Grant opportunity
Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2027)
Inspire Grants for Small Museums (Inspire) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program designed to support small museums of all disciplines, including small rural or small remote institutions and small museums that have not previously received federal funding. The program funds project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities. The goal of the Inspire program is to build the capacity of small museums to provide museum services to their communities through supporting the development of experiential learning and discovery in small museums, and the management and care of collections in small museums.
- Funder
- Institute of Museum and Library Services
- Applications close 2026-11-13
- Applications close 2026-11-13: Nov 13, 2026
- Award
- USD 75,000
- Applicant
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
- Discipline
- Education and Professional Development
- Region
- United States
- Posted
- Sep 7, 2026
Call summary
Overview
Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2027) is official opportunity IGSM-FY27, published by Institute of Museum and Library Services during the 31 August-7 September 2026 hunt window.
Who can apply
Eligible applicant types listed by the agency: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification). Applicants must also satisfy every programme-specific condition in the official notice.
What it supports
- Inspire Grants for Small Museums (Inspire) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program designed to support small museums of all disciplines, including small rural or small remote institutions and small museums that have not previously received federal funding. The program funds project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities. The goal of the Inspire program is to build the capacity of small museums to provide museum services to their communities through supporting the development of experiential learning and discovery in small museums, and the management and care of collections in small museums.
- Opportunity number: IGSM-FY27
Funding and duration
- Award ceiling: USD 75,000
- Expected number of awards: 75
Applications close 2026-11-13
Applications close 2026-11-13: Nov 13, 2026
How to apply
Open the official Grants.gov record, review the full notice and attachments, and use the application package or agency route stated there.
Call details
Source-based overview
Inspire Grants for Small Museums (Inspire) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program designed to support small museums of all disciplines, including small rural or small remote institutions and small museums that have not previously received federal funding. The program funds project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities. The goal of the Inspire program is to build the capacity of small museums to provide museum services to their communities through supporting the development of experiential learning and discovery in small museums, and the management and care of collections in small museums. The official record contains the controlling eligibility, budget, attachment and submission requirements for opportunity IGSM-FY27.
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types listed by the agency: Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification). Applicants must also satisfy every programme-specific condition in the official notice.
Funding and benefits
Award ceiling: USD 75,000
Expected number of awards: 75
Themes and supported activities
Inspire Grants for Small Museums (Inspire) is a special initiative of the Museums for America grant program designed to support small museums of all disciplines, including small rural or small remote institutions and small museums that have not previously received federal funding. The program funds project-based efforts to serve the public through educational programs and exhibits, community partnerships, and collections stewardship activities. The goal of the Inspire program is to build the capacity of small museums to provide museum services to their communities through supporting the development of experiential learning and discovery in small museums, and the management and care of collections in small museums.
Opportunity number: IGSM-FY27
Deadline and timeline
Applications close 2026-11-13: Applications close 2026-11-13: Nov 13, 2026.
Applicants should confirm the exact deadline time, time zone, required documents, portal steps and any institutional approvals on the official call page before submitting.
How to apply
Open the official Grants.gov record, review the full notice and attachments, and use the application package or agency route stated there.
Before applying, check eligibility rules, budgets, attachments, page limits, partner requirements, cost-share conditions and whether the opportunity uses an expression of interest, full proposal, registration or nomination stage.