WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 1 00:00:05.520 --> 00:00:09.294 Hello and welcome to the Institute of Museum and Library 2 00:00:09.294 --> 00:00:13.467 Services informational video, "Museums Empowered Grant Program 3 00:00:13.467 --> 00:00:15.519 Applicant Information Session." 4 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:20.345 My name is Mark Isaksen and I'm one of the program staff in the 5 00:00:20.345 --> 00:00:24.373 Office of Museum Services at IMLS and I'll be narrating this 6 00:00:24.373 --> 00:00:25.759 presentation for you. 7 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:33.586 The goal of this video is to provide an overview of our 8 00:00:33.586 --> 00:00:37.960 Museums Empowered grant program and the process of preparing an 9 00:00:37.960 --> 00:00:39.600 application for funding. 10 00:00:40.920 --> 00:00:43.600 The video is organized into six chapters. 11 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:48.174 The first is "What is Museums Empowered?" and this is an 12 00:00:48.174 --> 00:00:51.788 introductory section and explains the purpose and design 13 00:00:51.788 --> 00:00:53.120 of the grant program. 14 00:00:53.760 --> 00:00:56.890 Next is "What can Museums Empowered Grants Fund?" and in 15 00:00:56.890 --> 00:01:00.240 this section we'll give some detail on the types of projects 16 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:03.810 funded in this grant program and the amount of funds that can be 17 00:01:03.810 --> 00:01:04.360 requested. 18 00:01:05.720 --> 00:01:08.862 Next is the Application Components and Introduction 19 00:01:08.862 --> 00:01:12.488 where we describe the types of documents that are needed to 20 00:01:12.488 --> 00:01:14.120 create a grant application. 21 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:18.466 Then we'll go into the "Application Components, 22 00:01:18.466 --> 00:01:21.937 Narrative" to talk about guidance on composing the 23 00:01:21.937 --> 00:01:24.320 narrative part of the application. 24 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:29.185 And finally, in the Application Components, we'll talk about the 25 00:01:29.185 --> 00:01:32.680 budget and what you need to include in your project budget. 26 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:37.330 The final chapter is "Application Tips and Next 27 00:01:37.330 --> 00:01:37.840 Steps." 28 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:42.612 And in this section, we give you a few tips and talk about next 29 00:01:42.612 --> 00:01:43.000 steps. 30 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:48.001 The complete set of instructions for how to prepare and submit a 31 00:01:48.001 --> 00:01:51.101 Museums Empowered grant application are found in the 32 00:01:51.101 --> 00:01:54.845 Notice of Funding Opportunity, published on Grants.gov and also 33 00:01:54.845 --> 00:01:56.600 available on the IMLS website. 34 00:01:57.600 --> 00:02:01.034 Please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the most 35 00:02:01.034 --> 00:02:03.760 detailed information to prepare your application. 36 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:08.794 To get the most out of this video, we recommend that you 37 00:02:08.794 --> 00:02:11.635 watch it in its entirety, and this will give you an 38 00:02:11.635 --> 00:02:14.803 understanding of the Museums Empowered grant program, the 39 00:02:14.803 --> 00:02:17.863 types of projects that can be funded, and the necessary 40 00:02:17.863 --> 00:02:19.120 application components. 41 00:02:19.720 --> 00:02:23.080 You may also want to review the Museums Empowered Notice of 42 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:26.384 Funding Opportunity before, during, or after you watch the 43 00:02:26.384 --> 00:02:26.720 video. 44 00:02:27.720 --> 00:02:31.139 Notices of Funding Opportunities, also known as 45 00:02:31.139 --> 00:02:35.556 NOFOs, N-O-F-O, are documents that detail the requirements of 46 00:02:35.556 --> 00:02:37.479 each of our grant programs. 47 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:42.800 All of the NOFOs can be found at imls.gov/grants. 48 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:48.402 As you navigate the application process, you can use this video 49 00:02:48.402 --> 00:02:49.200 as a reference. 50 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:53.044 And if you'd like to skip to a specific section, please use the 51 00:02:53.044 --> 00:02:56.356 time bar below or the links in the description box to navigate 52 00:02:56.356 --> 00:02:57.040 the chapters. 53 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:04.089 Next we're going to talk about "What is Museums Empowered?" and 54 00:03:04.089 --> 00:03:08.598 provide information on the purpose and intent of this grant 55 00:03:08.598 --> 00:03:11.680 program and who it is designed to serve. 56 00:03:13.320 --> 00:03:17.931 Museums Empowered is a special initiative of the Museums for 57 00:03:17.931 --> 00:03:22.920 America grant program. Like MFA, our Museums for America program, 58 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:27.001 this Museums Empowered grant program is designed to 59 00:03:27.001 --> 00:03:30.832 strengthen the ability of an individual museum to serve its 60 00:03:30.832 --> 00:03:31.280 public. 61 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:35.712 However, what's unique in Museums Empowered is the 62 00:03:35.712 --> 00:03:39.750 emphasis on helping your museum tap into the transformative 63 00:03:39.750 --> 00:03:43.116 power of professional development and training to 64 00:03:43.116 --> 00:03:46.952 generate systemic change or organizational growth within 65 00:03:46.952 --> 00:03:47.760 your museum. 66 00:03:49.200 --> 00:03:53.180 These projects are expected to involve multiple levels of 67 00:03:53.180 --> 00:03:56.817 staff, leadership, volunteers, and a set of logical, 68 00:03:56.817 --> 00:04:01.140 interrelated activities tied to directly addressing a key need 69 00:04:01.140 --> 00:04:03.680 or challenge in your strategic plan. 70 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:09.253 Museums Empowered, sometimes referred to as "ME," is a grant 71 00:04:09.253 --> 00:04:13.717 program that supports projects that focus on a key component of 72 00:04:13.717 --> 00:04:15.600 your museum strategic plan. 73 00:04:15.960 --> 00:04:19.304 IMLS wants to help advance something that's a priority for 74 00:04:19.304 --> 00:04:22.536 your museum and hopefully something that will ultimately 75 00:04:22.536 --> 00:04:23.840 benefit your community. 76 00:04:24.400 --> 00:04:27.701 And to help demonstrate that connection in your grant 77 00:04:27.701 --> 00:04:31.247 application, we ask for a summary of your strategic plan, 78 00:04:31.247 --> 00:04:35.098 usually no more than two pages, so that reviewers will be able 79 00:04:35.098 --> 00:04:38.644 to understand how your proposed project's activities will 80 00:04:38.644 --> 00:04:41.640 further your institutional goals and objectives. 81 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:46.321 Now, the strategic plan summary is your opportunity to make a 82 00:04:46.321 --> 00:04:50.411 thoughtful and well-constructed connection between the proposed 83 00:04:50.411 --> 00:04:52.840 project and your museum's priorities. 84 00:04:56.400 --> 00:04:59.565 Museums Empowered is a grant program for museums. And as a 85 00:04:59.565 --> 00:05:02.891 museum, you should keep in mind that all applicants must meet 86 00:05:02.891 --> 00:05:05.520 certain requirements to be eligible for funding. 87 00:05:06.200 --> 00:05:08.954 Your organization must be located in one of the United 88 00:05:08.954 --> 00:05:11.709 States' 50 states, its territories, or the District of 89 00:05:11.709 --> 00:05:12.159 Columbia. 90 00:05:12.880 --> 00:05:16.191 Your organization must be a unit of state, local or Tribal 91 00:05:16.191 --> 00:05:19.334 government or a private nonprofit organization with tax 92 00:05:19.334 --> 00:05:20.119 exempt status. 93 00:05:20.640 --> 00:05:23.579 If you meet those two requirements, then the next step 94 00:05:23.579 --> 00:05:26.999 is to consider what it means to be eligible for IMLS funding as 95 00:05:26.999 --> 00:05:27.480 a museum. 96 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:31.317 Museums have at least one full-time equivalent 97 00:05:31.317 --> 00:05:34.080 professional staff person, either paid or unpaid. 98 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:38.330 Museums should have a physical location that you own or 99 00:05:38.330 --> 00:05:38.800 operate. 100 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:44.535 Museums should be open to the public for at least 120 days in 101 00:05:44.535 --> 00:05:48.262 the year prior to the application deadline, and 102 00:05:48.262 --> 00:05:51.680 museums should own or use tangible objects. 103 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:56.696 Museums may be stand alone organizations or they be part of 104 00:05:56.696 --> 00:05:59.870 a larger institution such as the college, university, Tribe, or 105 00:05:59.870 --> 00:06:01.160 state or local government. 106 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:07.711 Now the Museums Empowered program is for all types of 107 00:06:07.711 --> 00:06:11.986 museums, and here's a brief list of some of the types of museums 108 00:06:11.986 --> 00:06:14.879 that routinely apply to this grant program. 109 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:21.306 In this section we will answer the question "What Can Museums 110 00:06:21.306 --> 00:06:22.400 Empowered Grants Fund?" 111 00:06:22.400 --> 00:06:25.826 Providing details of the types of projects and associated goals 112 00:06:25.826 --> 00:06:29.092 within the Museums Empowered grant program, as well as offer 113 00:06:29.092 --> 00:06:32.465 some summary data on the number and type of projects that were 114 00:06:32.465 --> 00:06:32.840 funded. 115 00:06:34.640 --> 00:06:37.671 Museums Empowered grants are designed to support 116 00:06:37.671 --> 00:06:41.445 project-based activities, so let's take a minute to consider 117 00:06:41.445 --> 00:06:43.240 just exactly what that means. 118 00:06:44.200 --> 00:06:48.578 The Project Management Institute has a good definition which is 119 00:06:48.578 --> 00:06:52.751 "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, 120 00:06:52.751 --> 00:06:54.120 service, or result." 121 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.359 And they go on further to explain that a project is 122 00:06:59.359 --> 00:07:03.480 temporary because it has a defined beginning and an end, 123 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:07.240 and therefore a defined scope and set of resources. 124 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:13.145 A project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but 125 00:07:13.145 --> 00:07:16.303 rather a specific set of operations designed to 126 00:07:16.303 --> 00:07:18.080 accomplish a singular goal. 127 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:22.583 And we recommend that you keep this definition in mind as you 128 00:07:22.583 --> 00:07:24.640 conceptualize your IMLS project. 129 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:29.342 Think of it as a temporary, non-routine set of activities 130 00:07:29.342 --> 00:07:33.684 which collectively have a beginning and an end in time, a 131 00:07:33.684 --> 00:07:38.550 defined scope requiring specific resources which are designed to 132 00:07:38.550 --> 00:07:41.319 accomplish a specific singular goal. 133 00:07:43.840 --> 00:07:47.324 Let's look a little bit further at some of the key 134 00:07:47.324 --> 00:07:51.560 characteristics of successful Museums Empowered applications. 135 00:07:52.200 --> 00:07:54.600 The first is Institutional Impact. 136 00:07:55.320 --> 00:07:58.637 The project should use professional development as a 137 00:07:58.637 --> 00:08:02.518 catalyst to generate systemic change or organizational growth 138 00:08:02.518 --> 00:08:03.520 within a museum. 139 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:09.240 Successful projects should also demonstrate In-depth Knowledge. 140 00:08:11.320 --> 00:08:16.380 The project design should reflect a solid understanding of 141 00:08:16.380 --> 00:08:21.184 relevant theory and effective practices in professional 142 00:08:21.184 --> 00:08:26.673 development. And there should be a Staff-Centered Design to the 143 00:08:26.673 --> 00:08:27.360 project. 144 00:08:28.640 --> 00:08:32.725 That means that the work plan engages staff, leadership, and 145 00:08:32.725 --> 00:08:36.811 volunteers in a set of logical, interrelated activities tied 146 00:08:36.811 --> 00:08:40.160 directly to addressing the key need or challenge. 147 00:08:41.560 --> 00:08:45.032 Successful projects will most often exemplify these 148 00:08:45.032 --> 00:08:48.905 characteristics and fit well within the Museums Empowered 149 00:08:48.905 --> 00:08:49.840 grant program. 150 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:56.644 It's also been our experience that unfunded applications fail 151 00:08:56.644 --> 00:09:01.120 to deliver convincingly on one or more of these areas. 152 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:06.222 If project-based design and institutional impact are core 153 00:09:06.222 --> 00:09:07.560 elements of your project, 154 00:09:08.040 --> 00:09:11.713 then now it's time to consider how your application aligns with 155 00:09:11.713 --> 00:09:14.640 the grant program goals and associated objectives. 156 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:19.357 IMLS, you know, we recognize that there's many challenges 157 00:09:19.357 --> 00:09:23.961 facing individual museums and a need to invest resources, time 158 00:09:23.961 --> 00:09:28.418 and energy towards nurturing the professional development of 159 00:09:28.418 --> 00:09:31.560 staff and strengthening museum operations. 160 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:36.102 So in this grant program, we've identified 4 areas of museum 161 00:09:36.102 --> 00:09:39.389 operations to focus for professional development and 162 00:09:39.389 --> 00:09:42.800 these are listed in the following grant program goals. 163 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:47.086 Goal One is to provide museum staff with the skills to 164 00:09:47.086 --> 00:09:50.600 integrate digital technology into museum operations. 165 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:52.120 Goal Two, 166 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:55.686 support museum staff in providing inclusive and 167 00:09:55.686 --> 00:09:59.880 equitable services to people of diverse geographic, cultural, 168 00:09:59.880 --> 00:10:03.600 and socio-economic backgrounds and to individuals with 169 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:04.480 disabilities. 170 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:06.640 Goal Three, 171 00:10:06.840 --> 00:10:11.193 strengthen the ability of a museum staff to use evaluation 172 00:10:11.193 --> 00:10:15.400 as a tool to shape museum programs and improve outcomes. 173 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:19.805 And Goal Four, which is to strengthen and support museum 174 00:10:19.805 --> 00:10:23.597 staff as the essential part of a resilient organizational 175 00:10:23.597 --> 00:10:24.120 culture. 176 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:30.400 So let's take a look at each goal in a little more detail. 177 00:10:30.520 --> 00:10:34.320 Goal One supports projects that provide museum staff with the 178 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:37.445 skills to integrate digital technology into museum 179 00:10:37.445 --> 00:10:38.120 operations. 180 00:10:38.120 --> 00:10:41.174 And this might involve activities that support staff 181 00:10:41.174 --> 00:10:44.633 learning and integration of digital communication platforms 182 00:10:44.633 --> 00:10:47.976 and social media tools to enhance audience engagement and 183 00:10:47.976 --> 00:10:51.031 community outreach, or activities that support staff 184 00:10:51.031 --> 00:10:54.489 learning and integration of digital tools and services that 185 00:10:54.489 --> 00:10:56.680 enhance access to museum collections. 186 00:10:57.400 --> 00:11:00.989 The emphasis here is on staff learning and integration of 187 00:11:00.989 --> 00:11:04.640 these new tools, not just on the acquisition of the tools. 188 00:11:07.160 --> 00:11:09.884 And here's an example of a Digital Technology focused 189 00:11:09.884 --> 00:11:11.600 project that was funded recently. 190 00:11:11.880 --> 00:11:15.926 The Phillips Collection in Washington D.C. was awarded 191 00:11:15.926 --> 00:11:20.561 about $239,000 to improve staff understanding of digital asset 192 00:11:20.561 --> 00:11:24.975 management practices and build consensus around how best to 193 00:11:24.975 --> 00:11:26.520 steward these assets. 194 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:30.120 This involved a cross-departmental staff team. 195 00:11:30.400 --> 00:11:35.557 They worked with specialized staff and consultants to develop 196 00:11:35.557 --> 00:11:40.798 this plan and to work together to develop a long term strategy 197 00:11:40.798 --> 00:11:43.960 that would help the museum over time. 198 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:52.236 Goal Two focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion and 199 00:11:52.236 --> 00:11:55.859 supports projects that help museum staff in providing 200 00:11:55.859 --> 00:12:00.287 inclusive and equitable services to people of diverse geographic, 201 00:12:00.287 --> 00:12:04.312 cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds and to individuals 202 00:12:04.312 --> 00:12:05.520 with disabilities. 203 00:12:06.360 --> 00:12:10.453 Now, this might involve activities that create training 204 00:12:10.453 --> 00:12:15.204 and learning opportunities, that increase cultural competency of 205 00:12:15.204 --> 00:12:19.516 museum staff, and enhance relevancy of museum programs. Or 206 00:12:19.516 --> 00:12:23.317 activities that develop and implement inclusive and 207 00:12:23.317 --> 00:12:26.825 equitable fellowship, internship, and mentoring 208 00:12:26.825 --> 00:12:31.284 programs to increase support for emerging professionals from 209 00:12:31.284 --> 00:12:34.719 diverse communities entering the museum field. 210 00:12:40.540 --> 00:12:43.300 Here are some examples of recently funded projects. 211 00:12:43.900 --> 00:12:49.261 The New York Historical Society was awarded $189,000 in 2024 to 212 00:12:49.261 --> 00:12:54.455 build staff cultural competency and accessibility and improve 213 00:12:54.455 --> 00:12:58.560 K-12 programming for students with disabilities. 214 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.976 And this project really is about creating sustainable systems and 215 00:13:03.976 --> 00:13:07.774 structures for ensuring that all programs that the museum offers 216 00:13:07.774 --> 00:13:11.280 takes the needs of students with disabilities into account. 217 00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:15.900 It also creates a pattern of consistent accessibility 218 00:13:15.900 --> 00:13:19.233 training for all museum education staff, as well as 219 00:13:19.233 --> 00:13:23.142 creating space for staff to learn from and network with peer 220 00:13:23.142 --> 00:13:24.040 organizations. 221 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:29.660 We have also made this available as a sample application, with 222 00:13:29.660 --> 00:13:33.509 the narrative and schedule available as a PDF on the IMLS 223 00:13:33.509 --> 00:13:34.040 website. 224 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:38.395 Go to Search Awarded Grants and search by log number to find 225 00:13:38.395 --> 00:13:39.080 this entry. 226 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:48.852 Goal Three supports projects that help strengthen the ability 227 00:13:48.852 --> 00:13:52.828 of museum staff to use evaluation as a tool to shape 228 00:13:52.828 --> 00:13:55.679 museum programs and improve outcomes. 229 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:00.720 This might involve activities that increase staff knowledge of 230 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:04.759 program evaluation methods and the usefulness of evaluation 231 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:08.394 reports, tools, data, and metrics; or activities that 232 00:14:08.394 --> 00:14:12.433 provide museum staff with the tools and strategies to adapt 233 00:14:12.433 --> 00:14:16.001 evaluation methods to address a specific audience or 234 00:14:16.001 --> 00:14:17.280 institutional need. 235 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:22.624 Here's an example of a recently funded project that was focused 236 00:14:22.624 --> 00:14:23.400 on evaluation. 237 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:28.727 The Mid-America Science Museum was awarded $46,000 in 2024 to 238 00:14:28.727 --> 00:14:33.531 build capacity for staff to use evaluation as an ongoing cycle 239 00:14:33.531 --> 00:14:37.953 of inquiry when creating or improving museum programs and 240 00:14:37.953 --> 00:14:38.640 exhibits. 241 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:43.275 This involved hiring an expert consultant to train staff on 242 00:14:43.275 --> 00:14:46.471 evaluations and also opportunities for department 243 00:14:46.471 --> 00:14:50.306 teams to work with a consultant to do evaluation studies on 244 00:14:50.306 --> 00:14:54.205 programs and exhibits and gain practice in developing goals, 245 00:14:54.205 --> 00:14:57.592 designing data collection instruments, and analyzing 246 00:14:57.592 --> 00:14:58.359 information. 247 00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:02.707 We've also made this award available as a sample 248 00:15:02.707 --> 00:15:07.288 application, with the narrative and schedule available as a PDF 249 00:15:07.288 --> 00:15:08.719 on the IMLS website. 250 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:13.207 Go to Search Awarded Grants and search by log number to find 251 00:15:13.207 --> 00:15:13.880 this entry. 252 00:15:18.840 --> 00:15:22.080 Goal Four in Museums Empowered is about organizational 253 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:25.498 management and is intended to support museum staff as the 254 00:15:25.498 --> 00:15:28.680 essential part of a resilient organizational culture. 255 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:32.895 And this might involve activities that help you to 256 00:15:32.895 --> 00:15:36.071 develop and implement comprehensive organizational 257 00:15:36.071 --> 00:15:39.621 learning opportunities that address one or more emerging 258 00:15:39.621 --> 00:15:43.606 priorities facing a museum. Or perhaps activities that help you 259 00:15:43.606 --> 00:15:47.156 develop and implement programs that address the specific 260 00:15:47.156 --> 00:15:50.145 learning and growth opportunities identified by 261 00:15:50.145 --> 00:15:51.640 staff needs assessments. 262 00:15:54.520 --> 00:15:57.861 Here's an example of a recently funded project focused on 263 00:15:57.861 --> 00:15:59.360 Organizational Management. 264 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:04.285 The Peabody Essex Museum was awarded $250,000 in 2024 to 265 00:16:04.285 --> 00:16:08.111 create a professional development initiative that will 266 00:16:08.111 --> 00:16:11.660 improve the workplace environment and fill gaps in 267 00:16:11.660 --> 00:16:15.834 expertise while creating an environment that supports staff 268 00:16:15.834 --> 00:16:20.147 in their professional growth and varied learning, working and 269 00:16:20.147 --> 00:16:21.399 management styles. 270 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:26.842 The activities include developing and implementing a 271 00:16:26.842 --> 00:16:31.238 learning agenda for all 243 staff as well as establishing a 272 00:16:31.238 --> 00:16:35.561 leadership program for 53 managers and staff interested in 273 00:16:35.561 --> 00:16:36.880 becoming managers. 274 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:43.200 The organization will undertake a series of customized skill 275 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:47.051 building workshops for all staff, and as a result, staff 276 00:16:47.051 --> 00:16:51.375 will be better able to navigate public expectations and provide 277 00:16:51.375 --> 00:16:55.360 museum experiences that respond to a wide range of diverse 278 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:57.320 audience needs and interests. 279 00:16:58.040 --> 00:17:01.435 We've made this available as a sample application, with the 280 00:17:01.435 --> 00:17:05.000 narrative and schedule available as a PDF on the IMLS website. 281 00:17:05.600 --> 00:17:08.717 Go to Search Awarded Grants and search by log number to find 282 00:17:08.717 --> 00:17:09.280 this entry. 283 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:16.994 Projects should fit within one of these four program goals, but 284 00:17:16.994 --> 00:17:20.494 sometimes there's an overlap in the kinds of activities you're 285 00:17:20.494 --> 00:17:23.882 proposing, which may make it difficult to select one program 286 00:17:23.882 --> 00:17:24.160 goal. 287 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:27.584 Here are a few strategies to help you select the goal that 288 00:17:27.584 --> 00:17:28.960 aligns best with your project. 289 00:17:30.040 --> 00:17:33.233 Think carefully about what is in the center of your project, who 290 00:17:33.233 --> 00:17:36.280 or what will benefit from the work, and what will be improved 291 00:17:36.280 --> 00:17:38.000 once you've finished your project. 292 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:43.214 Also think about who you want to review your application and what 293 00:17:43.214 --> 00:17:46.157 kind of skill sets and experiences you want them to 294 00:17:46.157 --> 00:17:46.439 have. 295 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:48.960 List all the activities. 296 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:52.660 Another option is to list all the activities you plan to carry 297 00:17:52.660 --> 00:17:56.420 out and assign each to a goal, and then see which goal gets the 298 00:17:56.420 --> 00:17:57.360 most activities. 299 00:17:57.840 --> 00:18:00.240 Where will most of the resources be spent? 300 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:06.260 You can try any of these options, but you might ask, why 301 00:18:06.260 --> 00:18:09.360 is the decision about which goal to choose so important? 302 00:18:09.800 --> 00:18:13.298 Well, because it does impact the review process and your 303 00:18:13.298 --> 00:18:17.103 application will be reviewed by museum professionals who have 304 00:18:17.103 --> 00:18:20.970 experience and expertise that's aligned with the goal that you 305 00:18:20.970 --> 00:18:21.400 select. 306 00:18:22.040 --> 00:18:26.192 So in addition, your application will be competing against others 307 00:18:26.192 --> 00:18:28.080 who have chosen the same goal. 308 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:32.049 So our advice is to choose one program goal and write your 309 00:18:32.049 --> 00:18:33.320 proposal accordingly. 310 00:18:35.480 --> 00:18:38.904 Regardless of the goal selected, all Museums Empowered project 311 00:18:38.904 --> 00:18:41.840 budgets must stay within a specific range of funding. 312 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:47.105 Your project budget can request a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum 313 00:18:47.105 --> 00:18:49.080 of $250,000 in federal funds. 314 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:54.108 If you ask for less than $5,000 or more than $250,000 in federal 315 00:18:54.108 --> 00:18:57.786 grant funds, your application may be rejected and not 316 00:18:57.786 --> 00:18:58.400 reviewed. 317 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.872 Remember to keep your budget aligned to the scope and the 318 00:19:02.872 --> 00:19:06.987 scale of your project, including all costs necessary to complete 319 00:19:06.987 --> 00:19:10.280 the proposed activities. And in this grant program, 320 00:19:10.280 --> 00:19:14.914 all project budgets are required to have at least a one-to-one 321 00:19:14.914 --> 00:19:18.960 cost share, and cost share can take a number of forms. 322 00:19:19.040 --> 00:19:23.305 Among them are cash, staff time, volunteer time, third-party 323 00:19:23.305 --> 00:19:27.221 contributions, grants from foundations, or support from 324 00:19:27.221 --> 00:19:29.040 state or local government. 325 00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:32.320 Cost share cannot come from other federal sources. 326 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:38.715 The number of applications received and the number of 327 00:19:38.715 --> 00:19:41.320 awards made can vary from year to year. 328 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.780 In the most recent application cycle, we received 72 329 00:19:45.780 --> 00:19:48.840 applications requesting over $13 million. 330 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:53.688 From these applications, we selected 18 projects to receive 331 00:19:53.688 --> 00:19:56.160 funding totaling about$ 3.3 million. 332 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:02.029 On the IMLS website, you can use the Search Awarded Grants 333 00:20:02.029 --> 00:20:06.264 function to explore our archive of grants to see what we have 334 00:20:06.264 --> 00:20:10.430 awarded in past years. There are currently about 155 Museums 335 00:20:10.430 --> 00:20:12.480 Empowered awards listed there. 336 00:20:13.080 --> 00:20:17.585 And in addition, the 18 awards that were just announced in 337 00:20:17.585 --> 00:20:18.120 August. 338 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:24.199 You can search this database using a variety of criteria such 339 00:20:24.199 --> 00:20:27.605 as institution name, location, and keyword, and your search 340 00:20:27.605 --> 00:20:31.239 will retrieve basic information about each award, including the 341 00:20:31.239 --> 00:20:34.815 amount of federal funds awarded and a brief description of the 342 00:20:34.815 --> 00:20:37.200 proposed activities and expected results. 343 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:44.996 In this section, we will introduce the components of a 344 00:20:44.996 --> 00:20:48.033 Museums Empowered grant application and provide an 345 00:20:48.033 --> 00:20:51.429 overview about the required, conditionally required, and 346 00:20:51.429 --> 00:20:52.680 supporting documents. 347 00:20:54.520 --> 00:20:58.165 The Museums Empowered Notice of Funding Opportunity includes a 348 00:20:58.165 --> 00:21:01.000 complete list of all the application components. 349 00:21:01.280 --> 00:21:05.361 Most of these are created by applicants and saved as a PDF 350 00:21:05.361 --> 00:21:09.028 for uploading as part of your application package in 351 00:21:09.028 --> 00:21:12.903 Grants.gov. The Table of Application Components in the 352 00:21:12.903 --> 00:21:17.054 NOFO list which application components are required as well 353 00:21:17.054 --> 00:21:19.960 as those that are conditionally required. 354 00:21:20.440 --> 00:21:23.946 For example, some components are included in the application 355 00:21:23.946 --> 00:21:26.820 depending on the type of applicant or the type of 356 00:21:26.820 --> 00:21:27.280 project. 357 00:21:28.040 --> 00:21:32.718 Aside from the SF-424S and the IMLS Museum Program Information 358 00:21:32.718 --> 00:21:37.099 Form, which are completed in the Grants.gov Workspace, all 359 00:21:37.099 --> 00:21:41.480 application components must be submitted as PDF documents. 360 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:48.640 On this slide, you'll see the list of required documents. 361 00:21:48.800 --> 00:21:52.400 All applications must include the documents listed here. 362 00:21:52.800 --> 00:21:56.236 Omission of even just one might result in your application's 363 00:21:56.236 --> 00:21:56.800 rejection. 364 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:00.622 Also important to note, there's a seven-page limit for the 365 00:22:00.622 --> 00:22:01.080 narrative. 366 00:22:01.560 --> 00:22:05.073 If you exceed the page limit specified in the Notice of 367 00:22:05.073 --> 00:22:08.775 Funding Opportunity, we will remove the extra pages before 368 00:22:08.775 --> 00:22:11.160 your application goes out for review. 369 00:22:11.880 --> 00:22:13.280 That means 370 00:22:14.080 --> 00:22:17.306 the reviewer may well see a paragraph or sentence end in 371 00:22:17.306 --> 00:22:20.758 mid-air and will wonder about your organizational skills and 372 00:22:20.758 --> 00:22:22.399 your attentiveness to detail. 373 00:22:22.760 --> 00:22:27.683 So, make sure your content fits into the page limit specified in 374 00:22:27.683 --> 00:22:32.531 the NOFO, and make sure that the number of pages holds when you 375 00:22:32.531 --> 00:22:34.880 convert your document to a PDF. 376 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:39.941 The second category of application components is that 377 00:22:39.941 --> 00:22:42.040 of Conditionally Required Documents. 378 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:45.924 Some applications must include one, two, or even all of these, 379 00:22:45.924 --> 00:22:48.800 and it's your job to figure out which are required. 380 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:52.815 So, for example, if you're applying as a nonprofit, then 381 00:22:52.815 --> 00:22:56.225 you must include your proof of nonprofit status issued by the 382 00:22:56.225 --> 00:22:57.600 Internal Revenue Service. 383 00:22:58.280 --> 00:23:01.746 We will not accept the letter of State sales tax exemption as 384 00:23:01.746 --> 00:23:03.200 proof of nonprofit status. 385 00:23:03.840 --> 00:23:07.204 And if you're using a federally negotiated indirect cost rate in 386 00:23:07.204 --> 00:23:10.103 your budget, then you must include a copy of your final 387 00:23:10.103 --> 00:23:10.880 rate agreement. 388 00:23:11.800 --> 00:23:15.288 And if you're going to create a digital product during the 389 00:23:15.288 --> 00:23:18.658 course of your project, well, then you must complete and 390 00:23:18.658 --> 00:23:22.264 submit a Digital Products Plan following the guidance in the 391 00:23:22.264 --> 00:23:22.560 NOFO. 392 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:27.100 Now, just like the required documents, omission of one of 393 00:23:27.100 --> 00:23:29.880 these might result in your application's rejection. 394 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:35.640 And please note that the term "digital product" includes 395 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:39.354 anything digitized or born-digital content, resource, 396 00:23:39.354 --> 00:23:43.000 or assets, as well as software that's being created. 397 00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:46.418 And if you are creating any of these materials, you must 398 00:23:46.418 --> 00:23:48.480 include the form with your application. 399 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:53.808 The third group of application components is Supporting 400 00:23:53.808 --> 00:23:54.360 Documents. 401 00:23:54.360 --> 00:23:58.080 And supporting documents are optional and you may submit some 402 00:23:58.080 --> 00:23:58.560 or none. 403 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:02.160 Include only those items that will supplement your proposal. 404 00:24:02.560 --> 00:24:05.680 This is not the place to introduce brand new information. 405 00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:10.054 Rather, it's an opportunity to provide documents that support 406 00:24:10.054 --> 00:24:14.215 your project justification, your project work plan and project 407 00:24:14.215 --> 00:24:17.319 results, as well as your budget justification. 408 00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:21.067 For example, have you identified a partner whose involvement is 409 00:24:21.067 --> 00:24:22.480 key to the project success? 410 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:26.868 And if you've done that, then a letter of support or commitment 411 00:24:26.868 --> 00:24:30.571 would go a long way to reassuring reviewers that this 412 00:24:30.571 --> 00:24:33.999 partner is on board and the project will succeed. 413 00:24:35.360 --> 00:24:38.895 Pictures can help give reviewers who may not be familiar with 414 00:24:38.895 --> 00:24:42.544 your institution a better idea of what you're describing within 415 00:24:42.544 --> 00:24:43.399 your narrative. 416 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:49.463 Vendor quotes or equipment specifications show you've done 417 00:24:49.463 --> 00:24:54.154 some of the legwork in getting appropriate estimates for your 418 00:24:54.154 --> 00:24:54.760 project. 419 00:24:54.760 --> 00:24:58.140 Now we recommend that you be respectful of your reviewers' 420 00:24:58.140 --> 00:25:01.693 time and avoid any temptation to include hundreds of pages of 421 00:25:01.693 --> 00:25:02.840 extraneous material. 422 00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:07.211 Being judicious really does work to your benefit, as supporting 423 00:25:07.211 --> 00:25:09.640 documents can make or break an application. 424 00:25:10.080 --> 00:25:16.941 Include what is important, what is helpful and directly relevant 425 00:25:16.941 --> 00:25:20.320 to your project, and stop there. 426 00:25:20.320 --> 00:25:24.381 Now in the following sections of this presentation, we'll focus 427 00:25:24.381 --> 00:25:28.379 on two parts of the application: the Narrative and the Budget. 428 00:25:28.379 --> 00:25:32.123 And be sure to go to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for 429 00:25:32.123 --> 00:25:33.520 complete instructions. 430 00:25:38.520 --> 00:25:42.000 In this section, we will go over the questions you'll need to 431 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.649 answer in your project narrative and offer details on the review 432 00:25:45.649 --> 00:25:48.512 criteria associated with each section: the Project 433 00:25:48.512 --> 00:25:51.599 Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results. 434 00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:56.160 So let's talk about the narrative of your proposal. 435 00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:59.965 You have 7 pages to cover three very important issues, and the 436 00:25:59.965 --> 00:26:03.229 Notice of Funding Opportunity provides lengthy guidance on 437 00:26:03.229 --> 00:26:04.999 what the narrative should cover. 438 00:26:05.400 --> 00:26:07.440 First is the Project Justification. 439 00:26:08.040 --> 00:26:10.872 In this section, we're going to ask what need, problem or 440 00:26:10.872 --> 00:26:12.680 challenge will your project address? 441 00:26:14.520 --> 00:26:19.798 You want to describe how you've used any data or evidence to 442 00:26:19.798 --> 00:26:24.991 define the need, problem, or challenge and how you use that 443 00:26:24.991 --> 00:26:28.280 to develop the scope for the project. 444 00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:33.464 We also want to know who is the primary audience for your 445 00:26:33.464 --> 00:26:36.200 project and how have they been involved in the planning? 446 00:26:37.040 --> 00:26:40.920 "Primary Audience" refers to those who will most immediately 447 00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:43.720 and positively be affected by your project. 448 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:49.220 You want to identify the number of individuals in this primary 449 00:26:49.220 --> 00:26:50.120 audience group. 450 00:26:51.240 --> 00:26:55.204 And we also want you to think about the primary or the 451 00:26:55.204 --> 00:26:58.160 ultimate beneficiaries for this project. 452 00:26:58.840 --> 00:27:02.000 Now, "Beneficiaries" refers to those who are likely to be aided 453 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:03.680 in the long-term by your project. 454 00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:07.701 Now, this might be different than your primary audience, and 455 00:27:07.701 --> 00:27:11.317 we also want you to, you know, just talk about the individuals 456 00:27:11.317 --> 00:27:14.360 who will benefit from your project in the long-term. 457 00:27:18.200 --> 00:27:20.821 In the Notice of Funding Opportunity under Review 458 00:27:20.821 --> 00:27:24.018 Criteria, you'll find a list of questions that reviewers are 459 00:27:24.018 --> 00:27:26.640 asked to consider when they review your proposal. 460 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:30.212 And it's a good idea to refer to these as you craft your 461 00:27:30.212 --> 00:27:33.692 narrative to be certain you're providing reviewers clear and 462 00:27:33.692 --> 00:27:34.719 solid information. 463 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:37.548 And you'll see that they correspond fairly directly with 464 00:27:37.548 --> 00:27:40.080 the prompts you are given to write your narrative. 465 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:45.095 One of the essential questions in Museums Empowered 466 00:27:45.095 --> 00:27:48.758 applications is the focus on project activities designed to 467 00:27:48.758 --> 00:27:52.605 use professional development and training to generate systemic 468 00:27:52.605 --> 00:27:55.720 change or organizational growth within the museum. 469 00:27:57.240 --> 00:28:01.766 So we want to see that built into the justification for your 470 00:28:01.766 --> 00:28:02.360 project. 471 00:28:07.280 --> 00:28:09.890 One of the prompts in the Project Justification section of 472 00:28:09.890 --> 00:28:12.059 the narrative is the identification of the need, 473 00:28:12.059 --> 00:28:14.360 problem, or challenge that you're going to address. 474 00:28:14.360 --> 00:28:18.637 It's a foundational part of the application because the federal 475 00:28:18.637 --> 00:28:22.713 government wants to invest in something that's going to make 476 00:28:22.713 --> 00:28:25.320 an improvement, make something better. 477 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:29.960 So as you define your need, problem or challenge, you want 478 00:28:29.960 --> 00:28:33.019 to articulate what will get better as a result of your 479 00:28:33.019 --> 00:28:35.800 project and describe it as precisely as possible. 480 00:28:37.320 --> 00:28:40.920 Or, you know, let us know, how will someone learn something 481 00:28:40.920 --> 00:28:44.640 new? And will they develop a new skill or change in attitude? 482 00:28:45.800 --> 00:28:49.597 It's important to identify why it's important that this 483 00:28:49.597 --> 00:28:51.360 particular change happens. 484 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:57.622 And hopefully you'll be able to describe your problem definition 485 00:28:57.622 --> 00:29:02.524 in clear and succinct terms and gather and present relevant data 486 00:29:02.524 --> 00:29:05.239 to support your problem definition. 487 00:29:10.800 --> 00:29:13.200 And the next part of the narrative is the Work Plan. 488 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:18.554 And so, if we think about the Project Justification, the first 489 00:29:18.554 --> 00:29:22.676 part of the narrative, as the why, the Project Work Plan 490 00:29:22.676 --> 00:29:27.231 section is where you identify the who, what, when and how. Who 491 00:29:27.231 --> 00:29:31.280 will do the activities, when, and using what resources? 492 00:29:31.920 --> 00:29:35.557 You want to explain how you will track your progress and what 493 00:29:35.557 --> 00:29:38.960 you'll need to do to correct course if something changes. 494 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:43.306 We also asked you to think about risks, the ones that are 495 00:29:43.306 --> 00:29:46.726 inherent in your particular project, and tell us how you've 496 00:29:46.726 --> 00:29:49.120 taken that into account in your planning. 497 00:29:49.120 --> 00:29:52.997 And particularly, we want to know how you're going to 498 00:29:52.997 --> 00:29:56.659 organize and structure the project team to support 499 00:29:56.659 --> 00:30:00.680 equitable and inclusive engagement of all participants. 500 00:30:06.220 --> 00:30:09.240 Here's a list of the questions that reviewers are asked to 501 00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:11.340 consider when they review your proposal. 502 00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:15.926 You want to make sure that again, your Work Plan narrative 503 00:30:15.926 --> 00:30:19.768 is answering these questions. And the Museums Empowered 504 00:30:19.768 --> 00:30:24.089 reviewers are really going to be looking closely to see if the 505 00:30:24.089 --> 00:30:27.724 proposed project team is structured in a way that is 506 00:30:27.724 --> 00:30:31.360 equitable and mutually beneficial to those involved. 507 00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:37.240 Now let's dig a little deeper here. 508 00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:41.128 One of the questions we ask in this work plan is about risk and 509 00:30:41.128 --> 00:30:44.712 there are some inherent risks, perhaps for your particular 510 00:30:44.712 --> 00:30:48.601 project, and you'll need to tell us how you're taking that into 511 00:30:48.601 --> 00:30:50.120 account on your planning. 512 00:30:50.760 --> 00:30:54.094 This is sort of the "What If?" question, and there's no 513 00:30:54.094 --> 00:30:57.666 checklist of risks, but every project has them and the best 514 00:30:57.666 --> 00:31:01.417 proposals will show that you're aware of them and have thought 515 00:31:01.417 --> 00:31:03.679 through a plan for dealing with them. 516 00:31:04.120 --> 00:31:07.733 Look at your activities and think about what could go wrong, 517 00:31:07.733 --> 00:31:11.584 and focus on the ones where your experience tells you that yeah, 518 00:31:11.584 --> 00:31:15.079 that could happen, and here's some things we might need to 519 00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:16.560 build into our Work Plan. 520 00:31:23.130 --> 00:31:26.118 The third section of your narrative should be devoted to 521 00:31:26.118 --> 00:31:28.530 articulating your project's intended results. 522 00:31:29.050 --> 00:31:32.194 And this section is your chance to convince the reviewers that 523 00:31:32.194 --> 00:31:34.890 your project will result in something getting better. 524 00:31:35.330 --> 00:31:38.433 The need or problem you identified in your Project 525 00:31:38.433 --> 00:31:41.901 Justification will be addressed directly, and it will be 526 00:31:41.901 --> 00:31:44.640 diminished or eliminated altogether perhaps. 527 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:49.310 We ask you to tell us what data you're going to collect and 528 00:31:49.310 --> 00:31:53.280 report in order to measure your project's success. 529 00:31:53.760 --> 00:31:57.677 And then if you're going to generate some tangible products, 530 00:31:57.677 --> 00:32:01.465 this is the opportunity to describe them and make the case 531 00:32:01.465 --> 00:32:05.062 that they will be useful and accessible to the intended 532 00:32:05.062 --> 00:32:05.640 audience. 533 00:32:10.360 --> 00:32:13.602 Now, again, here's the list of review questions that reviewers 534 00:32:13.602 --> 00:32:16.638 are asked to consider when they read and score the Project 535 00:32:16.638 --> 00:32:18.440 Results section of your Narrative. 536 00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:21.360 And these are all found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. 537 00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:26.815 Overall, when you think about results, you want to make sure 538 00:32:26.815 --> 00:32:30.901 that they tie back to your need, problem, or challenge that you 539 00:32:30.901 --> 00:32:33.520 identified in the Project Justification. 540 00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:39.093 We often hear that defining intended results and success 541 00:32:39.093 --> 00:32:41.320 measures is challenging for applicants. 542 00:32:41.320 --> 00:32:45.640 So let's talk a little bit about that in more detail. 543 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:49.205 So we think back, we want you to think back to the questions we 544 00:32:49.205 --> 00:32:52.388 referenced a few slides ago when we talked about defining the 545 00:32:52.388 --> 00:32:55.520 need, problem, or challenge that your project is addressing. 546 00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:59.416 And if you said someone will learn something, well, how will 547 00:32:59.416 --> 00:32:59.920 you know? 548 00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:05.043 And if you want to generate systemic change or 549 00:33:05.043 --> 00:33:08.613 organizational growth in your museum, how are you going to 550 00:33:08.613 --> 00:33:09.400 measure that? 551 00:33:12.320 --> 00:33:16.521 This focus on results and measuring success in meaningful 552 00:33:16.521 --> 00:33:17.680 ways is not new. 553 00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:20.983 There's been a tremendous amount of work done on ways to measure 554 00:33:20.983 --> 00:33:21.360 success. 555 00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:26.477 For you as an applicant though, we encourage you to consider 556 00:33:26.477 --> 00:33:30.854 using a logic model or maybe an outcomes-based evaluation tool 557 00:33:30.854 --> 00:33:35.092 to explain your intended results and your plan for achieving 558 00:33:35.092 --> 00:33:35.439 them. 559 00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:42.883 So to recap, your Narrative has three sections, Project 560 00:33:42.883 --> 00:33:46.975 Justification, Project Work Plan, and Project Results, and 561 00:33:46.975 --> 00:33:48.640 you have 7 pages for it. 562 00:33:49.040 --> 00:33:51.000 The sections are all equally important. 563 00:33:51.360 --> 00:33:54.514 You should write clearly, address what we asked you to 564 00:33:54.514 --> 00:33:57.440 address, and keep an eye on those review criteria. 565 00:33:58.280 --> 00:34:01.652 We're telling you exactly what the reviewers will look for, so 566 00:34:01.652 --> 00:34:05.131 make it easy for them to find it in the narrative and understand 567 00:34:05.131 --> 00:34:05.720 your logic. 568 00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:13.332 In this section, we will provide information on what to include 569 00:34:13.332 --> 00:34:16.388 in your Project Budget and Justification and provide some 570 00:34:16.388 --> 00:34:18.760 examples of allowable and unallowable costs. 571 00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:21.880 An important component of your application is the budget. 572 00:34:22.080 --> 00:34:24.704 This is the part of the application where you specify 573 00:34:24.704 --> 00:34:27.280 all the costs associated with your proposed project. 574 00:34:28.080 --> 00:34:31.584 The budget consists of two required components, the IMLS 575 00:34:31.584 --> 00:34:33.920 Budget Form and Budget Justification. 576 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:37.924 The budget form is a fillable PDF that accommodates up to 577 00:34:37.924 --> 00:34:40.080 three years of activities and expenses. 578 00:34:40.600 --> 00:34:44.271 The budget should include the project cost that will be 579 00:34:44.271 --> 00:34:48.402 charged to grant funds as well as those that will be supported 580 00:34:48.402 --> 00:34:49.319 by cost share. 581 00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:53.358 In-kind contributions to cost share may include the value of 582 00:34:53.358 --> 00:34:57.198 services such as donated volunteer or consultant time, or 583 00:34:57.198 --> 00:35:01.038 some percentage of paid staff contributing to the project 584 00:35:01.038 --> 00:35:05.077 activities, or even equipment donated to the project between 585 00:35:05.077 --> 00:35:08.520 the authorized start and end dates of your project. 586 00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:13.511 All the items listed, whether supported by grant funds or cost 587 00:35:13.511 --> 00:35:16.800 share, must be necessary to accomplish project activities. 588 00:35:17.360 --> 00:35:20.267 They need to be allowable according to the applicable 589 00:35:20.267 --> 00:35:21.560 federal cost principles, 590 00:35:22.240 --> 00:35:26.600 auditable, and incurred during the award period of performance. 591 00:35:29.200 --> 00:35:32.854 As you develop your budget, keep in mind that there are certain 592 00:35:32.854 --> 00:35:35.538 costs that are either unallowable or allowable 593 00:35:35.538 --> 00:35:37.480 according to federal regulations. 594 00:35:38.280 --> 00:35:42.168 The allowability of a cost item for all federal grants is 595 00:35:42.168 --> 00:35:46.458 specified in the Code of Federal Regulations, also known as the 596 00:35:46.458 --> 00:35:50.749 CFR, and in this section called "2 CFR 200," which is where you 597 00:35:50.749 --> 00:35:55.040 find cost principles and audit requirements for federal awards. 598 00:35:56.600 --> 00:36:00.812 Using the 2 CFR 200 as a basis, we've developed a short list of 599 00:36:00.812 --> 00:36:04.104 allowable costs that are most common in our grant 600 00:36:04.104 --> 00:36:04.960 applications. 601 00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:08.563 The Notice of Funding Opportunity includes a partial 602 00:36:08.563 --> 00:36:11.922 list of the most common examples, and this short list is 603 00:36:11.922 --> 00:36:14.280 just shown on this slide as an example. 604 00:36:15.200 --> 00:36:18.811 These costs may be part of what you ask IMLS to pay for with 605 00:36:18.811 --> 00:36:22.364 federal funds or what you will pay for as part of your cost 606 00:36:22.364 --> 00:36:22.720 share. 607 00:36:23.240 --> 00:36:27.205 The rules about allowability apply equally to grant funds as 608 00:36:27.205 --> 00:36:28.440 well as cost share. 609 00:36:31.680 --> 00:36:35.512 There are also some costs which are unallowable according to the 610 00:36:35.512 --> 00:36:37.400 federal regulations in 2CFR 200. 611 00:36:37.880 --> 00:36:41.220 These are also listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity 612 00:36:41.220 --> 00:36:42.240 and on this slide. 613 00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:46.316 Unallowable costs may not be part of what you ask IMLS to pay 614 00:36:46.316 --> 00:36:49.603 for, nor can they be part of what you'll pay for as part of 615 00:36:49.603 --> 00:36:50.479 your cost share. 616 00:36:50.760 --> 00:36:54.559 In fact, unallowable expenses can't show up anywhere in your 617 00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:55.120 proposal. 618 00:36:56.120 --> 00:37:00.213 As you prepare your application, it's a good idea to compare your 619 00:37:00.213 --> 00:37:03.872 list of proposed expenses against these lists of allowable 620 00:37:03.872 --> 00:37:07.407 and unallowable costs and against the appropriate set of 621 00:37:07.407 --> 00:37:08.399 cost principles. 622 00:37:09.080 --> 00:37:13.522 Now, if after doing that, you have some specific questions, 623 00:37:13.522 --> 00:37:18.040 please contact us and we'll be happy to talk you through it. 624 00:37:20.920 --> 00:37:23.988 In addition to the IMLS Budget Form, you'll also prepare a 625 00:37:23.988 --> 00:37:25.080 Budget Justification. 626 00:37:25.400 --> 00:37:28.588 This is an opportunity to provide, in a more detailed 627 00:37:28.588 --> 00:37:32.485 narrative format, an explanation or justification for the project 628 00:37:32.485 --> 00:37:32.840 costs. 629 00:37:34.360 --> 00:37:37.801 The Budget Justification should be written to follow the cost 630 00:37:37.801 --> 00:37:39.800 categories in the IMLS Budget Form. 631 00:37:40.080 --> 00:37:43.731 In the justification, you will identify each expense and show 632 00:37:43.731 --> 00:37:47.323 the method of cost computation used to determine each dollar 633 00:37:47.323 --> 00:37:50.680 amount, including any that you may have consolidated and 634 00:37:50.680 --> 00:37:52.800 summarized on the IMLS budget form. 635 00:37:53.400 --> 00:37:56.520 In other words, this is where you show your math. 636 00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:01.590 For example, in the section on salaries and wages, you should 637 00:38:01.590 --> 00:38:05.142 identify each person whose salary or wage will be paid with 638 00:38:05.142 --> 00:38:06.800 IMLS funds or by cost share. 639 00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:10.021 You need to provide their names and describe their role in the 640 00:38:10.021 --> 00:38:10.360 project. 641 00:38:10.760 --> 00:38:14.494 You should document the method of cost computation by including 642 00:38:14.494 --> 00:38:18.112 the base salary or wage for each person and the percentage of 643 00:38:18.112 --> 00:38:21.030 time that each person is allocated to the project 644 00:38:21.030 --> 00:38:24.473 activities. And that can be shown as a percentage of time, 645 00:38:24.473 --> 00:38:27.800 number of days, number of hours, whatever works for you. 646 00:38:28.560 --> 00:38:30.720 This is your place to show the detail. 647 00:38:31.600 --> 00:38:35.326 If cost share is being provided by unpaid volunteers, you can 648 00:38:35.326 --> 00:38:39.053 list that here, but be sure to explain how you arrived at the 649 00:38:39.053 --> 00:38:42.720 dollar amount used to represent the value of their services. 650 00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:48.214 In the section for supplies, materials, and equipment, you 651 00:38:48.214 --> 00:38:51.579 should list each type of supply, material, and equipment you 652 00:38:51.579 --> 00:38:55.000 propose to purchase or provide as cost share for the project. 653 00:38:55.560 --> 00:38:59.701 Detail the number and unit cost for each item and explain how 654 00:38:59.701 --> 00:39:02.040 you arrived at the dollar amounts. 655 00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:05.743 You may also provide vendor quotes or price lists as 656 00:39:05.743 --> 00:39:08.120 Supporting Documents with your application. 657 00:39:11.680 --> 00:39:14.805 In this final section of our presentation, we offer some 658 00:39:14.805 --> 00:39:16.560 application tips and next steps. 659 00:39:17.720 --> 00:39:21.485 We can only make grants to eligible applicants that submit 660 00:39:21.485 --> 00:39:25.505 complete applications, including attachments, on or before the 661 00:39:25.505 --> 00:39:26.079 deadline. 662 00:39:26.400 --> 00:39:29.880 So here are some tips to help you do just that. Start the 663 00:39:29.880 --> 00:39:30.720 process early. 664 00:39:31.080 --> 00:39:34.102 And by watching this information video, you're off to a good 665 00:39:34.102 --> 00:39:34.400 start. 666 00:39:35.320 --> 00:39:38.040 You should become familiar with Grants.gov's Workspace. 667 00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:41.814 There's many good features, such as the opportunity to 668 00:39:41.814 --> 00:39:45.436 collaborate with others in creating your application, as 669 00:39:45.436 --> 00:39:49.249 well as a validation process that helps you identify errors 670 00:39:49.249 --> 00:39:50.520 prior to submission. 671 00:39:51.920 --> 00:39:54.520 Tutorials are also available on Grants.gov. 672 00:39:55.320 --> 00:39:57.080 Be sure your application is complete. 673 00:39:57.200 --> 00:40:00.106 Check it against the Table of Application Components in the 674 00:40:00.106 --> 00:40:01.560 Notice of Funding Opportunity. 675 00:40:02.040 --> 00:40:05.161 Make sure all application components are in the proper 676 00:40:05.161 --> 00:40:08.000 format and follow the correct naming conventions. 677 00:40:08.760 --> 00:40:12.225 Submit your application in Grants.gov well before the 678 00:40:12.225 --> 00:40:16.268 deadline so you can correct any errors and avoid any issues by 679 00:40:16.268 --> 00:40:17.680 technology challenges. 680 00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:22.634 It's also important to get your application submitted online 681 00:40:22.634 --> 00:40:24.520 through Grants.gov before the deadline. 682 00:40:24.520 --> 00:40:28.824 We don't accept applications by mail or e-mail, so in order to 683 00:40:28.824 --> 00:40:32.650 submit your application in Grants.gov, you must have an 684 00:40:32.650 --> 00:40:36.681 active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity Identifier 685 00:40:36.681 --> 00:40:37.160 number. 686 00:40:38.520 --> 00:40:41.815 Make sure your registrations for both of these sites are complete 687 00:40:41.815 --> 00:40:44.960 and your accounts are active, and that any necessary passwords 688 00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:45.559 are current. 689 00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:49.104 These registrations expire periodically, so don't wait 690 00:40:49.104 --> 00:40:51.920 until it's time to hit the submit button to check on them. 691 00:40:53.080 --> 00:40:56.074 And you might want to coordinate with other staff, such as your 692 00:40:56.074 --> 00:40:58.835 Authorized Organizational Representative, who may hold the 693 00:40:58.835 --> 00:41:00.520 accounts and passwords you'll need. 694 00:41:01.600 --> 00:41:07.894 Both SAM.gov and Grants.gov have robust help features, FAQs, and 695 00:41:07.894 --> 00:41:08.960 help desks. 696 00:41:09.320 --> 00:41:12.786 If you run into technical issues with either of these sites, you 697 00:41:12.786 --> 00:41:16.040 should reach out to them and request a tracking number, case 698 00:41:16.040 --> 00:41:19.293 number, or ticket number in order to document your issue and 699 00:41:19.293 --> 00:41:20.680 any attempt to resolve it. 700 00:41:22.560 --> 00:41:25.753 Failure to have an active SAM.gov registration or 701 00:41:25.753 --> 00:41:29.712 Grants.gov registration by the application deadline is not an 702 00:41:29.712 --> 00:41:33.416 excuse for submitting a late application. So again, start 703 00:41:33.416 --> 00:41:33.800 early. 704 00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:39.809 There are many components that make up the entire application, 705 00:41:39.809 --> 00:41:42.297 and the Narrative is an essential and critical part of 706 00:41:42.297 --> 00:41:42.840 the package. 707 00:41:43.520 --> 00:41:46.565 Peer Reviewers, museum professionals from all types of 708 00:41:46.565 --> 00:41:49.832 museums, will be selected by IMLS to read each application 709 00:41:49.832 --> 00:41:52.822 and provide constructive comments on the strength and 710 00:41:52.822 --> 00:41:54.759 weakness of the proposed projects. 711 00:41:55.600 --> 00:41:58.728 They also base their reviews only on the information 712 00:41:58.728 --> 00:42:00.440 contained in the application. 713 00:42:00.680 --> 00:42:04.233 So don't assume that a reviewer or IMLS will know something 714 00:42:04.233 --> 00:42:06.840 about your museum or your proposed project. 715 00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:10.829 To help make sure your Narrative is as clear as possible, here 716 00:42:10.829 --> 00:42:11.560 are a few tips. 717 00:42:14.600 --> 00:42:17.246 Look at the Notice of Funding Opportunity and follow the 718 00:42:17.246 --> 00:42:18.640 narrative outline it provides. 719 00:42:19.720 --> 00:42:22.557 Use headings, subheadings, or numbered sections in your 720 00:42:22.557 --> 00:42:25.040 narrative to make it easy for reviewers to read. 721 00:42:25.040 --> 00:42:29.068 Be sure to consider the review criteria associated with each 722 00:42:29.068 --> 00:42:30.720 section of the narrative. 723 00:42:32.120 --> 00:42:34.840 Avoid generalities and acronyms. 724 00:42:35.160 --> 00:42:38.578 The people who are going to read your application are museum 725 00:42:38.578 --> 00:42:42.053 professionals, but they may not be totally familiar with your 726 00:42:42.053 --> 00:42:45.359 shorthand, so make it easy for them to understand what you 727 00:42:45.359 --> 00:42:45.640 mean. 728 00:42:47.600 --> 00:42:50.984 And an advantage to starting your application early is that 729 00:42:50.984 --> 00:42:54.142 you can ask a colleague to review everything with fresh 730 00:42:54.142 --> 00:42:55.440 eyes before you submit. 731 00:42:56.240 --> 00:42:59.349 Ask them to act like a reviewer who's seeing it for the first 732 00:42:59.349 --> 00:42:59.600 time. 733 00:43:02.960 --> 00:43:05.828 Now we've also posted the narrative and scheduled of 734 00:43:05.828 --> 00:43:08.480 completion from several successful applications. 735 00:43:08.720 --> 00:43:13.200 You can find these examples by going to the Sample Applications 736 00:43:13.200 --> 00:43:17.750 section on the IMLS website and scroll down the page to find the 737 00:43:17.750 --> 00:43:19.640 Museums Empowered examples. 738 00:43:19.920 --> 00:43:23.064 Each sample application PDF contains a copy of the 739 00:43:23.064 --> 00:43:26.640 seven-page narrative and also the schedule of completion. 740 00:43:27.080 --> 00:43:30.944 Many of these samples were identified by our peer reviewers 741 00:43:30.944 --> 00:43:35.066 as good examples of well written applications that provided all 742 00:43:35.066 --> 00:43:38.867 the essential information necessary for them to review the 743 00:43:38.867 --> 00:43:39.640 application. 744 00:43:40.240 --> 00:43:43.795 Looking at these proposals might help clarify your thinking about 745 00:43:43.795 --> 00:43:44.280 your own. 746 00:43:45.960 --> 00:43:49.050 Here are a few important dates related to Museums Empowered 747 00:43:49.050 --> 00:43:49.720 applications. 748 00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:55.768 Applications must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 749 00:43:55.768 --> 00:43:57.840 November 15th, 2024. 750 00:43:58.960 --> 00:44:02.200 Your application will be time stamped by Grants.gov. 751 00:44:03.080 --> 00:44:06.520 After the deadline, IMLS staff will review your application for 752 00:44:06.520 --> 00:44:08.080 completeness and eligibility. 753 00:44:08.560 --> 00:44:11.880 You'll hear from us by e-mail if there are any problems. 754 00:44:12.400 --> 00:44:15.894 Next, we'll select experienced and knowledgeable peer reviewers 755 00:44:15.894 --> 00:44:19.006 to read your application and provide scores and comments 756 00:44:19.006 --> 00:44:22.064 based on the criteria outlined in the Notice of Funding 757 00:44:22.064 --> 00:44:22.720 Opportunity. 758 00:44:23.360 --> 00:44:26.511 IMLS staff will examine your budget, your financials, and 759 00:44:26.511 --> 00:44:29.120 your track record with past and current grants. 760 00:44:30.040 --> 00:44:34.556 We then prepare materials for the IMLS Deputy Director as well 761 00:44:34.556 --> 00:44:38.499 as the IMLS Director, and by law, the IMLS Director is 762 00:44:38.499 --> 00:44:42.800 charged with the authority and responsibility to make final 763 00:44:42.800 --> 00:44:46.599 award decisions, and this typically happens by July. 764 00:44:48.200 --> 00:44:51.787 In early August 2025, we'll notify you by e-mail of the 765 00:44:51.787 --> 00:44:55.823 award decisions and provide the scores and comments created by 766 00:44:55.823 --> 00:44:56.720 the reviewers. 767 00:44:57.440 --> 00:45:01.611 All Museums Empowered projects must be scheduled to start in 768 00:45:01.611 --> 00:45:03.800 the first day of September 2025. 769 00:45:06.400 --> 00:45:09.454 And in conclusion, as you read through the NOFO and prepare 770 00:45:09.454 --> 00:45:12.000 your application, additional questions may arise. 771 00:45:12.360 --> 00:45:15.693 We can help you with learning more about the Museums Empowered 772 00:45:15.693 --> 00:45:18.761 grant program or other grant programs at IMLS, and we can 773 00:45:18.761 --> 00:45:21.777 help address any specific concerns you may have with the 774 00:45:21.777 --> 00:45:24.846 various application components or help you understand the 775 00:45:24.846 --> 00:45:25.640 review process. 776 00:45:26.200 --> 00:45:29.640 You may contact IMLS program staff by e-mail or phone. 777 00:45:30.040 --> 00:45:33.758 Contact information is listed on the grant program landing page 778 00:45:33.758 --> 00:45:34.920 on the IMLS website. 779 00:45:36.200 --> 00:45:39.380 You may also schedule a counseling call to meet directly 780 00:45:39.380 --> 00:45:40.440 with program staff. 781 00:45:40.600 --> 00:45:44.398 Use the links found on the Grant program landing page to find an 782 00:45:44.398 --> 00:45:46.560 available time slot on our calendar. 783 00:45:47.080 --> 00:45:49.926 You will then receive an e-mail with a calendar invite and a 784 00:45:49.926 --> 00:45:51.280 Microsoft Teams meeting link. 785 00:45:52.120 --> 00:45:55.897 Thank you again for listening to our presentation and best of 786 00:45:55.897 --> 00:45:59.308 luck to you in preparing and submitting your IMLS grant 787 00:45:59.308 --> 00:46:00.040 application.