WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 1 00:00:01.599 --> 00:00:05.359 welcome to the institute of museum and library services inspire grants for 2 00:00:05.359 --> 00:00:09.200 small museums applicant webinar my name is reagan moore and i am pleased 3 00:00:09.200 --> 00:00:12.080 that you could join me today and that you are interested in preparing an 4 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:16.720 application for the imls inspire grants for small museums program 5 00:00:16.720 --> 00:00:20.320 my goal in this presentation is to provide specific information about the 6 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:24.480 inspire grants for small museums program and make some recommendations that you 7 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:27.599 may wish to consider when preparing your application 8 00:00:27.599 --> 00:00:31.359 since this is a pre-recorded webinar and you won't have the opportunity to ask 9 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:35.360 questions feel free to contact me or any of the other staff in the office of 10 00:00:35.360 --> 00:00:40.239 museum services to seek answers to your questions or to discuss a project idea 11 00:00:40.239 --> 00:00:45.640 the staff contact slide is shown later in this webinar 12 00:00:45.760 --> 00:00:48.719 here are the topics i will cover in today's webinar 13 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:52.480 where to find information a program overview 14 00:00:52.480 --> 00:00:57.520 imls funding eligibility criteria choosing a project category 15 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:01.600 project activities allowable and unallowable cost 16 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:05.519 application components narrative review criteria 17 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:11.640 where to learn more and application tips and next steps 18 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:15.600 this is one of a series of pre-recorded webinars designed to help you find the 19 00:01:15.600 --> 00:01:19.439 information you need to create a competitive application for imls museum 20 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:22.720 funding choosing a funding opportunity for fy 21 00:01:22.720 --> 00:01:28.960 2023 was pre-recorded and is available as a video and as a pdf of the slides 22 00:01:28.960 --> 00:01:33.280 plus as a transcript on our website at the link identified here 23 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:38.000 in that webinar we cover the imls vision mission and strategic plan with an 24 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:42.640 emphasis on how they influence our grant making we also address institutional 25 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:47.200 eligibility provide a quick overview of all of our funding opportunities how to 26 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:51.280 find information online with the focus on our website and we cover the three 27 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:55.520 places you must be registered in order to apply for an imls grant 28 00:01:55.520 --> 00:01:59.040 we strongly recommend that you view this webinar to get the complete picture of 29 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:02.960 preparing and submitting a competitive application to the inspire program 30 00:02:02.960 --> 00:02:06.560 in addition to this pre-recorded webinar for inspire we are providing 31 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:10.640 pre-recorded webinars for all of our grant programs you can find links to 32 00:02:10.640 --> 00:02:15.520 these on the grant program landing pages on our website 33 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:19.760 the imls website is an important place to find information when you go to the 34 00:02:19.760 --> 00:02:23.599 website you will see a drop down menu for grants on our homepage 35 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:27.760 click on the section titled apply for a grant this section of our website is for 36 00:02:27.760 --> 00:02:30.000 you 37 00:02:30.480 --> 00:02:35.120 each grant program has a landing page on the imls website here you will find a 38 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:39.599 brief overview of the grant program contact information for the imls staff 39 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:43.440 assigned to this grant program and your primary point of contact if you have 40 00:02:43.440 --> 00:02:47.760 questions and link to the pdf of the notice of funding opportunity 41 00:02:47.760 --> 00:02:52.160 the notice of funding opportunity sometimes referred to as the nofo is the 42 00:02:52.160 --> 00:02:55.599 official instructions and guidance for how to prepare complete and submit an 43 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:58.959 application for funding the text and information i am using in 44 00:02:58.959 --> 00:03:01.920 this webinar derive from the instructions and guidance found in the 45 00:03:01.920 --> 00:03:06.319 notice of funding opportunity a no-fo is available for each of the 46 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:10.319 grant funding opportunities now let's discuss the inspire grant 47 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:15.120 program in more detail inspire grants for small museums is a 48 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:19.200 special initiative of the museums for america program the overall goal of the 49 00:03:19.200 --> 00:03:23.120 program is to support activities that strengthen the abilities of individual 50 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:27.200 small museums to serve their publics this might be through activities that 51 00:03:27.200 --> 00:03:31.680 reflect museums as active resources for lifelong learning as institutions 52 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:35.840 important in improving the well-being of their communities or as good stewards of 53 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:39.840 the nation's collections inspire is all about what your museum 54 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:44.000 needs in order to better serve your public it may well be exactly the same 55 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:47.360 as what the museum across town or a neighboring streets 56 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:50.159 a neighboring state needs and that's okay 57 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:54.000 the important thing here is that our support should help you to make a local 58 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:58.640 impact before we jump into the details we are 59 00:03:58.640 --> 00:04:02.720 often asked about numbers of applications and funding success rates 60 00:04:02.720 --> 00:04:07.920 and so here are the figures for the just completed fy 22 inspired grant cycle 61 00:04:07.920 --> 00:04:12.879 as you can see with just over 2.5 million in funds available we were able 62 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:17.920 to fund 59 of the applications we received 63 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:22.079 let's begin with eligibility requirements for museums 64 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:26.479 to be eligible to apply museums must be either a unit of state or local 65 00:04:26.479 --> 00:04:30.720 government or be a private non-profit organization that has tax exempt status 66 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:34.560 under the irs located in one of the 50 states of the 67 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:39.360 united states of america the district of columbia the commonwealth of puerto rico 68 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:44.080 the u.s virgin islands guam american samoa the commonwealth of the northern 69 00:04:44.080 --> 00:04:47.360 mariana islands the republic of the marshall islands the 70 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:51.280 federated states of micronesia or the republic of palau 71 00:04:51.280 --> 00:04:55.600 it must use a professional staff and by that we mean at least one full-time 72 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:59.520 professional or the equivalent be organized on a permanent basis for 73 00:04:59.520 --> 00:05:02.160 essentially educational or aesthetic purposes 74 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:06.000 own or use tangible objects either animate or inanimate 75 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:10.000 care for these objects and exhibit these objects to the general public on a 76 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:13.520 regular basis through facilities that it owns or operates 77 00:05:13.520 --> 00:05:18.080 please note that our statute requires a museum to be open to the public at least 78 00:05:18.080 --> 00:05:21.520 120 days a year in order to be eligible for funding 79 00:05:21.520 --> 00:05:26.160 because of closures related to coba 19 museums are free to count days prior to 80 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:29.759 the pandemic or even in the previous calendar year 81 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:34.000 for more details on each of these points please take a look at the eligibility 82 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:39.639 information in the inspire grants for small museums nofo 83 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:43.280 there are a wide variety of museum disciplines in geographic locations 84 00:05:43.280 --> 00:05:46.960 where museums are located across the country and determining an institution 85 00:05:46.960 --> 00:05:51.840 size may rest on a number of factors as a result imls invites applicants to 86 00:05:51.840 --> 00:05:56.160 consider whether their organization is a good fit for this special initiative and 87 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:59.840 to make a case clearly within the application's organizational profile 88 00:05:59.840 --> 00:06:02.800 document for why they think they are a small museum 89 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:06.240 reviewers will use the information provided in the organizational profile 90 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:10.400 to determine if the applicant made a clear case for being a small museum 91 00:06:10.400 --> 00:06:13.600 applicants should think about a range of attributes that describe their 92 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:18.560 organization such as number of staff members and volunteers 93 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:21.680 estimate of total person hours worked per week 94 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:26.400 operating budget and sources of revenue number and types of objects in the 95 00:06:26.400 --> 00:06:30.000 collection size of facility and property 96 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:34.000 types and numbers of audiences served and size relative to the other 97 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:39.680 organizations of the same discipline or within the same geographic region 98 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:43.759 with this focus on supporting the individual museum what are the 99 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:46.960 characteristics of successful inspire applications 100 00:06:46.960 --> 00:06:50.720 there are four and successful projects address all of them well 101 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:54.560 as you prepare your application then you should keep these characteristics in 102 00:06:54.560 --> 00:07:00.080 mind first institutional impact the project addresses a key goal identified 103 00:07:00.080 --> 00:07:05.840 in the institution's strategic plan second in-depth knowledge your proposal 104 00:07:05.840 --> 00:07:09.199 should reflect a thorough understanding of current practice and knowledge about 105 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:13.520 the subject matter third project based design your work 106 00:07:13.520 --> 00:07:18.479 plan should consist of a set of logical interrelated activities tied directly to 107 00:07:18.479 --> 00:07:22.960 addressing the key need or challenge in fourth demonstrable results your 108 00:07:22.960 --> 00:07:26.400 project should generate measurable results that tied directly to the need 109 00:07:26.400 --> 00:07:30.240 or challenge it was designed to address it has been our experience that an 110 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:34.720 unfunded application is one that has failed to deliver convincingly on one or 111 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:38.319 more of these so it is a good idea to think about how to structure your 112 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:43.520 application to show how your project will be strong in each 113 00:07:43.599 --> 00:07:47.120 i want to remind you of important dates for inspire applications 114 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:53.440 applications are due by 11 59 pm eastern time on november 15 2022. 115 00:07:53.440 --> 00:07:57.360 the deadline is non-negotiable and the timestamp is auto-generated by the 116 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:01.199 grants.gov system we will say this over and over again but 117 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:05.759 start early and submit early that way if you encounter a difficulty of any kind 118 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:09.759 when submitting your proposal you'll have some time to resolve the problem 119 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:14.240 inspire awards will be announced in august 2023 and projects must be 120 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:17.919 scheduled to start on the first day of september 2023 121 00:08:17.919 --> 00:08:21.360 please make sure that everyone involved in preparing your grant application is 122 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:24.319 aware of these dates 123 00:08:24.479 --> 00:08:29.120 regarding how much money you may request there is only one option in inspire all 124 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:33.120 requests must be between five thousand and fifty thousand dollars including 125 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.440 both direct and indirect cost if you ask for less than five thousand 126 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:40.959 or more than fifty thousand your application will be rejected and not 127 00:08:40.959 --> 00:08:44.640 reviewed there is no cautionary requirement for 128 00:08:44.640 --> 00:08:48.399 inspire though you may include one if your organization will contribute funds 129 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:51.839 toward this particular project it's important to note that if you 130 00:08:51.839 --> 00:08:54.560 decide to include cost share in your application 131 00:08:54.560 --> 00:08:58.720 it must be met by the end of the award we will hold you to that figure so keep 132 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:03.040 that in mind when applying cost share may be in the form of cash 133 00:09:03.040 --> 00:09:07.279 staff or volunteer time or third party contributions 134 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:10.480 it may not be funds from another federal source 135 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:14.080 in terms of how many applications you may submit there is no limit to the 136 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.920 number of applications you can file in response to the fy 23 funding 137 00:09:17.920 --> 00:09:21.760 announcement for the inspire program as you consider the option to submit 138 00:09:21.760 --> 00:09:25.200 more than one application we urge you to think about the capacity of your 139 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:30.000 organization to manage multiple federal awards at once 140 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:35.279 we have made several time several we've made reference several times to projects 141 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:39.600 here and so let's take a minute to consider just exactly what that means 142 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:44.000 the project management institute has a good definition which is a temporary 143 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.640 endeavor undertaken to create a unique product service or result 144 00:09:48.640 --> 00:09:52.800 they go on further to explain that a project is temporary because it has a 145 00:09:52.800 --> 00:09:57.440 defined beginning and end in time and therefore defined scope and resources 146 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:01.360 and the project is unique in that it is not a routine operation but rather a 147 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:05.680 specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal 148 00:10:05.680 --> 00:10:09.040 we recommend that you keep this definition in mind as you conceptualize 149 00:10:09.040 --> 00:10:13.839 your imls project think of it as a temporary non-routine 150 00:10:13.839 --> 00:10:18.160 set of activities which collectively have a beginning and an end in time a 151 00:10:18.160 --> 00:10:22.160 defined scope requiring specific resources and which are designed to 152 00:10:22.160 --> 00:10:26.160 accomplish a specific singular goal 153 00:10:26.640 --> 00:10:30.880 with that concept of project in mind let's turn to project categories 154 00:10:30.880 --> 00:10:34.560 second to choosing to apply to the inspire grants for small museums funding 155 00:10:34.560 --> 00:10:38.160 opportunity this is likely to be the most important decision you make about 156 00:10:38.160 --> 00:10:42.320 your funding application as you can see here there are three 157 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:46.720 options lifelong learning institutional capacity and collection stewardship and 158 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.440 access you will find these three areas 159 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:53.839 described under the goals in the inspire program and the nofo you will also 160 00:10:53.839 --> 00:10:58.320 select your project category on the museum program information form 161 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:02.240 why is your decision about which project category to choose so important 162 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:05.519 for one thing your application will be reviewed by museum professionals who 163 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:09.760 have experience and expertise in these general categories and for another your 164 00:11:09.760 --> 00:11:14.079 application will be competing against others who have chosen the same category 165 00:11:14.079 --> 00:11:17.680 in short the entire review process incorporates an assumption that your 166 00:11:17.680 --> 00:11:23.200 project aligns with the category you've identified it's an important choice 167 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:27.120 also important is identified in identifying project element on the 168 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:31.440 museum program information form section 5 we ask that you select the primary 169 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:34.480 element that is core to your proposed project 170 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:38.240 your choice will help us match your application to reviewers with related 171 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:40.880 experience 172 00:11:41.680 --> 00:11:45.040 so let's take a look at what kinds of activities a project in each of these 173 00:11:45.040 --> 00:11:48.720 categories might include in this and the two slides that follow 174 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:52.720 the objectives provide a list of types of projects that fit within the goal and 175 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:57.360 the goals correspond to the inspire program categories a project in lifelong 176 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:02.000 learning might include but is not limited to all or part of an exhibit 177 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:04.959 program development for all types of audiences 178 00:12:04.959 --> 00:12:09.200 creating interpretive plans media training for teachers partnerships with 179 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:14.160 schools or out of school audiences or program evaluation 180 00:12:14.160 --> 00:12:17.680 as you plan your project in this category we strongly recommend starting 181 00:12:17.680 --> 00:12:21.680 with the concept of learner at the center and build around it spend time 182 00:12:21.680 --> 00:12:25.120 really thinking through who your learners are in this project and what 183 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:30.240 their needs are it's not likely going to be everybody so who is it really 184 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:33.839 what do they want to learn what do you want them to learn and what's the best 185 00:12:33.839 --> 00:12:37.440 way to go about that we'll get to the whole idea of problems 186 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:41.360 and needs in just a few minutes but a major takeaway here is to be focused and 187 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:47.440 identifying your audience and thinking about how you were going to serve them 188 00:12:47.680 --> 00:12:51.440 an institutional capacity project is likely to include activities that 189 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:55.760 contribute directly to your work to build the capacity of your museum 190 00:12:55.760 --> 00:13:00.079 a project and institutional capacity might include but is not limited to 191 00:13:00.079 --> 00:13:03.839 institutional planning and policy development the recruitment training and 192 00:13:03.839 --> 00:13:07.920 development of museum staff and volunteers the enhancement of technology 193 00:13:07.920 --> 00:13:12.000 such as your website and evaluation audience development and community 194 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:14.480 outreach 195 00:13:14.959 --> 00:13:18.399 our third project category is out of collection stewardship and access and 196 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:22.240 this includes just about anything you need to do for and with your collections 197 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:25.920 except acquire them we are very open to projects that have 198 00:13:25.920 --> 00:13:29.120 multiple components configured in ways that make sense for you 199 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:33.680 one project might consist of cataloging taking digital photographs and updating 200 00:13:33.680 --> 00:13:37.760 database records while another might combine digitization activities with 201 00:13:37.760 --> 00:13:42.000 rehousing we support conservation projects of all 202 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:46.160 kinds general detailed and environmental surveys as well as treatments and 203 00:13:46.160 --> 00:13:50.000 environmental improvements and you are welcome to incorporate aspects of 204 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:53.680 training and or collections management into these projects if doing so make 205 00:13:53.680 --> 00:13:57.120 sense for your situation it's important to note that in this 206 00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:01.279 project category we encourage a step-by-step progressive approach to 207 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:06.160 collections work including conservation this means assessing needs creating a 208 00:14:06.160 --> 00:14:10.160 prior prioritized list of activities and following through by doing the most 209 00:14:10.160 --> 00:14:13.120 important things first 210 00:14:13.199 --> 00:14:16.720 before we close our discussion on project categories we want to mention 211 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:20.560 our guidance for projects that could belong logically and more than one 212 00:14:20.560 --> 00:14:23.760 sometimes it's tough to choose and you might be tempted to think about the best 213 00:14:23.760 --> 00:14:26.959 strategy would be to align with more than one two 214 00:14:26.959 --> 00:14:31.680 and maybe even three we advise against that for several reasons 215 00:14:31.680 --> 00:14:35.440 the project categories have different goals and we expect the projects aligned 216 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.320 with each will address different problems use different approaches and 217 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:42.240 will measure success and achieving the attendant results in different ways 218 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:45.680 so how can you choose the best category for your project 219 00:14:45.680 --> 00:14:50.000 here are three things we suggest you try think carefully about what is in the 220 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:54.560 center of your project is it the learner will people who engage with you as a 221 00:14:54.560 --> 00:14:58.240 result of your project to create a new exhibition and programming to go with it 222 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:02.399 acquire new knowledge develop a skill experience a change in attitude about 223 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:06.800 the subject of your exhibit or is it that your institution that's at 224 00:15:06.800 --> 00:15:10.160 the center of your thinking is your project one that will address an 225 00:15:10.160 --> 00:15:13.760 important need within your museum and will it result in an enhancement of 226 00:15:13.760 --> 00:15:17.360 technology or new policy or staff that has received a professional development 227 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:20.399 opportunity or is your project about the collections 228 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:23.680 will your project result in a better managed better cared for or more 229 00:15:23.680 --> 00:15:28.480 accessible set of objects a second way to go at this might be to 230 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:31.360 think about who you want to review your application 231 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:34.800 if you apply under lifelong learning we will put your application in front of 232 00:15:34.800 --> 00:15:38.639 educators learning theorists and professionals with deep experience and 233 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:41.920 understanding how people learn in museum environments 234 00:15:41.920 --> 00:15:45.279 would you rather we put it in front of a combination of experts in museum 235 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:48.160 planning website design or policy creation 236 00:15:48.160 --> 00:15:52.639 if that sounds right then it may push you toward institutional capacity 237 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:55.759 and if you apply under collection stewardship and access you can be 238 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:58.800 confident that your application will be reviewed by some combination of 239 00:15:58.800 --> 00:16:04.639 registrars collection managers curators conservators or collections information 240 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:08.560 specialist if that seems appropriate then this is most likely your best 241 00:16:08.560 --> 00:16:12.720 choice still undecided a third strategy to try 242 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:16.079 might be to make a list of all the activities you plan to carry out and 243 00:16:16.079 --> 00:16:19.759 then assign each to a project category and then count to see where most of 244 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:24.079 these activities occur and where most of the time and money will be spent 245 00:16:24.079 --> 00:16:28.720 that might well provide your answer our most heartfelt advice then is to 246 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.839 choose one project category study the instructions for preparing an 247 00:16:31.839 --> 00:16:35.680 application as well as the review criteria for that category and write 248 00:16:35.680 --> 00:16:39.839 your proposal accordingly as always if you have questions call the 249 00:16:39.839 --> 00:16:44.560 imls staff to discuss them we'll turn now to allowable and 250 00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:48.560 unallowable costs for your project be very careful in preparing your proposal 251 00:16:48.560 --> 00:16:52.720 and include only allowable cost in both your imless request and your cost share 252 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:56.160 if you have one to do otherwise can hurt your chances of 253 00:16:56.160 --> 00:16:59.759 getting positive reviews and being recommended for funding 254 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:03.040 we'll go through some common expenses that are allowable and unallowable but 255 00:17:03.040 --> 00:17:08.880 for details please see 2 cfr part 200 this is the part of the code of federal 256 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:12.319 regulations covering uniform administrative requirements cost 257 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:15.520 principles and audit requirements for federal awards 258 00:17:15.520 --> 00:17:19.039 fortunately these regulations are available online in a searchable format 259 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:23.760 on the us government publishing office website and a tiny url link is listed on 260 00:17:23.760 --> 00:17:28.640 this slide a particular interest is subpart e 261 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:34.400 cost principles a small section of which is shown on the right side of the slide 262 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:37.840 in the inspire notice to funding opportunity we provide a partial list of 263 00:17:37.840 --> 00:17:41.440 the most common examples of allowable cost as pictured here 264 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:46.080 these costs may be part of what you ask imolest to pay for and or what you will 265 00:17:46.080 --> 00:17:50.240 pay for as part of your cost share the rules about allowability apply to both 266 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:54.480 the grant fund columns and the cost share columns on the imls budget form 267 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:58.480 which you will submit as part of your application 268 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:02.559 we also provide a list of generally unallowable costs again both for imless 269 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:07.679 funds and for cost share these costs may not be part of what you ask imls to pay 270 00:18:07.679 --> 00:18:12.160 for nor can they be part of what you will pay for as part of your cost share 271 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:16.640 in fact unallowable expenses can't show up anywhere in your proposal 272 00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:20.000 as you prepare your application it's a good idea to compare your list of 273 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.080 proposed expenses against these lists of allowable and unallowable costs and 274 00:18:24.080 --> 00:18:26.640 against the appropriate set of cost principles 275 00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:30.000 if after that you have specific questions please contact us and we'll be 276 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.640 happy to help 277 00:18:33.120 --> 00:18:37.120 next up are application components your application will consist of a 278 00:18:37.120 --> 00:18:40.960 series of individual documents and it's very important to make sure you prepare 279 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:45.120 and submit everything you should these application components fall into 280 00:18:45.120 --> 00:18:49.360 three categories in the inspire grants for small museums funding opportunity 281 00:18:49.360 --> 00:18:53.440 the first is that of required documents all applications must include the 282 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:58.160 documents that are listed here omission of even just one might result in the 283 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.600 exclusion of your application from further consideration 284 00:19:01.600 --> 00:19:06.080 also important to note are page limits if you exceed the page limit specified 285 00:19:06.080 --> 00:19:10.400 in the nofo we must remove the extras before your application goes out for 286 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.200 review that means your reviewer may well see a 287 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:17.360 paragraph or sentence end in midair and will wonder about your planning skills 288 00:19:17.360 --> 00:19:21.120 and your attentiveness to detail make sure your content fits into the 289 00:19:21.120 --> 00:19:25.280 page limits specified and make sure the number of pages holds when you convert 290 00:19:25.280 --> 00:19:29.600 your document to a pdf two of our required forms are ones you 291 00:19:29.600 --> 00:19:34.080 will download through grants.gov and they are dynamic by that i mean that 292 00:19:34.080 --> 00:19:38.240 your answers to certain questions will determine which questions you see next 293 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:42.559 these are the imls supplementary information form including the abstract 294 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:47.200 and the imls museum program information form 295 00:19:47.600 --> 00:19:50.880 the second category of application components is that of the conditionally 296 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:55.200 required documents some applications must include one two 297 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:58.559 or a combination of these and it's your job to figure out which are required for 298 00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:01.600 yours if you are applying as a non-profit then 299 00:20:01.600 --> 00:20:06.080 you must include your proof of non-profit status issued by the irs if 300 00:20:06.080 --> 00:20:10.559 you are using a federally negotiated indirect cost in your in your budget 301 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:13.919 then you must include a copy of your final rate agreement 302 00:20:13.919 --> 00:20:17.520 if you will create digital products during the course of your project then 303 00:20:17.520 --> 00:20:20.640 you must complete and submit a digital products plan 304 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:23.840 if you are requesting support for conservation treatment then you must 305 00:20:23.840 --> 00:20:27.520 include detailed condition reports and or formal conservation treatment 306 00:20:27.520 --> 00:20:30.799 proposals just like the required documents a 307 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:34.000 mission of even one might result in the exclusion of your application from 308 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.600 further consideration please note that the term digital 309 00:20:37.600 --> 00:20:43.200 product includes digitized and born digital content resource and assets 310 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:48.240 software and research data if you are creating any of these types of materials 311 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:52.400 you must include the plan with your application 312 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:56.159 the third group of application components is supporting documents and 313 00:20:56.159 --> 00:21:00.240 here is a partial list of examples supporting documents are completely 314 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:04.960 optional you may submit some or none we urge you to make good decisions here and 315 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:08.799 include only those that supplement your proposal this is not the place to 316 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:12.880 introduce brand new information rather as the name suggests they should lend 317 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:17.280 support to your project justification work plan and intended results that 318 00:21:17.280 --> 00:21:20.400 you've already spelled out in your application narrative 319 00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:24.240 for example have you identified a partner whose involvement is key to the 320 00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:27.679 project's success if so a letter of support or commitment 321 00:21:27.679 --> 00:21:31.440 would go a long way to reassuring viewers that they are on board and the 322 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:35.200 project will succeed pictures can help give reviewers who may 323 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:38.960 not be familiar with your institution programs collections or community a 324 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:42.480 better idea of what you're describing within your narrative 325 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:46.080 vendor quotes or equipment specifications show you've done some of 326 00:21:46.080 --> 00:21:49.760 the legwork and getting appropriate estimates for project cost 327 00:21:49.760 --> 00:21:53.280 we recommend that you be respectful of your reviewers time and avoid any 328 00:21:53.280 --> 00:21:57.360 temptation to include hundreds of pages of extraneous material that is not 329 00:21:57.360 --> 00:22:01.600 directly relevant to your project being judicious really does work to your 330 00:22:01.600 --> 00:22:06.400 benefit as supporting documents can make or break an application include what is 331 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:10.000 important and helpful and stop there 332 00:22:10.080 --> 00:22:13.919 let's turn to three specific documents that are very important and about which 333 00:22:13.919 --> 00:22:16.480 applicants seem to have the most questions 334 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:20.880 first is the organizational profile we ask that you create a two-page document 335 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:24.960 describing your organization on the first page we ask that you address your 336 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:29.200 organization's mission or statement of purpose your organization's governance 337 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:33.520 structure including if your museum is an organizational unit under a larger 338 00:22:33.520 --> 00:22:37.760 parent organization for instance if the applicant is an art museum under a 339 00:22:37.760 --> 00:22:40.960 university and the level of support provided by the 340 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:46.880 parent organization your service area and a brief history of your organization 341 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:50.960 on page two of this document we ask that you describe your organization's size 342 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:54.720 using the range of attributes that i shared earlier in this presentation 343 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:59.200 this is where you make your case for being a small museum 344 00:22:59.679 --> 00:23:04.320 next is the strategic plan summary as you read the inspire nofo you will see 345 00:23:04.320 --> 00:23:08.480 frequent references to strategic plans or strategic goals 346 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.400 imls wants to help you achieve your goals and indeed we've seen that one of 347 00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:16.320 the characteristics of a successful inspire project is addressing a key need 348 00:23:16.320 --> 00:23:20.640 or challenge that faces your museum and whose resolution is identified in your 349 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:25.919 strategic plan we ask for a summary of your plan no more than two pages so that 350 00:23:25.919 --> 00:23:29.919 reviewers will be able to understand how your proposed project's activities will 351 00:23:29.919 --> 00:23:32.799 further your institutional goals and objectives 352 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:37.200 to verify its legitimacy we ask that you indicate when and by whom the plan was 353 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:40.240 approved for some institutions this might be the 354 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:44.240 board of trustees for others it might be someone or a group representing the 355 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:49.039 authority for a division or department a little inside advice 356 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:52.640 use a narrative format for your strategic plan summary although 357 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:56.240 infographics and cleverly designed imagery might be just the thing for 358 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:00.320 communicating your strategic plan for some audiences it typically doesn't work 359 00:24:00.320 --> 00:24:04.799 well for our reviewers these two pages are all they have and they tell us they 360 00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:08.159 find a well-constructed thoughtful written summary the best way to confirm 361 00:24:08.159 --> 00:24:13.600 connections to your project make it easy for them to see them 362 00:24:14.159 --> 00:24:17.760 recently the government added a new requirement to all federal awards 363 00:24:17.760 --> 00:24:22.000 agencies are now required to measure the performance of awardees this performance 364 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:25.120 measurement requirement is different from project evaluation which is 365 00:24:25.120 --> 00:24:27.919 typically included in your project proposals 366 00:24:27.919 --> 00:24:32.559 performance measurement tells us how good a job you did as a federal awardee 367 00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:36.559 it helps imless understand manage and improve our grant programs and the 368 00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:41.039 assistance we provide to applicants and awardees and it helps us inform internal 369 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:45.120 stakeholders imls leadership key staff and programs 370 00:24:45.120 --> 00:24:49.360 grants management and finance and external stakeholders legislative and 371 00:24:49.360 --> 00:24:53.440 oversight committees media public about our grant making 372 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:57.840 project evaluation by contrast is all about your project intended results or 373 00:24:57.840 --> 00:25:01.919 outcomes the prompts that help you write your narrative which we will talk about 374 00:25:01.919 --> 00:25:05.760 in a moment will guide you through a discussion of your evaluation methods 375 00:25:05.760 --> 00:25:09.120 we ask you what you need you are addressing and 376 00:25:09.120 --> 00:25:12.720 what associated results do you want your project to have 377 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:15.840 how you will track progress toward achieving your intended results and how 378 00:25:15.840 --> 00:25:19.520 the knowledge skills behaviors and and or attitudes of your target audience 379 00:25:19.520 --> 00:25:24.000 will change as a result of your project so let's turn now to focus on 380 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:30.000 performance measurement and how we will ask you to plan for it and report on it 381 00:25:30.080 --> 00:25:33.760 in the nofa we provide a sample chart which applicants may but are not 382 00:25:33.760 --> 00:25:38.000 required to use on the left side of the chart are four commonly used performance 383 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:41.120 measures that imls has adopted for this effort 384 00:25:41.120 --> 00:25:44.640 effectiveness the extent to which activities contribute to achieving the 385 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:49.679 intended results efficiency how well resources eg funds 386 00:25:49.679 --> 00:25:54.559 expertise time are used and costs are minimized while generating maximum value 387 00:25:54.559 --> 00:25:59.440 for the target group quality how well the activities meet the requirements and 388 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:04.720 expectations of the target group timeliness the extent to which each task 389 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:08.080 activity is completed within the proposed time frame 390 00:26:08.080 --> 00:26:11.360 across the top are the information points we're asking you to use in your 391 00:26:11.360 --> 00:26:16.320 statements with examples of each for instance with data we will collect are 392 00:26:16.320 --> 00:26:21.360 listed counts costs weights volumes temperatures percentages and hours as 393 00:26:21.360 --> 00:26:24.720 well as qualitative observations opinions and feelings 394 00:26:24.720 --> 00:26:28.480 for each performance measure we ask a couple of examples addressing issues 395 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:31.600 that might turn up in museum and library projects 396 00:26:31.600 --> 00:26:34.799 our intent was to make it easy for applicants to see the relationship 397 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:39.039 between this request and the project they are proposing 398 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:42.480 the blank space is where we suggest applicants write their own performance 399 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.799 measure statements and the chart is constructed such that it can expand to 400 00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:51.200 allow as much space as needed we are looking for one statement for each 401 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:55.200 required performance measure you may provide more than one statement per 402 00:26:55.200 --> 00:26:59.200 measure if you wish we do limit the performance measurement plan to two 403 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:01.600 pages 404 00:27:01.679 --> 00:27:04.960 and now let's talk about the narrative of your proposal 405 00:27:04.960 --> 00:27:09.360 you have five pages to cover three very important issues and the nofo provides 406 00:27:09.360 --> 00:27:12.480 lengthy guidance on what the narrative should cover 407 00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:16.720 project justification what need problem or challenge will your 408 00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:19.520 project address and how was it identified 409 00:27:19.520 --> 00:27:24.000 describe how you have used demographic information economic circumstances 410 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:28.799 condition assessments and other relevant data from reliable sources to define the 411 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:33.520 need problem or challenge and develop the scope for the project 412 00:27:33.520 --> 00:27:37.039 who was the target group for your project and how have they been involved 413 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:40.240 in the planning target group refers to those who will be 414 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:44.559 most immediately and positively affected by your project identify the number of 415 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:48.399 individuals in the target group or in each target group if you identify more 416 00:27:48.399 --> 00:27:51.679 than one who are the ultimate beneficiaries for 417 00:27:51.679 --> 00:27:55.840 this project beneficiaries refers to those who are likely to be aided in the 418 00:27:55.840 --> 00:28:00.720 long term by your project they may or may not be the same as your target group 419 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:04.080 identify the number of individuals who will benefit from your project in the 420 00:28:04.080 --> 00:28:07.679 long term if reliable and defensible accounts are possible 421 00:28:07.679 --> 00:28:11.279 otherwise describe the characteristics of the beneficiaries you expect to be 422 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:16.640 served eventually by your project in section e of the notice of funding 423 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:20.399 opportunity under review criteria you will find a list of questions that 424 00:28:20.399 --> 00:28:24.240 reviewers are asked to consider when they review your proposal it is a good 425 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:27.840 idea to refer to these as you craft your narrative to be certain you are 426 00:28:27.840 --> 00:28:31.039 providing reviewers clear solid information 427 00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:34.559 you will see that they correspond fairly directly with the prompts you are given 428 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:37.440 to write your narrative 429 00:28:37.600 --> 00:28:41.120 because the need problem or challenge is foundational in your application keep 430 00:28:41.120 --> 00:28:44.960 these points in mind the federal government wants to invest 431 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:48.720 to result in something getting better as you define your need problem or 432 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:52.640 challenge articulate what will get better as a result of your project as 433 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:57.120 precisely as possible will someone learn something develop a skill change and 434 00:28:57.120 --> 00:29:01.200 attitude will members of your community be better able to work together to solve 435 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:05.200 problems will collections be better cared for will their lifespan be 436 00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:08.960 extended well access to your collections and the information surrounding them be 437 00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:14.000 expanded identify why it is important this particular change happens 438 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:17.760 hone your problem definition carefully and clear succinct terms 439 00:29:17.760 --> 00:29:22.559 gather and present data that support your problem definition 440 00:29:23.120 --> 00:29:27.200 project work plan this is where you identify who will do what activities 441 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:31.120 when and using what resources note that we ask you to think about 442 00:29:31.120 --> 00:29:34.640 risks that are inherent in your particular project and to tell us how 443 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:37.360 you've taken that into account in your planning 444 00:29:37.360 --> 00:29:41.039 we'll say more about that in a few minutes we want you to explain how you 445 00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:44.480 will track your progress toward achieving your proposed results and what 446 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:49.679 you'll do if you need a correct course reviewers will evaluate your proposal on 447 00:29:49.679 --> 00:29:53.520 how well your activities are informed by appropriate theory and practice 448 00:29:53.520 --> 00:29:56.880 whether the goals assumptions and risks are clearly stated 449 00:29:56.880 --> 00:30:00.159 reviewers want to see that the team you've put together has the experience 450 00:30:00.159 --> 00:30:04.080 and skills necessary to complete their work successfully and whether your 451 00:30:04.080 --> 00:30:08.240 schedule is realistic and achievable you'll also be looking at whether the 452 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:12.240 time personnel and financial resources identified are appropriate for the scope 453 00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:15.520 and scale of the project they will consider if you've described a 454 00:30:15.520 --> 00:30:18.720 clear methodology for tracking your progress and adjusting course when 455 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:22.720 necessary your work plan will be built on 456 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:27.200 activities so it's important to be clear about what an activity is an activity is 457 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:31.120 something that someone does it has a beginning and an end just like projects 458 00:30:31.120 --> 00:30:33.520 and you know when you finished it because it doesn't need to be done 459 00:30:33.520 --> 00:30:38.159 anymore it is no longer on your to-do list an activity is not a goal a result 460 00:30:38.159 --> 00:30:42.240 or an outcome whether it is something you do as part of striving to achieve 461 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:45.760 those aim for a reasonable level of granularity and identifying your 462 00:30:45.760 --> 00:30:50.159 activities that might be hard but strive for not too much not too little but 463 00:30:50.159 --> 00:30:54.799 rather just right we also ask that you think about risks 464 00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:58.000 that are inherent in your particular project and to tell us how you've taken 465 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:01.679 that into account in your planning think of it as answering the question 466 00:31:01.679 --> 00:31:04.880 what if there is no checklist of risk but every 467 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:09.279 project has them the best proposals will show that you are aware of them and have 468 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:13.039 thought through a plan for dealing with them look at your activities and think 469 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:16.960 about what could go wrong focus on the ones where your experience 470 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:21.200 your own or that of your group tells you yes that could happen and identify steps 471 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:24.799 you would take in response imless knows things go differently than 472 00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:29.440 expected we just want you to prepare by identifying implementable options 473 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:32.720 here are some examples of risk that might be part of a project for which you 474 00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:36.240 might seek inspire funding a project may be structured around 475 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:40.559 interns who will be selected and trained according to well thought out processes 476 00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:44.480 what will happen if one or more interns drops out what's the plan for replacing 477 00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:49.120 the mid project a project involving re-housing collections into new museum 478 00:31:49.120 --> 00:31:52.720 quality collection storage furniture might run into delays in preparing the 479 00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:57.279 space or in the delivery of the cabinets what happens to the collections items 480 00:31:57.279 --> 00:32:02.159 how will the institution ensure that they remain safe and secure 481 00:32:02.159 --> 00:32:05.039 project results the third section of your narrative 482 00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:08.799 should be devoted to articulating your project's intended results it is equally 483 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:12.399 as important as the project justification and the project work plan 484 00:32:12.399 --> 00:32:15.600 this section is your chance to convince the reviewers that your project will 485 00:32:15.600 --> 00:32:19.279 result in something getting better the need or problem you identified in your 486 00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:23.519 project justification will be addressed directly and it will be diminished or 487 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:28.399 eliminated altogether we ask you to tell us what data you will collect and report 488 00:32:28.399 --> 00:32:32.640 in order to measure your project success if your project will generate tangible 489 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:36.880 products and most do here's the opportunity to describe them and make 490 00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:40.720 the case that they will be useful and last but not least we ask that you 491 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.919 tell us how you will sustain the benefit of the project 492 00:32:43.919 --> 00:32:47.519 how will this improvement that you propose to make continue once your grant 493 00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:51.600 is over reviewers will give us their opinions on 494 00:32:51.600 --> 00:32:55.519 how well you designed a feasible plan for collecting and reporting data 495 00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:59.039 how likely the improvements that you propose will be realized will the 496 00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:02.559 tangible products you plan to create be accessible to the target audience you 497 00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:06.480 identified and whether your plan for sustaining the benefits of the project 498 00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:10.960 are reasonable and practical we often hear that defining intended 499 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:13.919 results and success measures is challenging for 500 00:33:13.919 --> 00:33:17.679 applicants so it's worth spending a bit of time on this here 501 00:33:17.679 --> 00:33:20.720 let's think back to the questions we referenced a couple of slides ago when 502 00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:23.679 we talked about defining the need problem or challenge that your project 503 00:33:23.679 --> 00:33:26.799 is addressing if you said someone will learn something 504 00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:30.480 how will you know if your problem related to segments of your community 505 00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:34.159 being better able to work together how will you know when that has been 506 00:33:34.159 --> 00:33:38.399 achieved if collections will be better cared for how will you be sure and how 507 00:33:38.399 --> 00:33:42.640 will you measure better if you're digitizing to expand accessibility how 508 00:33:42.640 --> 00:33:46.240 will you know you've done it all of your results should tie back to 509 00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:50.880 your need problem or challenge you may well experience tangential benefits and 510 00:33:50.880 --> 00:33:55.440 or positive outcomes but make sure you identify them as in addition to and not 511 00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:59.440 instead of your original intended results reviewers are likely to see that 512 00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:02.240 as a disconnect 513 00:34:02.960 --> 00:34:07.200 many inspire applicants use logic models and reviewers appreciate their 514 00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:11.200 conciseness and focus there are many excellent resources available to help 515 00:34:11.200 --> 00:34:16.159 you construct a logic model and among these are imless shaping outcomes a free 516 00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:20.079 online course developed in partnership with indiana university purdue 517 00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:23.040 university of indianapolis it is available at 518 00:34:23.040 --> 00:34:26.040 www.shapingoutcomes.org 519 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:30.480 and it is customized to meet the names of museum applicants there are 520 00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:33.839 downloadable worksheets and numerous examples that you are likely to find 521 00:34:33.839 --> 00:34:39.040 relevant to your own work so to recap your narrative has three 522 00:34:39.040 --> 00:34:44.159 sections project justification project work plan and project results and you 523 00:34:44.159 --> 00:34:48.960 have five pages for it the sections are all equally important write clearly 524 00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:53.520 address what we ask you to address and keep an eye on those review criteria 525 00:34:53.520 --> 00:34:56.960 we're telling you here exactly what the reviewers will look for so make it easy 526 00:34:56.960 --> 00:35:01.920 for them to find it and understand it i want to share with you the places to 527 00:35:01.920 --> 00:35:05.280 look for more information such as the imls website where you can find the 528 00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:08.960 awarded grant search to learn more about the projects we have funded through the 529 00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:12.160 inspire program the awarded grant search gives you an 530 00:35:12.160 --> 00:35:15.839 opportunity to explore our archive of grants that we have awarded in past 531 00:35:15.839 --> 00:35:21.280 years using a variety of criteria such as institution name location and keyword 532 00:35:21.280 --> 00:35:25.119 your search will will basic information about the award 533 00:35:25.119 --> 00:35:29.200 and a brief description of the project this can be extremely helpful as you put 534 00:35:29.200 --> 00:35:34.480 ideas together for your own project we have also posted the narrative and 535 00:35:34.480 --> 00:35:39.040 schedule of completion from nine successful applications from 2022 536 00:35:39.040 --> 00:35:44.400 to find these examples go to the sample applications on the imls website looking 537 00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:49.440 at these proposals might help clarify your thinking about your own 538 00:35:49.440 --> 00:35:52.560 at this point i'd like to share a few tips based on our experiences with the 539 00:35:52.560 --> 00:35:55.599 inspire application submission process each year 540 00:35:55.599 --> 00:36:00.079 first off you must submit your application online through grants.gov 541 00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:04.640 imls does not accept applications by mail or email in order to register with 542 00:36:04.640 --> 00:36:09.119 grants.gov you must have an activesam.gov registration and unique 543 00:36:09.119 --> 00:36:13.599 entity identifier number so make sure your registrations for both 544 00:36:13.599 --> 00:36:17.760 sites are complete your accounts are active and that any necessary passwords 545 00:36:17.760 --> 00:36:22.320 are current these registrations expire periodically so do not wait until it's 546 00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:25.040 time to hit the submit button to check on them 547 00:36:25.040 --> 00:36:28.720 you should coordinate with any other staff members such as your authorized 548 00:36:28.720 --> 00:36:32.480 organization representative who may hold the accounts and passwords you'll need 549 00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:36.000 to submit both the sam.gov and grants.gov websites 550 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:40.880 have robust help features and faqs if you run into technical issues with 551 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:44.400 either of these sites you should reach out to their help desk and request a 552 00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:48.320 tracking case or ticket number in order to document your issue and attempts at 553 00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:52.400 resolving it failure failure to have active sam.gov 554 00:36:52.400 --> 00:36:56.240 or grants.gov registrations by the application deadline is not an excuse 555 00:36:56.240 --> 00:36:58.800 for submitting a late application so again 556 00:36:58.800 --> 00:37:03.680 start early important to know our regulations state 557 00:37:03.680 --> 00:37:07.359 clearly that we can make grants only to eligible applicants that submit complete 558 00:37:07.359 --> 00:37:11.520 applications including attachments on or before the deadline those are the 559 00:37:11.520 --> 00:37:15.359 concepts we must live by so here are some tips to help ensure that you can 560 00:37:15.359 --> 00:37:18.960 you can too start early you've already done that by 561 00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:22.960 participating in this webinar but don't lose momentum keep going 562 00:37:22.960 --> 00:37:26.720 become familiar with the grants.gov workspace this has been available as an 563 00:37:26.720 --> 00:37:31.119 option for a few years now and it is now the only option it has many good 564 00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:35.440 features including upfront validation which allows you to correct errors prior 565 00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:39.440 to submission and the opportunity to collaborate with others in creating your 566 00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:42.400 application consider starting in the workspace 567 00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:46.880 overview and check out the tutorials do your background research 568 00:37:46.880 --> 00:37:50.000 make it easy for the reviewers to see that you are up to date and know what 569 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:53.760 you're talking about revisit the inspire nofo frequently and 570 00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:58.079 follow the narrative outline it provides use headings subheadings or numbered 571 00:37:58.079 --> 00:38:01.680 sections in your narrative to make it easy for reviewers to read 572 00:38:01.680 --> 00:38:05.520 avoid generalities acronyms and jargon the people who will review your 573 00:38:05.520 --> 00:38:09.280 application are experts but they may not be totally familiar with your particular 574 00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:13.359 field shorthand make it easy for them to understand what you mean 575 00:38:13.359 --> 00:38:17.280 check your spelling grammar and math it counts with reviewers 576 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:20.480 one of the advantages of starting your work early is being able to allocate 577 00:38:20.480 --> 00:38:23.440 time for a colleague to review everything with fresh eyes before you 578 00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:26.320 submit ask them to act like a reviewer who's 579 00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:30.240 seeing this for the first time be sure your application is complete 580 00:38:30.240 --> 00:38:34.400 check it against the table of application components in the nofo 581 00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:38.320 submit to grants.gov early so you can correct any errors and avoid any trauma 582 00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:43.359 created by technology challenges this is the general schedule of events 583 00:38:43.359 --> 00:38:46.400 to show what happens to your application once we receive it 584 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:49.440 imls staff will review it for completeness and eligibility and you 585 00:38:49.440 --> 00:38:52.480 will hear from us via email if there are any problems 586 00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:55.680 from february through june your experienced and knowledgeable peers will 587 00:38:55.680 --> 00:39:00.160 provide scores and comments based on the criteria outlined in the inspire nofo an 588 00:39:00.160 --> 00:39:04.400 imls staff will examine your budget your financials and your track record with 589 00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:08.960 past and current grants we then prepare materials for the imls deputy director 590 00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:14.400 for museums and the imls director by law the imless director is charged with the 591 00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:18.000 authority and responsibility to make final award decisions and this happens 592 00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:21.440 in july in august we will notify you by email of 593 00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:24.480 the award decisions and provide the scores and comments created by the 594 00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:30.560 reviewers and on september 1 2023 funded projects begin 595 00:39:30.560 --> 00:39:34.000 thank you very much for your interest in imls and in the inspired grants for 596 00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:37.760 small museums funding opportunity i hope you found this information this 597 00:39:37.760 --> 00:39:42.480 webinar helpful here is a listing of the names email addresses and direct phone 598 00:39:42.480 --> 00:39:46.000 numbers for program staff in the office of museum services who are answering 599 00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:50.000 questions about the inspire grants for small museums program we encourage you 600 00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:53.520 to contact us with any questions you might have about what you've heard or 601 00:39:53.520 --> 00:39:58.160 seen in this webinar or in the online inspire materials we're very happy to 602 00:39:58.160 --> 00:40:01.280 help so with that we wish you good luck and 603 00:40:01.280 --> 00:40:06.200 we look forward to seeing your application in november