 in federal grant funds 332 00:21:56.823 --> 00:22:00.845 and provide a cost share of at least $250,000. And remember, 333 00:22:00.845 --> 00:22:04.801 cost share can take a number of forms. Among them are cash, 334 00:22:04.801 --> 00:22:08.494 staff, time, volunteer time, third party contributions, 335 00:22:08.494 --> 00:22:12.780 grants from foundations, support from state of local government. 336 00:22:15.870 --> 00:22:21.073 Cost shared just can't be from another federal source. Now, the 337 00:22:21.073 --> 00:22:26.114 amount of applications received and the amount of awards made 338 00:22:26.114 --> 00:22:31.155 can vary from year to year. And here's a snapshot of our most 339 00:22:31.155 --> 00:22:35.871 recent application and award cycle. In 2023, IMLS made 19 340 00:22:35.871 --> 00:22:40.750 Museums Empowered awards for a total of about $3.8 million. 341 00:22:42.050 --> 00:22:46.796 We received 53 applications last year, resulting in 36% of those 342 00:22:46.796 --> 00:22:51.542 applications being funded. Now, about 47% of the awards were for 343 00:22:51.542 --> 00:22:55.484 projects supporting the diversity and inclusion goal, 344 00:22:55.484 --> 00:22:59.865 26% of the projects supported the organizational management 345 00:22:59.865 --> 00:23:04.246 goal, 16% supported evaluation goal and 11% were in digital 346 00:23:04.246 --> 00:23:05.049 technology. 347 00:23:06.250 --> 00:23:10.817 Now, the number of awards in each category is proportional to 348 00:23:10.817 --> 00:23:15.090 the number of applications received in each category. The 349 00:23:15.090 --> 00:23:19.732 average amount of federal funds for each project was $202,000. 350 00:23:19.732 --> 00:23:23.931 Now, on the IMLS website, you can use the Search Awarded 351 00:23:23.931 --> 00:23:28.573 Grants function to explore our archive and grants that we have 352 00:23:28.573 --> 00:23:33.067 rewarded in past years. Now, there are currently 155 Museums 353 00:23:33.067 --> 00:23:35.130 and Power awards listed here 354 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:39.955 including those just announced in August. You can search the 355 00:23:39.955 --> 00:23:43.988 database using a variety of criteria such as institution 356 00:23:43.988 --> 00:23:48.303 name, location, and keyword. Your search will retrieve basic 357 00:23:48.303 --> 00:23:52.689 information about each award, including the amount of federal 358 00:23:52.689 --> 00:23:56.439 funds awarded in a brief description of the proposed 359 00:23:56.439 --> 00:24:00.542 activities and expected results for each project. In this 360 00:24:00.542 --> 00:24:04.363 section, we're going to introduce the components of a 361 00:24:04.363 --> 00:24:06.910 Museums Empowered grant application 362 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:11.596 and provide an overview about the Required, Conditionally 363 00:24:11.596 --> 00:24:15.485 Required and Supporting Documents. The Museums Empowered 364 00:24:15.485 --> 00:24:19.851 Notice of Funding Opportunity or NOFO, includes a complete list 365 00:24:19.851 --> 00:24:23.467 of all the application components. Most of these are 366 00:24:23.467 --> 00:24:27.765 created by applicants and saved as a PDF for uploading as part 367 00:24:27.765 --> 00:24:31.586 of your application package at Grants.gov. The table of 368 00:24:31.586 --> 00:24:34.520 application components starting on page 7, 369 00:24:35.050 --> 00:24:39.342 Section D28 of the NOFO lists which application components are 370 00:24:39.342 --> 00:24:43.703 required as well as those that are conditionally required; and, 371 00:24:43.703 --> 00:24:47.859 for example, some components are included in the application 372 00:24:47.859 --> 00:24:51.265 depending on the type of applicant or the type of 373 00:24:51.265 --> 00:24:55.081 project. Now, aside from the SF424S and the IMLS Museum 374 00:24:55.081 --> 00:24:59.510 Program Information form, which are completed in Grants.gov, all 375 00:24:59.510 --> 00:25:03.530 application components must be submitted as PDF documents. 376 00:25:05.480 --> 00:25:09.865 So, these are the required documents. All applications must 377 00:25:09.865 --> 00:25:14.324 include the documents listed here. Omission of even just one 378 00:25:14.324 --> 00:25:18.928 may result in your application being rejected. Also, important 379 00:25:18.928 --> 00:25:23.752 to note, there is a 7-page limit for the narrative. If you exceed 380 00:25:23.752 --> 00:25:28.430 the page limit specified in the NOFO, we must remove the extras 381 00:25:28.430 --> 00:25:31.720 before your application goes out for review. 382 00:25:32.580 --> 00:25:37.911 So, that means your reviewer may see a paragraph or sentence end 383 00:25:37.911 --> 00:25:42.915 in midair and will wonder about where the rest of it is. So, 384 00:25:42.915 --> 00:25:48.001 make sure your content fits into the page limit specified and 385 00:25:48.001 --> 00:25:52.758 make sure the number of pages holds when you convert your 386 00:25:52.758 --> 00:25:57.188 document to a PDF. The second category of application 387 00:25:57.188 --> 00:26:00.879 components is that of conditionally required 388 00:26:00.879 --> 00:26:01.700 documents. 389 00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:07.138 Some applications must include one, two or even all of these, 390 00:26:07.138 --> 00:26:10.929 and it's your job to figure out which are required for your 391 00:26:10.929 --> 00:26:14.595 application. Now, if you're applying as a nonprofit, then 392 00:26:14.595 --> 00:26:18.513 you must include your proof of nonprofit status issued by the 393 00:26:18.513 --> 00:26:22.178 Internal Revenue Service, the IRS. We will not accept the 394 00:26:22.178 --> 00:26:25.907 letter of state sales tax exemption as proof. It has to be 395 00:26:25.907 --> 00:26:27.739 the IRS determination letter. 396 00:26:29.090 --> 00:26:33.387 If you are using a federally negotiated indirect cost rate in 397 00:26:33.387 --> 00:26:37.269 your budget, then you must include a copy of your final 398 00:26:37.269 --> 00:26:41.706 grade agreement. And if you're going to create digital products 399 00:26:41.706 --> 00:26:45.726 during the course of your project, then you must complete 400 00:26:45.726 --> 00:26:50.093 and submit a digital products plan. So, just like the required 401 00:26:50.093 --> 00:26:54.530 documents, omitting one of these may result in your application 402 00:26:54.530 --> 00:26:55.570 being rejected. 403 00:26:56.220 --> 00:27:00.260 Now, for the Digital Products plan, you might want to note 404 00:27:00.260 --> 00:27:04.437 that the term digital product includes any digitized or born 405 00:27:04.437 --> 00:27:08.478 digital content, resource or asset or any software. So, if 406 00:27:08.478 --> 00:27:12.519 you're creating any of these materials, be sure to look at 407 00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:16.970 the instructions in the NOFO on how to create a Digital products 408 00:27:16.970 --> 00:27:21.147 plan and which questions you need to answer. The third group 409 00:27:21.147 --> 00:27:22.859 of application components 410 00:27:23.590 --> 00:27:26.617 is supporting documents now. Supporting documents are 411 00:27:26.617 --> 00:27:30.150 optional. You may submit one or none. Include only those items 412 00:27:30.150 --> 00:27:33.402 that will supplement your proposal. This is not the place 413 00:27:33.402 --> 00:27:36.093 to introduce brand new information, but it's an 414 00:27:36.093 --> 00:27:39.401 opportunity to provide documents that support your project 415 00:27:39.401 --> 00:27:42.934 justification, your work plan, and your project results listed 416 00:27:42.934 --> 00:27:46.522 in your narrative, as well as, you know, supporting information 417 00:27:46.522 --> 00:27:48.990 for your budget justification, for example. 418 00:27:49.810 --> 00:27:54.208 So, maybe you've identified a partner whose involvement is key 419 00:27:54.208 --> 00:27:58.536 to the project success. So, a letter of support or commitment 420 00:27:58.536 --> 00:28:03.143 will go a long way to reassuring reviewers that they are on board 421 00:28:03.143 --> 00:28:07.262 and the project will succeed. With this, you know, partner 422 00:28:07.262 --> 00:28:11.590 that you've identified. You can also provide pictures, if you 423 00:28:11.590 --> 00:28:15.779 need, by your institution or other kinds of information and 424 00:28:15.779 --> 00:28:19.130 background about research that's helped develop 425 00:28:19.710 --> 00:28:24.385 your project ideas that are listed in your narrative. Even 426 00:28:24.385 --> 00:28:29.378 vendor quotes or specifications from consultants helps to show 427 00:28:29.378 --> 00:28:34.133 that you've done some of the legwork in getting appropriate 428 00:28:34.133 --> 00:28:38.729 estimates for project costs. And we recommend that you be 429 00:28:38.729 --> 00:28:43.721 respectful of your reviewer's time and avoid any temptation to 430 00:28:43.721 --> 00:28:48.239 include hundreds of pages of extraneous material. So, be 431 00:28:48.239 --> 00:28:49.189 judicious in 432 00:28:50.060 --> 00:28:55.335 your selection of supporting documents and it may help make 433 00:28:55.335 --> 00:29:00.083 or break your application. Include what is important, 434 00:29:00.083 --> 00:29:04.743 what's helpful, and what's directly relevant to your 435 00:29:04.743 --> 00:29:09.931 project, and stop there. In the following sections of this 436 00:29:09.931 --> 00:29:14.591 presentation, we're going to focus on these specific 437 00:29:14.591 --> 00:29:19.340 application components: the narrative and the budget. 438 00:29:21.470 --> 00:29:24.882 You can always go to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for 439 00:29:24.882 --> 00:29:28.583 complete instructions on how to prepare and complete all of the 440 00:29:28.583 --> 00:29:32.226 application components. And in this section, we're going to go 441 00:29:32.226 --> 00:29:35.523 over the questions you'll need to answer in your project 442 00:29:35.523 --> 00:29:39.109 narrative and offer details on the review criteria associated 443 00:29:39.109 --> 00:29:40.150 with each section. 444 00:29:44.350 --> 00:29:48.449 So, let's talk about the narrative of your proposal. You 445 00:29:48.449 --> 00:29:52.980 have seven pages to cover three very important issues; and the 446 00:29:52.980 --> 00:29:57.223 Notice of Funding Opportunity provides lengthy guidance on 447 00:29:57.223 --> 00:30:01.251 what the narrative should cover. First, is the "Project 448 00:30:01.251 --> 00:30:05.638 Justification". We're going to ask you to tell us what need, 449 00:30:05.638 --> 00:30:09.809 problem or challenge your project will address and how it 450 00:30:09.809 --> 00:30:13.190 was identified. So, describe how you have used 451 00:30:14.190 --> 00:30:18.060 demographic information or other relevant data to define the 452 00:30:18.060 --> 00:30:21.995 need, problem, or challenge. We're going to ask you who's the 453 00:30:21.995 --> 00:30:25.992 target group for your project and how they have been involved. 454 00:30:25.992 --> 00:30:29.927 Target group refers to those who will be most immediately and 455 00:30:29.927 --> 00:30:33.480 positively affected by your projects. You might want to 456 00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:36.589 identify the number of individuals in the group. 457 00:30:39.270 --> 00:30:44.149 And also talk about who are the ultimate beneficiaries. And 458 00:30:44.149 --> 00:30:49.273 beneficiaries refer to those who are likely to be aided in the 459 00:30:49.273 --> 00:30:54.071 long term by your project. And it's maybe the same as your 460 00:30:54.071 --> 00:30:59.195 target group, but it could be slightly different. And you want 461 00:30:59.195 --> 00:31:03.912 to identify who these people are. Keep in mind that there 462 00:31:03.912 --> 00:31:08.954 there's review criteria that each reviewer be looking at, and 463 00:31:08.954 --> 00:31:13.184 this is found in Section E of the Notice of Funding 464 00:31:13.184 --> 00:31:14.160 Opportunity. 465 00:31:15.050 --> 00:31:18.810 And this is a list of questions that reviewers are asked to 466 00:31:18.810 --> 00:31:22.695 consider when they review your proposal. And it's a good idea 467 00:31:22.695 --> 00:31:26.706 to refer to these as you craft your narrative to be certain you 468 00:31:26.706 --> 00:31:30.591 are providing reviewers clear, solid information. Now, you'll 469 00:31:30.591 --> 00:31:34.727 see that these questions respond pretty directly with the prompts 470 00:31:34.727 --> 00:31:38.800 that you're given to write your narrative. Most importantly here 471 00:31:38.800 --> 00:31:42.623 for Museums Empowered, we want to make sure that the project 472 00:31:42.623 --> 00:31:43.250 activities 473 00:31:45.040 --> 00:31:49.493 are designed to use professional development and training to 474 00:31:49.493 --> 00:31:54.092 generate systemic change within the museum. One of the prompts 475 00:31:54.092 --> 00:31:58.472 in the project justification section of the narrative talks 476 00:31:58.472 --> 00:32:02.779 about the need, problem or challenge, and how to identify. 477 00:32:02.779 --> 00:32:06.721 So, keep in mind that the federal government wants to 478 00:32:06.721 --> 00:32:11.540 invest in something and see that something's going to get better. 479 00:32:13.570 --> 00:32:18.094 So, as you define your need, problem, or challenge, you want 480 00:32:18.094 --> 00:32:22.174 to articulate what will get better as a result of your 481 00:32:22.174 --> 00:32:26.476 project. Such as, will someone learn something, develop a 482 00:32:26.476 --> 00:32:31.000 skill, or change an attitude maybe. So, you want to identify 483 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:35.525 why it's important that this change happens and really think 484 00:32:35.525 --> 00:32:40.049 through your problem definition carefully in succinct terms. 485 00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:51.033 And gather and present data that supports your problem definition 486 00:32:51.033 --> 00:32:59.790 that you've outlined in your justification. In the "Project 487 00:32:59.790 --> 00:33:08.840 Work Plan", we're talking about who, what, when, and how. So, 488 00:33:09.290 --> 00:33:13.419 here we're saying who's going to do what activities when, and 489 00:33:13.419 --> 00:33:17.748 using what resources? You should explain how you will track your 490 00:33:17.748 --> 00:33:21.611 progress toward achieving your intended results; and what 491 00:33:21.611 --> 00:33:25.874 you'll do if you need to correct course. And we also ask you to 492 00:33:25.874 --> 00:33:29.537 think about risks that are inherent in your particular 493 00:33:29.537 --> 00:33:33.466 project, and to tell us how you've taken them into account 494 00:33:33.466 --> 00:33:36.930 of your planning. One thing to keep in mind here is 495 00:33:37.750 --> 00:33:42.672 in the Museums Empowered project, we're going to want to 496 00:33:42.672 --> 00:33:47.248 know how you are going to organize and structure the 497 00:33:47.248 --> 00:33:51.393 project team to support equitable and inclusive 498 00:33:51.393 --> 00:33:56.920 engagement of all participants. The list of review questions in 499 00:33:56.920 --> 00:34:01.928 Section E of the Notice of Funding Opportunity are copied 500 00:34:01.928 --> 00:34:06.936 here on this slide. These are the same questions we asked 501 00:34:06.936 --> 00:34:11.600 reviewers to consider when they review your proposal. 502 00:34:12.160 --> 00:34:16.500 So, you want to make sure your narrative is answering these 503 00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:21.058 effectively. I'm going to dive a little deeper into one of the 504 00:34:21.058 --> 00:34:25.761 questions, which is about risk. When we asked you to think about 505 00:34:25.761 --> 00:34:30.391 risks that are inherent in your particular project, it means to 506 00:34:30.391 --> 00:34:34.804 tell us how you've taken that into account in your planning. 507 00:34:34.804 --> 00:34:39.290 So, think of this as answering the question, what if? There's 508 00:34:39.290 --> 00:34:42.980 no checklist of risks, but every project has them. 509 00:34:44.040 --> 00:34:48.535 And the best proposals will show that you are aware of them and 510 00:34:48.535 --> 00:34:53.030 have thought through a plan for dealing with them. Look at your 511 00:34:53.030 --> 00:34:57.103 activities, think about what could go wrong. Focus on the 512 00:34:57.103 --> 00:35:01.599 ones where your experience, both of your own experience or that 513 00:35:01.599 --> 00:35:05.813 of the staff at your museum -- where you're like, "Oh yeah, 514 00:35:05.813 --> 00:35:10.167 that could happen." And identify steps that you would take in 515 00:35:10.167 --> 00:35:10.800 response. 516 00:35:11.260 --> 00:35:15.049 Now, we know things go differently than expected, and 517 00:35:15.049 --> 00:35:19.330 we just want you to prepare by identifying any implementable 518 00:35:19.330 --> 00:35:23.470 options. So, here are some examples of risk. A project may 519 00:35:23.470 --> 00:35:28.032 be dependent upon fundraising to generate the cost-share, but if 520 00:35:28.032 --> 00:35:32.242 it's not complete by the time the application is submitted, 521 00:35:32.242 --> 00:35:36.804 what's the institution going to do if the funds aren't available 522 00:35:36.804 --> 00:35:38.980 by the time the project starts? 523 00:35:40.760 --> 00:35:44.678 Or say a project's going to plan to conduct listening sessions 524 00:35:44.678 --> 00:35:48.036 with staff. What if staff feedback suggests different 525 00:35:48.036 --> 00:35:51.954 needs, issues, or challenges? Which should be the priority for 526 00:35:51.954 --> 00:35:55.562 training? Maybe a project is going to be using university 527 00:35:55.562 --> 00:35:59.667 interns? And what happens if one or more interns drop out? How do 528 00:35:59.667 --> 00:36:03.585 you replace them mid-project? Or maybe the project is going to 529 00:36:03.585 --> 00:36:07.316 involve some key partners to achieve success, but maybe one 530 00:36:07.316 --> 00:36:10.239 of them drops out mid-project. What do you do? 531 00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:14.829 Yeah, just want you to think about these things, and if 532 00:36:14.829 --> 00:36:18.339 they're likely to happen or possibly going to happen, you 533 00:36:18.339 --> 00:36:22.031 know, we want to talk about them in the narrative. The third 534 00:36:22.031 --> 00:36:25.965 section of your narrative should be devoted to articulating your 535 00:36:25.965 --> 00:36:29.777 project's intended results, and this section is your chance to 536 00:36:29.777 --> 00:36:33.772 convince the reviewers that your project will result in something 537 00:36:33.772 --> 00:36:34.680 getting better. 538 00:36:35.870 --> 00:36:39.754 The need or problem you identified in your project 539 00:36:39.754 --> 00:36:44.705 justification will be addressed directly, diminished somehow, or 540 00:36:44.705 --> 00:36:49.656 maybe improved in some way. Now, we ask you to tell us what data 541 00:36:49.656 --> 00:36:54.226 you're going to collect and report in order to measure your 542 00:36:54.226 --> 00:36:58.796 project success. If your project will generate some sort of 543 00:36:58.796 --> 00:37:02.909 tangible product, this is also the chance to describe 544 00:37:03.420 --> 00:37:07.186 what that is, you know, if it's a new training materials or 545 00:37:07.186 --> 00:37:10.765 curriculum, or a database or something. And last but not 546 00:37:10.765 --> 00:37:14.783 least, we ask that you tell us how you will sustain the benefit 547 00:37:14.783 --> 00:37:17.985 of the project, particularly, beyond the period of 548 00:37:17.985 --> 00:37:21.626 performance. Again, here's a list of the review questions 549 00:37:21.626 --> 00:37:25.330 that reviewers are asked to consider, which are also found 550 00:37:25.330 --> 00:37:29.285 in Section E of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. All of your 551 00:37:29.285 --> 00:37:31.419 project's results should tie back 552 00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:36.293 to your need, problem or challenge. There might be some 553 00:37:36.293 --> 00:37:41.290 tangential benefits or positive outcomes, and you can also list 554 00:37:41.290 --> 00:37:46.132 those two. But really focus on results. What do you expect is 555 00:37:46.132 --> 00:37:50.583 going to happen when this project is completed? We often 556 00:37:50.583 --> 00:37:55.268 hear that defining intended results and success measures is 557 00:37:55.268 --> 00:37:59.954 a challenge for applicants, so it's worth spending a bit of 558 00:37:59.954 --> 00:38:01.359 time on this here. 559 00:38:02.100 --> 00:38:06.133 So, you know, think back to the question we referenced before 560 00:38:06.133 --> 00:38:10.101 when we talked about defining the need problem or challenge. 561 00:38:10.101 --> 00:38:14.199 And if you said someone's going to learn something -- how will 562 00:38:14.199 --> 00:38:18.233 you know? And if you want to generate systemic change in your 563 00:38:18.233 --> 00:38:22.461 museum -- how's that going to be measured? This focus on results 564 00:38:22.461 --> 00:38:26.039 and measuring success in a meaningful way is not a new 565 00:38:26.039 --> 00:38:26.820 concept, but 566 00:38:28.490 --> 00:38:33.143 there has been a lot of work done in the field about ways to 567 00:38:33.143 --> 00:38:37.415 measure success. So, for you as an applicant though, we 568 00:38:37.415 --> 00:38:41.916 encourage you to consider using maybe a logic model, or an 569 00:38:41.916 --> 00:38:46.798 outcome spaced evaluation tool, or some other rubric to explain 570 00:38:46.798 --> 00:38:51.375 your intended results and your plan to achieve them. So, to 571 00:38:51.375 --> 00:38:55.265 recap, your narrative has three sections: "Project 572 00:38:55.265 --> 00:38:56.410 Justification", 573 00:38:56.900 --> 00:39:00.282 "Project Work Plan", and "Project Results". You have 7 574 00:39:00.282 --> 00:39:04.217 pages for it. The sections are all equally important. You might 575 00:39:04.217 --> 00:39:07.968 clearly address what we asked you to do address. Keep an eye 576 00:39:07.968 --> 00:39:11.966 on those review criteria. We're telling you in the NOFO and here 577 00:39:11.966 --> 00:39:15.532 in this presentation exactly what the reviewers will look 578 00:39:15.532 --> 00:39:19.160 for. So, you know, make it as easy as possible for them to 579 00:39:19.160 --> 00:39:22.420 find the information they need and to understand it. 580 00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:31.320 Next, in this section, we're going to: provide information on 581 00:39:31.320 --> 00:39:35.976 what to include in your project budget and budget justification; 582 00:39:35.976 --> 00:39:40.417 and provide some examples of allowable and unallowable costs. 583 00:39:40.417 --> 00:39:44.858 An important component of your application is the budget, and 584 00:39:44.858 --> 00:39:48.725 this is the part of the application where you specify 585 00:39:48.725 --> 00:39:52.808 all the costs associated with your proposed project. The 586 00:39:52.808 --> 00:39:55.960 budget consists of two required components: 587 00:39:56.390 --> 00:40:00.319 the "IMLS Budget Form"; and the "Budget Justification". The 588 00:40:00.319 --> 00:40:04.314 "IMLS Budget Form" is a fillable PDF that accommodates up to 589 00:40:04.314 --> 00:40:07.719 three years of project activities and expenses. The 590 00:40:07.719 --> 00:40:11.125 budget should include the project cost that will be 591 00:40:11.125 --> 00:40:15.250 charged to grant funds as well as those that will be supported 592 00:40:15.250 --> 00:40:18.852 by cost-share. In-kind contributions to cost-share may 593 00:40:18.852 --> 00:40:22.782 include the value of services, such as donated volunteer or 594 00:40:22.782 --> 00:40:23.830 consulting time. 595 00:40:25.060 --> 00:40:28.997 You can also include equipment donated to the project that 596 00:40:28.997 --> 00:40:32.934 happens between the authorized start and end dates of your 597 00:40:32.934 --> 00:40:37.205 project. All the items listed, whether supported by grant funds 598 00:40:37.205 --> 00:40:40.876 or cost share, must be necessary to accomplish project 599 00:40:40.876 --> 00:40:44.546 objectives. They need to be allowable according to the 600 00:40:44.546 --> 00:40:47.950 applicable federal cost principles, auditable, and 601 00:40:47.950 --> 00:40:51.220 incurred during the award period of performance. 602 00:40:52.560 --> 00:40:56.933 The "IMLS Budget Form" can be downloaded directly from the 603 00:40:56.933 --> 00:41:01.602 IMLS website, and a screenshot of that is visible here on this 604 00:41:01.602 --> 00:41:05.975 slide. As you develop your budget, keep in mind that there 605 00:41:05.975 --> 00:41:10.349 are certain costs that are either allowable or unallowable 606 00:41:10.349 --> 00:41:14.351 according to federal regulations. The allowability of 607 00:41:14.351 --> 00:41:15.759 a cost item for all 608 00:41:16.430 --> 00:41:21.105 federal grants are specified in the Code of Federal Regulations, 609 00:41:21.105 --> 00:41:24.917 also known as CFR; and particularly "2 CFR 200", for 610 00:41:24.917 --> 00:41:29.305 short. But the full title is, "Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter 611 00:41:29.305 --> 00:41:32.974 II, Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, 612 00:41:32.974 --> 00:41:36.714 Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal 613 00:41:36.714 --> 00:41:41.174 Awards". Now, you can look up the "2 CFR 200" and use that as 614 00:41:41.174 --> 00:41:41.749 a basis. 615 00:41:42.200 --> 00:41:46.539 But we've also developed a short list of allowable costs that are 616 00:41:46.539 --> 00:41:50.352 most common in the grant applications that come into this 617 00:41:50.352 --> 00:41:54.429 program. The Notice of Funding Opportunity includes a partial 618 00:41:54.429 --> 00:41:58.439 list of the most common examples as well as this short list, 619 00:41:58.439 --> 00:42:02.516 which is shown on the slide. These are costs that may be part 620 00:42:02.516 --> 00:42:06.461 of what you asked IMLS to pay for with federal funds. These 621 00:42:06.461 --> 00:42:09.879 are costs that are allowable as cost-share as well. 622 00:42:10.670 --> 00:42:15.604 Rules about allowability apply equally to grant funds as well 623 00:42:15.604 --> 00:42:20.140 as cost-share. Now, when completing your project budget, 624 00:42:20.140 --> 00:42:25.155 be sure to check that all the costs you include, whether grant 625 00:42:25.155 --> 00:42:29.611 funds or cost share, are allowable. There are also some 626 00:42:29.611 --> 00:42:34.228 costs which are unallowable, and according to the federal 627 00:42:34.228 --> 00:42:38.684 regulations, in "2 CFR 200" they tell us which ones are 628 00:42:38.684 --> 00:42:39.640 unallowable. 629 00:42:41.970 --> 00:42:45.750 In the Notice of Funding Opportunity, we provided an 630 00:42:45.750 --> 00:42:49.745 abbreviated list of these costs and also on this slide. 631 00:42:49.745 --> 00:42:54.168 Unallowable costs may not be part of what you asked for us to 632 00:42:54.168 --> 00:42:58.876 pay for, nor can they be part of what you will pay for as part of 633 00:42:58.876 --> 00:43:03.013 your cost-share. In fact, unallowable costs can't show up 634 00:43:03.013 --> 00:43:07.579 anywhere in your proposal. So, as you prepare your application, 635 00:43:07.579 --> 00:43:10.290 check your list of proposed expenses. 636 00:43:10.860 --> 00:43:15.778 against our list of unallowable and allowable costs. And if you 637 00:43:15.778 --> 00:43:20.389 have any specific questions, please contact us and we'll be 638 00:43:20.389 --> 00:43:25.077 happy to help. In addition to the budget form, you will also 639 00:43:25.077 --> 00:43:29.534 prepare a budget justification. This is an opportunity to 640 00:43:29.534 --> 00:43:34.145 provide in a more detailed narrative format, an explanation 641 00:43:34.145 --> 00:43:37.220 or justification for the project costs. 642 00:43:39.250 --> 00:43:42.887 Budget justification should be written to follow the cost 643 00:43:42.887 --> 00:43:46.712 categories in the IMLS budget form. In the justification you 644 00:43:46.712 --> 00:43:50.726 will identify each expense, show the method of cost computation 645 00:43:50.726 --> 00:43:54.489 used to determine each amount, and include any that you may 646 00:43:54.489 --> 00:43:58.502 have consolidated or summarized on the IMLS budget form. So, in 647 00:43:58.502 --> 00:44:02.014 other words, this is the document where you're going to 648 00:44:02.014 --> 00:44:06.091 show your math. For example, in the sections under "Salaries and 649 00:44:06.091 --> 00:44:06.529 Wages", 650 00:44:07.020 --> 00:44:11.508 you're going to identify each person whose salary or wage will 651 00:44:11.508 --> 00:44:15.854 be paid with IMLS funds, or by cost-share, or contributed by 652 00:44:15.854 --> 00:44:20.057 cost-share. And by their names, describe their role in the 653 00:44:20.057 --> 00:44:23.833 project. And you want to document the method of cost 654 00:44:23.833 --> 00:44:28.036 computation by including the base salary or wages for each 655 00:44:28.036 --> 00:44:32.169 person, percentage of time that they're allocating to the 656 00:44:32.169 --> 00:44:35.660 project, number of days, or percentage or hours. 657 00:44:36.840 --> 00:44:40.552 If cost-share is being provided by unpaid volunteers, you're 658 00:44:40.552 --> 00:44:44.326 going to explain how you arrived at the dollar amount used to 659 00:44:44.326 --> 00:44:47.612 represent the value of their services. Here's another 660 00:44:47.612 --> 00:44:50.899 example, in "Supplies, Materials, and Equipment", you 661 00:44:50.899 --> 00:44:54.550 should list each type of supply, material and equipment you 662 00:44:54.550 --> 00:44:57.959 propose to purchase, or that you're going to provide as 663 00:44:57.959 --> 00:45:01.550 cost-share for the project. Detail the number and unit for 664 00:45:01.550 --> 00:45:05.080 each item. Explain how you arrived at the dollar amounts. 665 00:45:06.370 --> 00:45:10.451 You may also provide vendor quotes or price lists and 666 00:45:10.451 --> 00:45:15.212 supporting documents with your application. Now, in this final 667 00:45:15.212 --> 00:45:20.049 section of the presentation, we offer some application tips and 668 00:45:20.049 --> 00:45:24.584 next steps. We only make grants to eligible applicants that 669 00:45:24.584 --> 00:45:28.968 submit complete applications, including attachments on or 670 00:45:28.968 --> 00:45:33.729 before the deadline. So here are some tips to help you do just 671 00:45:33.729 --> 00:45:35.090 that. For starter, 672 00:45:35.850 --> 00:45:39.409 By watching this informational video, you're off to a good 673 00:45:39.409 --> 00:45:42.908 start. Become familiar with Grants.gov's workspace. There 674 00:45:42.908 --> 00:45:46.347 are many good features there, such as the opportunity to 675 00:45:46.347 --> 00:45:49.786 collaborate with others in creating your application, as 676 00:45:49.786 --> 00:45:53.165 well as a validation process that allows you to correct 677 00:45:53.165 --> 00:45:56.483 errors prior to submission. Tutorials are available on 678 00:45:56.483 --> 00:45:59.862 Grants.gov. Be sure your application is complete. Check 679 00:45:59.862 --> 00:46:03.120 it against the table of application components in the 680 00:46:03.120 --> 00:46:04.930 Notice of Funding Opportunity. 681 00:46:06.350 --> 00:46:10.282 Make sure all application components are in the proper 682 00:46:10.282 --> 00:46:14.571 format and follow the correct naming conventions and submit 683 00:46:14.571 --> 00:46:19.147 your application in Grants.gov well before the deadline, so you 684 00:46:19.147 --> 00:46:23.865 can correct any errors and avoid any issues created by technology 685 00:46:23.865 --> 00:46:28.227 challenges. It's important to get your application submitted 686 00:46:28.227 --> 00:46:32.373 online to Grants.gov before the deadline. We don't accept 687 00:46:32.373 --> 00:46:34.590 applications by mail or e-mail. 688 00:46:35.210 --> 00:46:38.762 So, in order to submit your application on Grants.gov, you 689 00:46:38.762 --> 00:46:42.375 must have an active SAM document registration and a "Unique 690 00:46:42.375 --> 00:46:46.289 Entity Identifier" number. Make sure your registrations for both 691 00:46:46.289 --> 00:46:49.842 of these sites are complete, your accounts are active, and 692 00:46:49.842 --> 00:46:53.274 any passwords are up to date. These registrations expire 693 00:46:53.274 --> 00:46:56.586 periodically, so don't wait until it's time to hit the 694 00:46:56.586 --> 00:47:00.379 submit button to check on that. You should coordinate with any 695 00:47:00.379 --> 00:47:03.210 other staff in your organization, such as your 696 00:47:04.030 --> 00:47:08.011 authorized representative who may hold the accounts and 697 00:47:08.011 --> 00:47:12.489 passwords you'll need to submit in Grants.gov Both SAM.gov and 698 00:47:12.489 --> 00:47:17.039 Grants.gov websites have pretty robust help features as well as 699 00:47:17.039 --> 00:47:21.518 FAQ's and information online. Now, if you run into a technical 700 00:47:21.518 --> 00:47:25.570 issue with either of these sites, be sure to contact the 701 00:47:25.570 --> 00:47:29.977 help desk, their help desk by phone or message; and request a 702 00:47:29.977 --> 00:47:33.390 tracking number or case number or ticket number 703 00:47:34.030 --> 00:47:37.933 so that you can document your issue and attempts at resolving 704 00:47:37.933 --> 00:47:41.207 it. Failure to have an active SAM.gov or Grants.gov 705 00:47:41.207 --> 00:47:45.111 registration by the application deadline is not an excuse for 706 00:47:45.111 --> 00:47:49.077 submitting a late application, so be sure to start early. Now, 707 00:47:49.077 --> 00:47:53.044 there are many components that make up the entire application. 708 00:47:53.044 --> 00:47:57.010 We've talked about some of those in this presentation, but the 709 00:47:57.010 --> 00:48:00.788 narrative is an essential and critical part of the package. 710 00:48:00.788 --> 00:48:01.670 Peer reviewers 711 00:48:02.180 --> 00:48:05.613 Museum professionals from all types of museums will be 712 00:48:05.613 --> 00:48:08.983 selected by IMLS to read each application and provide 713 00:48:08.983 --> 00:48:12.791 constructive comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the 714 00:48:12.791 --> 00:48:16.536 proposed projects. They also base their reviews only on the 715 00:48:16.536 --> 00:48:20.219 information contained in the application. So, don't assume 716 00:48:20.219 --> 00:48:24.089 that a reviewer or IMLS will know something about your museum 717 00:48:24.089 --> 00:48:28.084 or your proposed project to help make sure your narrative is as 718 00:48:28.084 --> 00:48:30.020 clear and complete as possible. 719 00:48:32.760 --> 00:48:36.176 Revisit the Notice of Funding Opportunity and follow the 720 00:48:36.176 --> 00:48:39.952 narrative outline it provides. Use headings and subheadings or 721 00:48:39.952 --> 00:48:43.308 numbered sections in your narrative to make it easy for 722 00:48:43.308 --> 00:48:46.904 reviewers to read and follow along. Be sure to consider the 723 00:48:46.904 --> 00:48:50.680 review criteria associated with each applicable section of the 724 00:48:50.680 --> 00:48:51.280 narrative. 725 00:48:53.000 --> 00:48:56.391 Try to avoid generalities and acronyms and jargon in your 726 00:48:56.391 --> 00:49:00.074 narrative. The people who are going to review your application 727 00:49:00.074 --> 00:49:03.758 are museum professionals, but they may not be totally familiar 728 00:49:03.758 --> 00:49:07.266 with your particular shorthand, so make it easy for them to 729 00:49:07.266 --> 00:49:10.774 understand what you mean. And an advantage to starting your 730 00:49:10.774 --> 00:49:14.223 application early is that you can ask colleagues to review 731 00:49:14.223 --> 00:49:17.673 everything with fresh eyes before you submit. So, ask them 732 00:49:17.673 --> 00:49:21.239 to act like a reviewer who's seeing this for the first time. 733 00:49:23.150 --> 00:49:26.407 We have also posted the narrative and scheduled 734 00:49:26.407 --> 00:49:30.546 completion from six successful applications from 2023 and to 735 00:49:30.546 --> 00:49:34.685 find these examples, go to the "Sample Applications" page on 736 00:49:34.685 --> 00:49:38.688 the IMLS website. Scroll down the page to find the Museums 737 00:49:38.688 --> 00:49:42.827 Empowered examples, and each sample application PDF contains 738 00:49:42.827 --> 00:49:46.763 a copy of the seven-page narrative and also the scheduled 739 00:49:46.763 --> 00:49:47.509 completion. 740 00:49:48.020 --> 00:49:52.130 Many of these samples were identified by our peer reviewers 741 00:49:52.130 --> 00:49:56.515 as good examples of well-written applications that provided all 742 00:49:56.515 --> 00:50:00.558 the essential information necessary for them to review the 743 00:50:00.558 --> 00:50:04.326 application. So, looking at these proposals might help 744 00:50:04.326 --> 00:50:08.505 clarify your thinking. Here are a few dates to keep in mind. 745 00:50:08.505 --> 00:50:12.684 Applications must be received through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM 746 00:50:12.684 --> 00:50:15.220 Eastern Time on November 15th, 2023. 747 00:50:16.180 --> 00:50:19.359 Your application will be time stamped by the Grants.gov 748 00:50:19.359 --> 00:50:22.766 system, At the application deadline, IMLS staff will review 749 00:50:22.766 --> 00:50:25.662 your application for completeness and eligibility, 750 00:50:25.662 --> 00:50:29.013 and you may hear from us by e-mail if there's any problems 751 00:50:29.013 --> 00:50:31.909 or questions. Next, we will select experienced and 752 00:50:31.909 --> 00:50:35.202 knowledgeable peer reviewers to read your application and 753 00:50:35.202 --> 00:50:38.439 provide scores and comments based on the criteria of the 754 00:50:38.439 --> 00:50:41.903 NOFO. IMLS staff will examine your budget and financials and 755 00:50:41.903 --> 00:50:45.140 track your track record with any past or current grants. 756 00:50:45.930 --> 00:50:50.250 And we then prepare materials for the IMLS Deputy Director for 757 00:50:50.250 --> 00:50:54.640 Museums and the IMLS Director. And by law, the IMLS Director is 758 00:50:54.640 --> 00:50:58.755 charged with the authority and responsibility to make final 759 00:50:58.755 --> 00:51:02.458 award decisions. And this program happens in July. In 760 00:51:02.458 --> 00:51:06.231 early August 2024, we will notify you by e-mail of the 761 00:51:06.231 --> 00:51:10.551 award decisions and provide the scores and comments created by 762 00:51:10.551 --> 00:51:14.255 the reviewers. All Museums Empowered projects must be 763 00:51:14.255 --> 00:51:15.490 scheduled to start 764 00:51:15.860 --> 00:51:20.384 on the first day of September 2024. So, in conclusion, as you 765 00:51:20.384 --> 00:51:24.690 read through the Notice of Funding Opportunity and prepare 766 00:51:24.690 --> 00:51:29.069 your application, additional questions may arise before the 767 00:51:29.069 --> 00:51:33.229 application deadline. We can help you with learning more 768 00:51:33.229 --> 00:51:37.389 about the Museums Empowered grant program or other grant 769 00:51:37.389 --> 00:51:41.403 programs at IMLS. We can help you address any specific 770 00:51:41.403 --> 00:51:44.980 concerns with the various application components 771 00:51:45.760 --> 00:51:49.150 or to understand the review process. Now, feel free to 772 00:51:49.150 --> 00:51:52.786 contact IMLS program staff by e-mail or phone. Our contact 773 00:51:52.786 --> 00:51:56.423 information is listed on the Grant Program landing page on 774 00:51:56.423 --> 00:52:00.183 the IMLS website. You may also schedule a counseling call to 775 00:52:00.183 --> 00:52:04.128 meet directly with the program staff and use the links found on 776 00:52:04.128 --> 00:52:07.949 the Grant Program landing page to find an available time slot 777 00:52:07.949 --> 00:52:11.278 on our calendar. You'll then receive an e-mail with a 778 00:52:11.278 --> 00:52:14.360 calendar invite and Microsoft Teams meeting link. 779 00:52:15.420 --> 00:52:18.710 Thank you very much for your time and attention today and 780 00:52:18.710 --> 00:52:21.661 best of luck in preparing and submitting your grant 781 00:52:21.661 --> 00:52:23.419 application to IMLS. Thank you.