Thursday, May 27, 2021
IMLS American Rescue Plan Act Grants to Libraries, Consortia, and Related Organizations
On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced it is accepting applications for up to $15 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) projects. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, June 28, 2021. IMLS will directly award competitive grants between $10,000 and $50,000 to eligible libraries, Native American and Native Hawaiian communities, and museums. The grant program will fund projects that advance digital inclusion, support hiring and training staff, build community-focused partnerships, support the creation and delivery of educational programs, provide trusted spaces for community engagement and dialogue to foster recovery and rebuilding, and preserve information and materials representing the COVID-19 experience. Libraries must match the federal funds from non-federal sources in an amount equal to or greater than the project request. See the IMLS American Rescue Plan Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity for grant details.
Project applications must be submitted through Grants.gov and also be registered in the System for Award Management at SAM.gov. This is a lengthy process that may take several weeks. A library that is not registered may choose to submit an application as part of a consortium with a registered entity acting as the project fiscal agent. It is recommended that libraries register and maintain registration in these portals so your library is prepared to apply for annual and supplementary grant opportunities from IMLS, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and other federal agencies that support library services.
Questions about these IMLS grant opportunities should be directed to the IMLS program contact Cyndee Landrum, Deputy Director for Library Services, clandrum@imls.gov. IMLS welcomes calls from applicants and is happy to answer any questions about the grant application and review process.
We encourage you to review the opportunities and wish your library the best of luck should your library choose to apply. These funding opportunities provide Wisconsin libraries a great opportunity to join together, collaborate, and apply for needed funding to demonstrate libraries’ resiliency and importance to our communities.