Overview
Share ThisDeadline: March 13, 2026
Application: The FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (PDF, 884KB) is now available.
Grant Amount: $5,000–$300,000
Grant Period: One to three years
Cost Share Requirement: You must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of your IMLS request.
IMLS Priorities Cover Letter: ME Cover letter (PDF, 147KB)
Program Overview:
Museums Empowered (ME) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program that supports projects that use professional development and training to generate change and growth within museums of all types and sizes.
The goals of this program are to support staff learning and training in one of three areas: to provide museum staff with the skills to integrate digital technology into museum operations; strengthen the ability of museum staff to use evaluation as a tool to shape museum programs and improve outcomes; and strengthen and support museum staff as the essential part of a resilient organizational culture.
Interested in learning more about this grant program?
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Watch the informational video (below) for specific details about this grant program and the process of preparing an application.
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Schedule a counseling call with a program officer. Find an available time on the calendar using the link below.
Program Contact:
Mark Isaksen
Supervisory Grants Management Specialist
misaksen@imls.gov
202-653-4667
To schedule a time to talk to Mark Isaksen, click here.
Webinars:
We invite you to view our pre-recorded webinars:
Getting Started With IMLS Museum Grants for FY 2026 is a general presentation on IMLS museum grant programs. We recommend that you view this presentation for an overview before considering a specific grant program. Click here to access the recording or to read the transcript.
Preparing a Budget and Budget Justification provides information to help you prepare these two required parts of the grant application – the IMLS Budget Form and the Budget Justification. The information in this video supports the instructions in the Notices of Funding Opportunity for each grant program. Click Here to access the recording or to read the transcript.
*All grant programs are subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion. Deadlines are tentative.
