Opportunity Information: Apply for ME FY17
Museums Empowered: Professional Development and Capacity Building Opportunities for Museums is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Museums for America (MFA) program, framed as a special initiative focused specifically on strengthening museum staff skills and institutional capacity. The core purpose of the MFA program is to fund projects that help an individual museum better serve its public, and this initiative narrows that purpose to investments that build the museum's internal ability to plan, operate, and deliver services more effectively through targeted professional development and capacity-building work.
The opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number: ME FY17) supports projects in the arts and humanities funding activity area and is listed under CFDA 45.301. It is structured as a grant, with an award ceiling of $250,000 per project. IMLS anticipated making about 32 awards under this competition cycle, indicating a moderate number of funded projects relative to many federal discretionary programs, and suggesting that proposals needed to be clearly aligned with the initiative's goals and demonstrate strong readiness and impact.
Eligibility is summarized as "Others" in the source data, but the program notes that only eligible museums may apply and directs applicants to consult the official Notice of Funding Opportunity for detailed eligibility requirements. In practice, that means applicants were expected to verify their institutional status, compliance requirements, and any program-specific conditions described by IMLS before applying. The application deadline for this particular cycle was May 1, 2017, and the opportunity record was created on March 6, 2017, giving prospective applicants a defined window to develop project plans, budgets, and supporting documentation.
Overall, the grant is aimed at helping museums improve their effectiveness by investing in their people and systems. Rather than simply funding exhibitions or public programs as standalone outputs, the emphasis here is on strengthening the museum as an organization so it can deliver higher-quality public service over time. The stated focus areas are professional development and capacity building, which typically include activities that expand staff expertise, improve organizational practices, and build sustainable capabilities that help a museum fulfill its mission and meet community needs more consistently. For the most precise details on what types of activities are allowable, how proposals are evaluated, and which entities qualify, the Notice of Funding Opportunity is the controlling document referenced in the listing.Apply for ME FY17
- The Institute of Museum and Library Services in the arts, humanities sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Museums Empowered: Professional Development and Capacity Building Opportunities for Museums – A Museums for America Special Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.301.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-03-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-05-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 32 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (ME FY17) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants Program Apply for NAG HAWAIIAN FY17 Funding Number: NAG HAWAIIAN FY17 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| National Leadership Grants for Libraries (2023) Apply for NLG LIBRARIES FY23 Funding Number: NLG LIBRARIES FY23 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| American Latino Museum Internship and Fellowship Initiative (2024) Apply for ALIF FY24 Funding Number: ALIF FY24 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Native American Library Services Basic Grant (2024) Apply for NAG BASIC FY24 Funding Number: NAG BASIC FY24 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| 21st Century Museum Professionals Program (2024) Apply for 21MP FY24 Funding Number: 21MP FY24 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants (2024) Apply for NAG HAWAIIAN FY24 Funding Number: NAG HAWAIIAN FY24 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants (2024) Apply for NAG ENHANCEMENT FY24 Funding Number: NAG ENHANCEMENT FY24 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Sparks! Ignition Grants for Museums Apply for SPARKS MUSEUM FY16 Funding Number: SPARKS MUSEUM FY16 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $25,000 |
| Native American Library Services Enhancement Grants Program Apply for NAG ENHANCEMENT FY16 Funding Number: NAG ENHANCEMENT FY16 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $150,000 |
| Ukraine: U.S. Government Public Diplomacy Small Grants Program – Culture and Youth Projects Apply for PAS UKRAINE 2020 003 Funding Number: PAS UKRAINE 2020 003 Agency: U.S. Mission to Ukraine Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $50,000 |
| U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Poland Grants Program - U.S. Culture Apply for WAW NOFO FY21 03 Funding Number: WAW NOFO FY21 03 Agency: U.S. Mission to Poland Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $10,000 |
| Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (2025) Apply for LB21 FY25 Funding Number: LB21 FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| National Leadership Grants for Libraries (2025) Apply for NLG LIBRARIES FY25 Funding Number: NLG LIBRARIES FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| 21st Century Museum Professionals Program (2025) Apply for 21MP FY25 Funding Number: 21MP FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Museums for America (2025) Apply for MFA FY25 Funding Number: MFA FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| National Leadership Grants for Museums (2025) Apply for NLG M FY25 Funding Number: NLG M FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Inspire! Grants for Small Museums (2025) Apply for IGSM FY25 Funding Number: IGSM FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $75,000 |
| Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (2025) Apply for AAHC FY25 Funding Number: AAHC FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $500,000 |
| Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services (2025) Apply for NANH FY25 Funding Number: NANH FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Museums Empowered (2025) Apply for ME FY25 Funding Number: ME FY25 Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services Category: Arts, Humanities Funding Amount: $250,000 |
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