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hello and welcome to the institute of
museum and library services webinar the

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imls museums empowered fiscal year 2023
information session

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my name is mark isaacson i'm one of the
program staff in the office of museum

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services
and speaking on behalf of the rest of

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the staff we're glad that you're
interested in preparing an application

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for this museum's empowered grant
program

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here are the topics we're going to cover
in today's webinar

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where to find information
overview of the program

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discussion of imls funding eligibility
criteria

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a review of the grant program goals
project activities

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allowable and unallowable costs
application components

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review criteria
where to learn more and application tips

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this is one of a series of webinars
designed to help you find the

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information you need to create a
competitive application for imolas

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museum funding
choosing a funding opportunity for 2023

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is available as a video and as a pdf on
our website at the link identified here

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in that webinar we cover the imls vision
mission and strategic plan we also

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address institutional eligibility for
applicants we provide a quick overview

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of all our funding opportunities and
show you how to find information online

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with the focus on our website
in addition to this webinar about

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museums empowered we're making available
on-demand webinars for all our museum

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grant programs on our website

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the imls website is an important place
to find information when you go to the

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website you will see a drop down menu
for grants on our home page click on

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that section
titled apply for a grant this section of

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our website is for you

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each grant program has a landing page on
the website and here you'll find a brief

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overview of the grant program along with
contact information for the imls staff

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assigned to the program our contact
information includes a link you can use

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to directly schedule on our calendar as
30-minute counseling call with program

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staff counseling calls are an important
opportunity for you to discuss your

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project ideas and raise any questions
you have about the application process

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we encourage you to use this link to
schedule a time to talk with one of us

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we know that applying for a federal
grant can be a complex and

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time-consuming process and we want you
to feel confident in moving forward with

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an application
also on the grant program landing page

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you will find a link to the pdf of the
nofo the notice of funding opportunity

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sometimes referred to as the nofo is the
official instructions and guidance for

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how to prepare complete and submit an
application for funding

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the text and information i'm using in
this webinar derive from the

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instructions and guidance found in the
nofo

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and enofo is available for each of the
grant funding programs

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now let's discuss museums empowered in a
little more detail

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museum's empowered is a special
initiative of the museums for america

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grant program
it's designed to support projects that

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use the transformative power of
professional development and training to

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generate systemic change
within museums of all types and sciences

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projects are expected to involve
multiple levels of staff

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leadership and volunteers
in a set of logical interrelated

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activities tied directly to addressing a
key

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need or challenge
it should also reflect a thorough

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understanding of current practice and a
knowledge about professional development

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and also generate measurable results

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we're often asked about the numbers of
applications in this grant program and

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the funding success rates
so

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here are the figures for the just
completed museum's empowered grant cycle

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we made 20 awards for a total of about
4.2 million

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and you can see those numbers and the
app the distrib distribution of

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applications
by

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the program goals

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funding eligibility criteria for the
museum's empowered program are detailed

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in the nofo but i'll try to summarize
here

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all imls grant applicants must be
either a unit of state or local

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government or be a private non-profit
organization

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in addition to be eligible for funding
in this program as a museum

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the organization must use a professional
staff which is defined as having at

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least one staff member or full-time
equivalent paid or unpaid

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that's engaged in the acquisition care
exhibition to the public of objects

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owned or used by the institution
museum should be organized on a

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permanent basis for
educational or aesthetic purposes own or

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use tangible objects
care for those objects exhibit the

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objects
and conduct those activities in

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facilities that you own or operate
museums as defined here may stand alone

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as independent organizations
may also be a non-profit responsible for

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the operating museum or administered by
a governing body such as a

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college university or state of local
government

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if you have any questions about
eligibility criteria definitely give us

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a call

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now your application to the museums of
power grant program should align with

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one of the four programs
program goals and associated objectives

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these four museums empowered program
goals are

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go one
provide museum staff with the skills to

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integrate digital technology into museum
operations

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goal 2 support museum staff
in providing inclusive services to

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people of diverse geographic cultural
and economic backgrounds

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goal three strengthened the ability of
museum staff to use evaluation as a tool

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to shape museum programs
and goal four strengthen and support

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museum staff as an essential part of a
resilient organizational culture

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let's take a look at each goal in a
little more detail

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goal one supports projects that provide
museum staff with the skills to

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integrate digital technology into museum
operations this might involve activities

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that support staff learning
[Music]

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and integration of digital communication
platforms

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and social media tools
to enhance audience engagement and

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community outreach
could also be activities that support

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staff learning and integration of
digital tools and services to enhance

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access to museum collections
the emphasis here is on staff learning

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and integration of these new tools
not just the acquisition of tools

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goal 2 focuses on diversity and
inclusion and supports projects that

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help museum staff in providing inclusive
services to people of diverse geographic

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cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds
and to individuals with disabilities

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now this might involve activities that
create training and learning

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opportunities that increase cultural
competency of museum staff

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and enhance relevancy of museum programs
or activities that develop and implement

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inclusive fellowship internship and
mentoring programs to increase support

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for emerging professionals
from diverse communities entering the

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museum field

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goal three supports projects that
strengthen the ability of museum staff

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to use evaluation
as a tool to shape museum programs and

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improve outcomes
this could involve activities that

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increase
staff knowledge and program evaluation

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methods and the usefulness of evaluation
reports tools data and metrics

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or activities that provide museum staff
with the tools and strategies to adapt

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evaluation methods to address the
specific audience or institutional need

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and finally goal four is about
organizational management

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and is intended to support museum staff
as the essential part of a resilient

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organizational culture
this might involve activities that help

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you
develop and implement a comprehensive

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organizational learning opportunity
a program of opportunities

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that address one or more emerging
priorities facing your museum

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or it could be developing activities
that help you

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implement programs that address specific
learning and growth opportunities

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identified by a needs assessment
so the needs might come from individuals

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who have unique
needs that you want to address or they

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could be priorities facing the museum
either now or in the near future that

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collectively the museum's trying to
address

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sometimes it's tough to choose a goal so
here are a few strategies to help you

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select one that aligns best with your
project

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think carefully about what's in the
center of your project

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who or what will benefit from your work
and what will be improved once you've

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finished your project
decide who you want to review your

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application
what kind of skill set and experience do

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you want to have what i want them to
have

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and list all the activities you plan to
carry out and assign to each to a goal

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which goal gets the most
these are just some ideas about how you

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might decide which goal is best
but you might wonder why your decision

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about which goal to choose is so
important well because it does impact

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the review process your application will
be reviewed by museum professionals who

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have expertise
and experience that's aligned with one

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of these goals
and in addition your application will be

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competing against others who have chosen
the same goal

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our advice is to choose one program goal
and write your proposal accordingly we

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recognize that there's some overlap
between the goals but you should pick

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one
and

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like i said write your proposal
accordingly

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we'll turn now to allowable and
unallowable costs for your project

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be very careful in preparing your
proposal and include only allowable

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costs in both the imls grant funds and
the cost share part of your budget

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we'll go through some common expenses
that are allowable and allowable but for

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details please do look at the two cfr
200 which is the essential

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federal guidelines
or cost principles and these are

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available online at the links shown here
and is highly searchable

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in the museum's empowered nofo we
provide a partial list of the most

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common examples of allowable costs
these costs may be part of what you ask

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imless to pay for or what you'll pay for
as part of your cost share

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the rules about allowability apply
equally to the entire budget in other

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words whether a cost item is on the
grant fund side of the budget form or on

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the cost share side of the budget form
the same rules of allowability apply to

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all line items in the budget
so for example here you can

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put under
as an allowable expense

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salaries and wages infringements
benefits for staff

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now it could be
a percentage of their time devoted to

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the project that you're paying for under
grant funds it could be a percentage of

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their time
that you're paying on

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and contributing to the project under
cost share both are allowable

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we also provide a list of generally
unallowable costs again both for the

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imls funds and for cost share
these

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costs may not be part of what you ask
animals to pay for nor can they be part

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of what you'll pay for as part of your
cost share

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you know what our unallowable expenses
shouldn't be anywhere in your proposal

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so remember to focus your budget and the
cost items you include there on expenses

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that will occur during the period of
performance during the duration of the

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grant award and on expenses that are
directly related to the activities in

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your proposed project
as you prepare your application it's a

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good idea to compare your list of
proposed expenses against those

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of the list here of allowable and
unallowable costs

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if after that you have some specific
questions you can feel free to contact

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us and we'll be happy to help
now that you have a basic framework on

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the amount of funding and the allowable
costs for your project let's review the

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multiple parts of the grant application
that you will need to prepare

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the application components are a series
of documents you will upload in

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grants.gov that together make up your
application

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these application components fall into
three categories

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the first is that of required documents
all applications must include these

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the second group
is that of conditionally required

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documents now some applications must
include these it depends on the nature

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of your institution or perhaps some
aspect of your project

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the third group of application
components are supporting documents

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these are completely optional

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your application will consist of a
series of individual documents and it's

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very important to make sure you prepare
and submit everything necessary

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so let's look at the required documents
all applications must include 12

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required documents and they're listed on
this slide

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the eight documents listed on the left
side of this slide are created by you

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using a word document or processing
software

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and then saving that document as a pdf

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instructions for all of these required
documents are found in the nofo

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many of these have page limits and if
you exceed the page limit specified in

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the nofo we must remove the extras
before your application goes out for

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review
make sure your content fits into the

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page limit specified and make sure the
number of pages holds when you convert

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your document to a pdf

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the four required documents on the right
side of this

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slide include the application for
federal assistance the imls

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supplementary information form and the
imls museum program information form

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these are online forms that you complete
in the grants.gov environment

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the imls budget form is a billable pdf

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the second category of application
components is that of conditionally

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required documents some applications
must include one or all of these and you

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need to figure out which one is required
for you

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so for example if you're applying as a
non-profit then you must include your

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proof of nonprofit status issued by the
irs

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if you're using a federally negotiated
indirect cost

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in your budget then you must include a
copy of your final rate agreement

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if you will create digital products
during the course of your project then

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you must complete and submit a digital
products plan

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the term digital product includes
digitized important digital content

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software and research data so if you're
creating any of these

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you should include that plan in your
application

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the third group of application
components is supporting documents and

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some documents are completely supporting
supporting documents are completely

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optional this is not the place to
introduce new information

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some common items in this section might
be letters of support from key

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stakeholders or summaries from studies
or reports that help shape the design of

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your project and could bolster the
project justification

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you might just have a bibliography of
references in related documents

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so for example an essential supporting
document might be a letter of commitment

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from a consultant that you identified in
the project work plan

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and that letter might include
information that further describes their

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methodology or approach to the proposed
project

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or have a detailed cost estimate that
further justifies their associated costs

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in the budget
another example might be a letter of

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support from a key project partner
perhaps a community organization or

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other entity outside of the museum that
will be an important part of the project

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activities
a letter describing their support of the

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project and providing background on the
relationship between the partner

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organization and the museum would help
reviewers understand the context in

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which the project will be implemented
we also recommend that you be respectful

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of your reviewers time
so include what's important and helpful

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but stop there

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now let's turn to two specific documents
that are very important

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the first is a strategic plan summary
imless wants to help you achieve your

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goals and one of the characteristics of
a successful museum's empowered project

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is addressing a key need or challenge
that faces your museum and is identified

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in your strategic plan
so what we ask for you to provide here

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is a summary of your plan no more than
two pages so that reviewers can

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understand how your proposed project and
the activities will further your

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institutional goals and objectives
you should also indicate when and by

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whom the plan was approved it might be
your board of trustees or some other

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group with authority to make those
sign that document

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use a narrative format for your summary
our reviewers tell us they find a

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well-constructed thoughtful and written
summary is the best way to see the

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connection
between your museum strategic plan

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and the proposed project

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the other document i want to talk about
here was is the performance measurement

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plan so this is a new requirement from
the federal government that agencies now

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have to measure the performance of
awardees

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performance measurement tells us how
good a job you did as a federal awardee

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it helps imless understand manage and
improve our grant programs

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it's different than project evaluation
project evaluation by contrast is all

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about your project
and your intended results or outcomes

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project evaluation will be covered in
the narrative part of the application

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following the questions we ask in the
nofo such as what need you're addressing

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or
uh what associated results do you want

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your project to have

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but for now let's turn our focus to
performance measurement and how we'll

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ask you to plan for it and report on it
in the notice of funding opportunity we

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00:19:25.280 --> 00:19:29.919
provide a sample chart which applicants
may use you don't require but you can

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use it on the left side of the chart are
four commonly used measures that imls

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has adopted
for this effort the first is

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effectiveness
extent to which activities contribute to

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achieving the intended results
next is efficiency how well the

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resources are used
quality

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00:19:49.520 --> 00:19:53.440
refers to how well the activities meet
the requirements and expectations of the

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target group
and timeliness the extent to which each

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activity is completed within the time
frame

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00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:04.159
across the top are the information
points we're asking you to use in your

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00:20:04.159 --> 00:20:09.919
statements with examples such as
for data like percentages or hours or

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00:20:09.919 --> 00:20:13.120
things like that
you might have qualitative measures such

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00:20:13.120 --> 00:20:15.600
as
observations or opinions or feelings

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00:20:15.600 --> 00:20:18.799
there too
for each performance measure we provide

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00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:23.600
a couple of examples addressing issues
that might turn up in museum projects

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00:20:23.600 --> 00:20:27.200
the blank space is where we suggest you
write your own performance measure

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statement
we're looking for one statement for each

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00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:34.400
required performance measure and you may
provide more than one

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00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:37.120
if you wish
but just keep in mind that this

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00:20:37.120 --> 00:20:40.400
document's limited to two pages so one
statement

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00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:44.559
per measure is quite enough

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00:20:47.120 --> 00:20:49.919
among the required components of your
application

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00:20:49.919 --> 00:20:53.919
the narrative is the section that
reviewers are likely to spend the most

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time reading
so let's examine that narrative section

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00:20:57.919 --> 00:21:01.120
in the application
in this grant program the narrative is

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00:21:01.120 --> 00:21:06.080
limited to seven pages and divided into
three sections the justification the

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00:21:06.080 --> 00:21:11.200
work plan and the results
and the questions we're going to ask we

295
00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:16.559
ask you to answer and the review
criteria are all in the nofo

296
00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:20.159
but for so for example in the project
justification in this first section of

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00:21:20.159 --> 00:21:23.360
the narrative
we ask you to lay out the reasoning for

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00:21:23.360 --> 00:21:26.720
your project
tell us in the clearest terms possible

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00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:30.480
what you propose to do
what need problem or challenge you're

300
00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:34.320
going to address what who is going to
benefit and how your project will

301
00:21:34.320 --> 00:21:40.799
enhance the capacity of your institution
and advance your strategic plan

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00:21:41.600 --> 00:21:44.960
we also want to know how you're
addressing the goals of the museum's

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00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:49.280
empowered program using professional
development to generate systemic change

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00:21:49.280 --> 00:21:52.159
within the museum

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in this section of the narrative you'll
notice a distinction is made between

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target group and beneficiaries
target group refers to those who will be

307
00:22:01.280 --> 00:22:05.440
most immediately affected by your
project

308
00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:09.600
identify the number of individuals in
the target group

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00:22:09.600 --> 00:22:13.520
or in each target group if you identify
more than one

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00:22:13.520 --> 00:22:17.440
the ultimate beneficiaries refers to
those who are likely to be aided in the

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long term by your project
the knight might be

312
00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:24.640
may or may not be the same as your
target group

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00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:28.960
so you want to then again identify the
number of individuals who will benefit

314
00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:35.360
in the long term
and want some reliable count if possible

315
00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:40.320
otherwise you can describe the
characteristics of the beneficiaries you

316
00:22:40.320 --> 00:22:44.880
expect to be served eventually by your
project if you're not able to reliably

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00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:47.440
enumerate

318
00:22:47.840 --> 00:22:50.960
them by number

319
00:22:52.320 --> 00:22:56.640
reviewers will evaluate your proposal
and the justification part of your

320
00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:00.720
proposal on how well you explain your
project and how well you've identified

321
00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:04.159
that need problem or challenge you're
going to address

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00:23:04.159 --> 00:23:07.840
and how well you've supported it with
relevant evidence and whether you've

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00:23:07.840 --> 00:23:11.679
clearly identified who's going to
benefit

324
00:23:11.679 --> 00:23:16.360
and if it involves an audience right how
you how and whether they've been

325
00:23:16.360 --> 00:23:20.840
involved in the planning

326
00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:28.559
because the knee problem or challenge is
foundational in your application keep

327
00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:32.159
these points in mind the federal
government wants its investment to

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00:23:32.159 --> 00:23:36.080
result in something getting better so as
you define your need problem or

329
00:23:36.080 --> 00:23:38.799
challenge
what's going to get better as a result

330
00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:42.080
of your project
want to define that as precisely as

331
00:23:42.080 --> 00:23:46.559
possible
will someone learn something develop a

332
00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:51.679
skill or change an attitude
identify why it's important that this

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00:23:51.679 --> 00:23:56.320
particular change happens
and gather and present data that support

334
00:23:56.320 --> 00:24:01.520
your problem
the project work plan is the part

335
00:24:01.520 --> 00:24:06.720
of the narrative in which you relay who
will do what when and using what

336
00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:11.039
resources
we ask you to identify and tell us what

337
00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:14.960
specific activities you undertake who's
going to plan and implement and manage

338
00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:18.159
your project and
when and what sequence the activities

339
00:24:18.159 --> 00:24:22.000
will occur and
what resources financial or personnel

340
00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.960
are going to be needed to carry out
those activities and how are you going

341
00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:27.840
to track progress

342
00:24:28.320 --> 00:24:33.039
reviewers will evaluate your proposal on
how well your activities are informed by

343
00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:37.600
appropriate theory and practice
and whether the goals assumptions

344
00:24:37.600 --> 00:24:41.919
risks are clearly stated
reviewers want to see that the team you

345
00:24:41.919 --> 00:24:46.400
put together has the experience and
skills necessary to complete the work

346
00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:49.200
successfully

347
00:24:49.679 --> 00:24:53.039
and that your schedule is realistic and
achievable

348
00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:56.960
in this section you want to show how the
project team is structured

349
00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:02.960
and is it equitable and mutually
beneficial to those involved

350
00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:08.000
it's important to see how the project
team is organized to support engagement

351
00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:12.320
of all participants
we'll also be looking at whether the

352
00:25:12.320 --> 00:25:16.080
time and personnel and financial
resources are appropriate for the scope

353
00:25:16.080 --> 00:25:19.919
and scale of the project
and i want to know if there's a clear

354
00:25:19.919 --> 00:25:25.600
methodology for tracking your progress
remember the review criteria

355
00:25:25.600 --> 00:25:29.919
you're seeing on this slide
are listed in their entirety in the

356
00:25:29.919 --> 00:25:33.679
notice of funding opportunity as well

357
00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:40.880
so this part of the narrative the work
plan is really built around

358
00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:43.440
the activities that you're going to
undertake

359
00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:48.159
so it's important to be clear about what
an activity is it's really something

360
00:25:48.159 --> 00:25:51.679
that you do and it has a beginning and
an end

361
00:25:51.679 --> 00:25:55.360
just like projects and you know when
you've finished it because it doesn't

362
00:25:55.360 --> 00:25:59.279
need to be done anymore
it's no longer on your to-do list

363
00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:03.840
so an activity in this part of the
section should not be a goal or result

364
00:26:03.840 --> 00:26:08.880
or an outcome but it's something you're
going to do as part of trying to achieve

365
00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:13.279
those goals so when you're listing your
activities in your work plan

366
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:18.000
aim for a reasonable level of detail and
identifying those activities not too

367
00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:20.720
much not too little
but

368
00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:24.039
just right

369
00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:28.880
the final section of the narrative is
your results and this is where you

370
00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:33.840
articulate the impact of your project
what specific results do you intend to

371
00:26:33.840 --> 00:26:37.679
achieve in order to address the need
problem or challenge that you identified

372
00:26:37.679 --> 00:26:42.720
in the justification
something's going to get better so tell

373
00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:46.480
us what that is tell us about the
tangible products that going to result

374
00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:50.480
from your project and
talk about what's going to happen when

375
00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:55.039
the project is over how are you going to
sustain the benefits of your project

376
00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:59.520
beyond the lifespan of this particular
project

377
00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:04.000
reviewers will give us their opinions on
how well you've designed a feasible plan

378
00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:08.880
for collecting the data how
likely it is that those improvements you

379
00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:13.120
propose will be realized and will those
tangible products that you're going to

380
00:27:13.120 --> 00:27:15.840
create
are they going to be accessible to the

381
00:27:15.840 --> 00:27:20.480
target audience and whether your plan
for sustaining the benefits beyond the

382
00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:24.960
project period are reasonable and
practical

383
00:27:26.399 --> 00:27:29.760
so just another thought here about
results is

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00:27:29.760 --> 00:27:34.480
when you think back to the questions we
referenced a couple slides ago about the

385
00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:38.640
need problem or challenge well now
you're going to say well what's going to

386
00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:42.480
get better as a result of this work so
if you said someone was going to learn

387
00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:45.279
something
how will you know

388
00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:49.200
if your problem really
related to segments of your

389
00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:52.320
community getting to work together how
do you know when that's going to be

390
00:27:52.320 --> 00:27:57.200
achieved
um or your staff working together

391
00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:01.760
all your results should tie back to that
need problem or challenge right and have

392
00:28:01.760 --> 00:28:05.760
something here in the results
that indicates

393
00:28:05.760 --> 00:28:09.679
some change has happened

394
00:28:10.159 --> 00:28:14.799
we also sometimes suggest using a logic
model it's a useful tool to help explain

395
00:28:14.799 --> 00:28:18.640
your intended results and your plan for
achieving them

396
00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:22.320
if you
use a logic model feel free to include

397
00:28:22.320 --> 00:28:28.080
that as a supporting document
many reviewers appreciate seeing one

398
00:28:28.080 --> 00:28:32.880
and if you don't use a logic model or
you're using some other method to map

399
00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:38.480
out your activities and tools
you can certainly use that as well

400
00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:44.720
so in summary considering all the
components of your application there are

401
00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:49.200
four general characteristics
in successful museums of powered

402
00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:54.159
applications that reviewers
often see

403
00:28:54.159 --> 00:28:57.120
so as you prepare your application keep
these in mind

404
00:28:57.120 --> 00:29:01.360
first is the institutional impact
so again

405
00:29:01.360 --> 00:29:04.640
revisiting the goal of the program it's
about

406
00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:08.559
using the transformative power of
professional development to generate

407
00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:13.600
systemic change within a museum
want to see that there's some

408
00:29:13.600 --> 00:29:17.919
institutional impact
a change in the culture of your museum a

409
00:29:17.919 --> 00:29:22.240
systemic change within your organization

410
00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:26.799
second is the in-depth knowledge you
want your proposal to reflect a thorough

411
00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:32.640
understanding of current practice
and knowledge about the subject matter

412
00:29:33.360 --> 00:29:37.279
third is the project-based design as
we've talked about project-based design

413
00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:42.320
is logic logical interrelated activities
that are going to address that key need

414
00:29:42.320 --> 00:29:45.520
or challenge
and with demonstrable results as the

415
00:29:45.520 --> 00:29:50.320
fourth item it's really that we want to
see something measurable that's going to

416
00:29:50.320 --> 00:29:54.640
change at the end
an application that has all of these

417
00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:58.159
four characteristics will stand out in
the review process and will have the

418
00:29:58.159 --> 00:30:02.480
best the best chance of success for
funding

419
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:08.640
so i also want to share with you the
places to look for more information such

420
00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:14.000
as the imos website where you can find
the awarded grant search to learn more

421
00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:18.240
about the projects we have funded
through the museums empowered program

422
00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:21.120
this search tool gives you an
opportunity to explore our archive of

423
00:30:21.120 --> 00:30:26.080
grants that we have awarded in past
years using a variety of criteria

424
00:30:26.080 --> 00:30:31.760
such as institution name location or
keyword your search will

425
00:30:31.760 --> 00:30:36.320
reveal basic information about the award
as well as a brief description of the

426
00:30:36.320 --> 00:30:38.720
project

427
00:30:39.520 --> 00:30:45.279
this can be extremely helpful as you put
ideas together for your own project

428
00:30:46.320 --> 00:30:50.880
we've also posted the narrative and
scheduled completion from six

429
00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:56.559
successful
applications from 2022

430
00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:02.080
to find these examples go to the sample
applications on the imless website and

431
00:31:02.080 --> 00:31:07.200
scroll down the page to find the
museum's empowered examples

432
00:31:09.519 --> 00:31:13.679
each pdf contains a copy of the
seven-page narrative and also the

433
00:31:13.679 --> 00:31:17.679
scheduled completion
many of these samples were identified by

434
00:31:17.679 --> 00:31:22.320
our peer reviewers as good examples of
well-written applications that provided

435
00:31:22.320 --> 00:31:27.200
all the essential information necessary
for them to review the application

436
00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:33.720
looking at these proposals might help
clarify your thinking about your own

437
00:31:33.919 --> 00:31:38.880
this is the general schedule of events
to show what happens to your application

438
00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:43.360
once we receive it
imless staff will review it for

439
00:31:43.360 --> 00:31:47.279
completeness and eligibility and you'll
hear from us via email if there are any

440
00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:51.600
problems
from february through june

441
00:31:51.600 --> 00:31:55.279
your experience and knowledgeable peers
will provide scores and comments based

442
00:31:55.279 --> 00:32:00.240
on the criteria outlined in the no phone
an imls staff will examine your budget

443
00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:05.279
your financials and track record with
past and current grants federal grants

444
00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:09.200
we then prepare materials for the imls
deputy director

445
00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:15.840
as well as the imless director
that person the imos deaf imls director

446
00:32:15.840 --> 00:32:20.720
is charged by law with the authority and
responsibility to make final award

447
00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:25.840
decision and this happens
in early july

448
00:32:25.840 --> 00:32:31.120
in early august we will notify you by
email of the award decisions and provide

449
00:32:31.120 --> 00:32:37.120
the scores and comments created by the
reviewers and on september 1st 2023

450
00:32:37.120 --> 00:32:40.640
your funded project begins

451
00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:43.840
so

452
00:32:44.399 --> 00:32:48.960
in conclusion i wanted to just share a
few tips that we collected from our

453
00:32:48.960 --> 00:32:51.760
experience in working with applicants
each year

454
00:32:51.760 --> 00:32:55.600
first is to register early
you must have an active sam.gov

455
00:32:55.600 --> 00:32:59.440
registration
to register with grants.gov and you must

456
00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:03.120
have a functional grants.gov
registration

457
00:33:03.120 --> 00:33:08.080
to in order to submit an application to
imls

458
00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:12.159
now there's no cost to register on these
sites

459
00:33:12.159 --> 00:33:16.320
but it can take from several days to
several weeks to get your registration

460
00:33:16.320 --> 00:33:19.919
established and validated so pay
attention to this requirement

461
00:33:19.919 --> 00:33:25.039
particularly if this is your first time
applying for a federal grant or if your

462
00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:29.039
sam registration has expired or if
you've had a change in your point of

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00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:32.640
contact for sam
start that registration process or

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00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:39.039
renewal process as early as possible
your sam.gov registration expires each

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00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:45.360
year and you must renew it and you can
log into sam.gov at any time and find

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00:33:45.360 --> 00:33:48.960
out your status and i would recommend
doing that today

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00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:53.600
both sam.gov and grants.gov have their
own help desk to assist you with

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00:33:53.600 --> 00:33:57.600
resolving issues or tracking problems
that might arise

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00:33:57.600 --> 00:34:01.919
with your registration
process

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00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:07.360
now here are some application tips to
make sure you meet that deadline

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00:34:07.360 --> 00:34:11.679
read the nofos we know it's a long
document but it contains essential

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00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:15.839
information on how to prepare your
application

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00:34:15.839 --> 00:34:19.040
schedule a counseling call with one of
our staff

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00:34:19.040 --> 00:34:22.320
we're available to answer your questions
and these often come at the start of the

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00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:25.919
process general questions might be a
group call with several folks on your

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00:34:25.919 --> 00:34:29.280
organization
and later you might have a specific

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00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:32.960
question or detailed question about a
particular component and feel free to

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00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:38.320
email or call to ask those questions
describe your museum

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00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:42.560
well and vividly and use recent and
relevant data to make your point so

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00:34:42.560 --> 00:34:45.679
reviewers are going to look at the
applications trying to understand your

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00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:51.119
museum so be sure to give them a good
description of how it operates

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00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:55.040
follow the narrative outline in the
notice of funding opportunity and

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00:34:55.040 --> 00:34:59.280
consider using the same headings to make
it easy for reviewers to read and find

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00:34:59.280 --> 00:35:05.599
the information they need
avoid generalities and jargon

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00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:08.880
the people who will review your
application are experts but they may not

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00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:14.079
be totally familiar with your particular
shorthand so make it easy for them to

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00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:19.440
understand what you mean
ask a colleague to read the seven page

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00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:23.359
narrative with fresh eyes ask them to
act like a reviewer who's seeing this

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00:35:23.359 --> 00:35:26.640
for the first time and
you know do it well in advance of the

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00:35:26.640 --> 00:35:32.960
submission deadline so you have adequate
time to edit the narrative if necessary

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00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:36.000
be sure your application is complete
check it against the table of

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00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:40.480
application components to be sure you're
not missing any required documents

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00:35:40.480 --> 00:35:45.440
and submit to grants.gov early so you
can correct any errors

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00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:48.560
before the deadline

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00:35:48.720 --> 00:35:52.480
so
let's recap

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00:35:52.800 --> 00:35:56.400
if you haven't already been doing it
while listening to this webinar be sure

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00:35:56.400 --> 00:36:02.800
to go to imls.gov and read the notice of
funding opportunity carefully

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00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:09.119
check your organization's registrations
with both sam.gov and grants.gov

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00:36:09.680 --> 00:36:14.960
reach out to a program staff member and
schedule a counseling call

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00:36:15.200 --> 00:36:20.000
prepare your application and
make sure it's complete

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00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:27.040
and then submit before the deadline
november 15 2022 11 59 pm eastern

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00:36:27.040 --> 00:36:30.400
eastern time

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00:36:31.680 --> 00:36:36.079
so when closing our presentation today i
want to make sure that you have

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00:36:36.079 --> 00:36:39.680
our phone number and email address for
the program staff assigned

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00:36:39.680 --> 00:36:45.359
to work on museums empowered
don't hesitate to contact either of us

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00:36:45.359 --> 00:36:50.960
with questions or concerns
thank you and best of luck

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00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:55.240
i look forward to hearing from you