IMLS CARES Act Grants for Museums and Libraries

Deadline:  June 12, 2020 Application: The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for FY 2020 (PDF, 518 KB) is now available. Grant Amount: $25,000-$500,000 Grant Period: Up to two years. Cost Share Requirement: None Program Overview: The goal of the FY2020 IMLS CARES Act Grants for Museums and Libraries program is to support the role of museums and libraries in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The goal of this grant program is to support the role of museums and libraries in responding to the coronavirus pandemic in ways that meet the immediate and future COVID-19 needs of the communities and audiences they serve. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Pub. L. 116-136 [March 27, 2020]) has provided funds to the Institute of Museum and Library Services “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus…to expand digital network access, purchase internet accessible devices, and provide technical support services” for the benefit of communities impacted by the public health emergency. The IMLS CARES Act Grants for Museums and Libraries grant program invites project proposals that focus on preserving jobs, training staff, addressing the digital divide, planning for reopening, and providing technical support and capacity building for digital inclusion and engagement while prioritizing services for high-need communities. We encourage efforts to develop programs, tools, models, partnerships, and other resources that will address immediate concerns and have the potential to inspire and benefit museums and libraries throughout the nation. What are high-need communities? To reflect the priorities outlined in the CARES Act, we ask applicants addressing digital inclusion and related technical support needed by their communities or target audiences to design their projects using the following types of data:  Economic Indicators, including but not limited to: • Poverty rates • Supplemental Nutrition Access Program (SNAP) participation rates • Unemployment rates  Broadband availability and adoption Applicants may wish to explore the data for these and other variables posted by the United States Census Bureau (including COVID-19 Demographic and Economic Resources) as they develop their proposals.