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State and Regional Grants

currency-oldGranting agencies vary by state, but grant programs for preservation and conservation initiatives are frequently managed by the state library, archives, Department of Education, or Department of Cultural Resources. Regional organizations (such as local heritage networks) may also provide this funding. In the Northeast, these agencies include the following:

Connecticut State Library

231 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
860-757-6500
866-886-4478 (toll-free)
www.cslib.org

Historic Documents Preservation Grant Program

Deadline: April 30, 2013 (Cycle 1), September 30, 2013 (Cycle 2)

Grant amount: The amount of targeted grant money that a municipality may apply for depends upon its population from the most recent census figures. There are three tiers: small, medium and large. Currently, the amounts are $4,000, $6,500 and $9,500 respectively.
Grant period: Grant projects must be completed and funds expended by the end of the contract period, June 30, 2014.
Match: none

Grants are available to Connecticut municipalities.  Every municipality in good standing that submits a properly completed application for an eligible project by the appropriate deadline is eligible to receive a Targeted Grant from the fund.

Funding priorities for FY 2014 include:

  • Assessment of current practices in the areas of preservation, records management, disaster preparedness, environmental control, or facilities design, with recommendations for improvements.
  • Increased organization and access to town records through improved physical order or indexing, updated records management software, or other information technology.
  • Improved records management and/or historic preservation practices within municipal departments.
  • Improved records storage, maintenance and security through the purchase of appropriate equipment.
  • Preservation of historic documents (original, non‐published records) through methods such as microfilming, reformatting, or conservation. 

For more information, contact:
Kathy Makover
Field Archivist
kathy.makover@ct.gov or (860) 566-1100 ext. 303

Maine Humanities Council

674 Brighton Avenue
Portland, ME 04102
(207) 773-5051
www.mainehumanities.org

The Maine Humanities Council is a statewide, private, nonprofit, organization whose mission is to engage the people of Maine with the power and pleasure of ideas. The Council’s programs, and the projects which it supports through grants, are intended to encourage a deeper understanding of ourselves and others, foster wisdom in an age of information, and provide context in a time of change.

MHC is particularly interested in supporting projects that are collaborative, that stimulate meaningful community dialogue, attract diverse audiences, are participatory and engaging, and invite discovery of the humanities in interesting and exciting ways. Projects in rural areas, and projects that reach intergenerational audiences are also of particular interest. Grants are awarded to not-for-profit organizations that serve a Maine audience.

Funding priorities change periodically, so potential applicants should consult the MHC website for current grant opportunities. 

For more information, contact:
Anne Schlitt or Lizz Sinclair
207-773-5051 or 1-866-ME-READER

Maine State Archives

84 State House Station
Augusta, ME  04333
(207) 287-5790
www.state.me.us/sos/arc/mhrab/grants.html

Grants are often available for historical archival and museum collections and facilities projects. The exact nature of the grant programs changes frequently, so be sure to check the Archives’ website for updates before planning to apply.

Historical Records Collections Grant Program: Basic Projects

Deadline: May 1, 2013
Grant amount: up to $1,000
Grant period: Projects must be completed by May 31, 2014
Match: 1:1

The primary purpose of this program is to preserve Maine’s significant historical records (archives) and make them available to the public. Projects dealing with agricultural collections and Civil War collections are especially encouraged.

In general, the Maine Historical Records Advisory Board favors the following approaches: 

  • Basic preservation steps, not intensive item-level conservation work.
  • Describing your archival collection should be a logical process: A basic inventory of the entire collection, followed by a basic level of organization (description at the collection or series level; housed appropriately) before doing folder or item-level description. This program does not normally fund item-level description, except for photographs, which may be described individually at a basic level.
  • Preservation of original information over preservation of the object.
  • Cost effective approaches to the preservation of information.
  • Digitization can be an effective method for improving access to a collection, but for most media, it is not a preservation method. Any digitization projects should also insure that the originals are archivally housed and are monitored.

For more information, contact:
Janet Roberts
janet.roberts@maine.gov or (207) 287-5791

Historical Records Collections Grants: Major Projects
Deadline: October 1, 2013
Grant amount: $1,000–$2,500
Grant period: Projects must be completed by June 30, 2014
Match: 1:1 

The primary purpose of this program is to preserve Maine’s significant historical records (archives) and make them available to the public. Projects dealing with agricultural collections and Civil War collections are especially encouraged.

In general, the Maine Historical Records Advisory Board favors the following approaches:

  • Basic preservation steps, not intensive item-level conservation work.
  • Describing your archival collection should be a logical process: A basic inventory of the entire collection, followed by a basic level of organization (description at the collection or series level; housed appropriately) before doing folder or item-level description. This program does not normally fund item-level description, except for photographs, which may be described individually at a basic level.
  • Preservation of original information over preservation of the object.
  • Cost effective approaches to the preservation of information.
  • Digitization can be an effective method for improving access to a collection, but for most media, it is not a preservation method. Any digitization projects should also insure that the originals are archivally housed and are monitored.

For more information, contact:
Janet Roberts
janet.roberts@maine.gov or (207) 287-5791

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC)

98 North Washington Street, Suite 401
Boston, MA 02214
http://mblc.state.ma.us/

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is the agency of state government with the statutory authority and responsibility to organize, develop, coordinate and improve library services throughout the Commonwealth. Authorized to administer the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants to States Program, the MBLC uses LSTA funding to support statewide initiatives that enhance the services local libraries can supply, and a competitive grant program that provides local libraries the financial resources to develop programs and innovative ideas.  Preservation activities supported include needs assessments, microfilming, digitization, conservation treatment, rehousing, and purchase of storage furniture. Eligibility has been extended to include all types of libraries that belong to regional networks.

Preservation Assessment Grants

Deadline: TBA.  A Letter of Intent must be submitted to the MBLC several months prior to the grant application deadline.
Grant amount: $3,500
Grant period: 1 year
Match: $700

The MBLC provides grants of $3,500 to fund preservation needs assessments.  A five-year Preservation Long Range Plan based on assessment recommendations is required as an outcome of this grant.  The Plan and a copy of the assessment report must be filed with the MBLC at the completion of the project. Prior to applying, applicants must submit a Letter of Intent form with the “Preservation Survey” option checked off.

For more information, contact:
Gregor Trinkaus-Randall
Preservation Specialist
gregor.trinkaus-randall@state.ma.us or (800) 952-7403 ext. 236

Preservation of Library and Archival Materials Grants

Deadline: TBA.  A Letter of Intent must be submitted to the MBLC several months prior to the grant application deadline.
Grant amount: $5,000 to $30,000
Match: Applicants must provide at least one fifth of the total project costs.

This program will support the preservation of library and/or archival research materials with significant research value, including informational materials in print, non-print, manuscript, or other format or medium.  Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, preservation microfilming of eligible materials according to ANSI standards; hybrid approaches of preservation microfilming and digitization of the film for access or digitization and creation of preservation microfilm for the scans; conservation work and digitization of the materials for access; preservation of photographic formats and the creation of prints and negatives as part of this process; the binding, matting, boxing, or other protective enclosures for preserved materials; the repair or rebinding of discrete collections of eligible materials; major conservation treatment by a qualified conservator or conservation treatment facility; and special shelving or storage furniture for special format materials or for materials that will receive conservation treatment as part of a funded project and subsequently require special storage.  The completion of a preservation needs assessment and a Preservation Long Range Plan is required to be eligible for this program.  Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent form with the “Preservation of Library and Archival Materials” option checked off.

For more information, contact:
Gregor Trinkaus-Randall
Preservation Specialist
gregor.trinkaus-randall@state.ma.us or (800) 952-7403 ext. 236

Digitizing Historical Resources Grants

Deadline: TBA.  A Letter of Intent must be submitted to the MBLC several months prior to the grant application deadline.
Grant amount: $5,000 to $30,000
Match: Applicants must provide at least one fifth of the total project costs.

This digital imaging program will support Massachusetts’ libraries in making our national memory available to all.  Any digitization project funded through this LSTA program will be expected to follow all appropriate and applicable standard guidelines and “best practices” throughout the project and beyond.  The institution must also commit to maintaining the igital files and making them available to reserachers for the forseeable future both in-house and online.  The completion of a preservation needs assessment and a Preservation Long Range Plan is required to be eligible for this program.  Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent form with the “Digitizing Historical Resources” option checked off.

For more information, contact:
Gregor Trinkaus-Randall
Preservation Specialist
gregor.trinkaus-randall@state.ma.us or (800) 952-7403 ext. 236

New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources

20 Park Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-2392
www.nh.gov/nhculture

Conservation License Plate Grant Program

Deadline: April 26, 2013
Grant amount: up to $10,000
Grant period: Projects must be completed by August 2015.
Match: none

The Conservation License Plate Program is a state of New Hampshire funding source available to non-profit institutions to implement and to conduct preservation and conservation activities on publicly owned artifacts, paper based collections, microfilm, photographs and manuscripts that contribute to New Hampshire’s historic and cultural heritage. Funding is made possible through the sale of Moose License Plates.

Eligible activities include preservation and/or conservation; consultant services and/or needs assessments; and digitization of conserved documents to facilitate increased access.

For more information, contact:
Janet Eklund
janet.eklund@dcr.nh.gov or (603) 271-2393

Greater Hudson Heritage Network

2199 Saw Mill River Road
Elmsford, NY  10523
(914) 592-6726
www.greaterhudson.org

Conservation Treatment Grant Program

Deadline: June 3, 2013
Grant amount: up to $7,500
Grant period: 1 year
Match: none

The Conservation Treatment Grant Program, administered by the Greater Hudson Heritage Network (Greater Hudson), in association with the Museum Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), provides support for treatment procedures to aid in stabilizing and preserving objects in collections of museums, historical and cultural organizations in New York State. The work must be performed by, or under direct supervision of, a professional conservator.

For more information, contact:
Priscilla Brendler
director@greaterhudson.org or (914) 414-6726

New York State Library

Division of Library Development
New York State Library
10-C-47 Cultural Education Center
Albany, New York 12230
www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev

Conservation/Preservation Discretionary Grant Program

The application deadline for 2013 has passed. Information about deadlines and grant amounts varies by year; consult the above URL for more information.

The purposes of the NY State Library’s Conservation/Preservation program are to encourage the proper care and accessibility of research materials; to promote the use and development of guidelines and technical standards for conservation/preservation work; and to support the growth of local and cooperative activities within the context of emerging national preservation programs. The grant program provides modest financial support for projects that contribute to the preservation of significant research materials in libraries, archives, historical societies, and other agencies within the State of New York. Eligible activities include preservation needs assessments; conservation treatment; reformatting; and other preservation activities as described in the grant guidelines.

For more information, contact:
Barbara Lilley
blilley@mail.nysed.gov (518) 486-4864

Rhode Island Foundation

One Union Station
Providence, RI  02903
(401) 274-4564
www.rifoundation.org

Joseph O’Neill Ott Fund

Deadline: February
Grant amount: $250 to $600

In a bequest to The Rhode Island Foundation in 1994, Joseph O'Neill Ott, a leader in the preservation and antiquities community in the state, established a permanent endowment dedicated to document preservation. He requested that the income generated be used to preserve historical manuscripts, documents, and municipal records dating from the 19th century and earlier for the smaller cities and towns in Rhode Island.

Grants support direct conservation efforts for paper-based documents, photographs, and other two-dimensional historical evidence (excluding artwork). This can include conservation, preservation (including the purchase of containers or housing for documents), or to defray the costs associated with the acquisition of documents. Proposals that demonstrate concern about long-term storage issues or have planned document storage will be looked upon most favorably. All historical and preservation societies from the smaller cities and towns of Rhode Island are eligible to apply for an Ott grant.

For more information, contact:
Libby Monahan
Funds Administrator
(401) 427-4017