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SELS Grant Opportunities are open! Attend our "Office Hours" on 10/15 at 2 PM to learn more! Applications/Letters of Interest due 10/28
October
October
October 10
These grants primarily fund projects that can be completed within 12 months. Small grants award notifications are sent eight weeks after the application deadline. While there is no pre-application process for small grants, Grants Office staff are available to discuss your project as you prepare your application. If not funded, you will receive feedback on your application so that you can strengthen it and re-apply in another cycle. Structured grants, a simplified small grant option, are tailored to specific types of projects, such as developing a disaster plan for a small repository, acquiring microfilm, or conducting a museum self-assessment. All structured grants are small grants, and follow the small grants process listed above; however, the applicant must simply use the appropriate short form structured grant application rather than the standard Minnesota Historical & Cultural Heritage Grants application form. MNHS small grants are awarded quarterly, and applications are due on the second Friday of January, April, July, and October.
October 15
Grants of $1,500 are intended to assist the costume and textiles collection of a small museum (including historical societies, historic houses or sites, and other similar institutions) that has a very limited budget and staff. Funding may be used to support the care, conservation, and/or exhibition of costume and textiles that have historic, regional, or other significance and are intended for preservation.October 15
Grants of $1,500 are intended to assist the costume and textiles collection of a college or university that receives little or no financial support from its institution. Funding may be used to support the care, conservation, and/or instructional mission of a collection of historic, period, or otherwise informative costume and textiles that are intended for preservation and are used for study by an institution that has a degree program in apparel, textiles, or theatre.
October 15
This grant program supports current dues-paying members of the National Preservation Partners Network (NPPN) with grants focused on strengthening preservation organizations and addressing pressing issues in the preservation field. This year, grant-funded projects will fall in one of three categories:- Advocacy
- Capacity Building
- Climate Change
October 20
This grant program is administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) for digitizing rare and unique content stewarded by collecting organizations in the US and Canada. The program is designed to support efforts to digitize materials that deepen public understanding of the histories of people of color and other communities and populations whose work, experiences, and perspectives have been insufficiently recognized or unattended. These often “hidden” histories include but are not limited to, those of Black, Indigenous, Latine, and other People of Color; Women; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-binary, and other Genderqueer people and communities; Immigrants; Displaced populations; Blind, Deaf, and Disabled people and communities; and Colonized, Disenfranchised, Enslaved, and Incarcerated people. The program is generously supported by the Mellon Foundation.
October 28
Increase your knowledge of Library Values and Minnesota Libraries Structure and Funding and get $500 to purchase materials for your library! SELCO and SELS will award $500 mini-grants (up to a total of $5000) to library members who agree to the following:- Register for and complete one of two Minnesota Library Learning Network (MLLN) courses: either Introduction to Library Values (recommended for new library staff) or Minnesota Libraries Structure and Funding (recommended for new to Minnesota library staff). Both take about 4 hours to complete.
- Attend at least 3 of 5 cohort discussions hosted by SELCO staff. Dates TBD.
October 28: Letters of Interest Due
SELS is excited to announce the Community Needs Grant, a new grant opportunity for its academic, K-12 school and special library members! Instead of limiting the amount awarded, SELS invites members to think bigger! Members are encouraged to think about solutions to community needs that could be launched with grant support. SELS is opening up a larger pool of grant funds (a total of $20,000) to support innovative projects. This new opportunity corresponds with the SELS Strategic Plan, in which one of the goals is to "adapt responsive funding opportunities to support libraries in enhancing services to better meet the needs of users." Please note: This is not a collection development grant, although a small portion of funds may be used to purchase materials related to the grant objective.
October 31
The DAR Historic Preservation Grants provide financial assistance for projects that preserve historic objects and sites. Examples include restoration of historic buildings; digitization or preservation of documents/records; preservation of historic items/artifacts; restoration, rededication or relocation of existing historical site markers; cemetery headstone and monument conservation. Projects from all eras and chapters of American history are eligible to apply. The maximum grant is $10,000, and smaller projects are encouraged. Please note that each application must be accompanied by letter from a sponsoring DAR chapter or state organization (find a local DAR chapter here).November
November
November 1
The Site Preservation Grant is intended to fund projects that uphold the AIA’s mission to preserve and protect the world’s archaeological heritage for future generations. The goal of the grant, which carries a maximum award of $15,000, is to enhance global preservation efforts and promote awareness of the need to protect threatened archaeological sites. The AIA seeks to support projects that not only directly preserve archaeological sites, but those that also include public outreach and education components that create a positive impact on the local community, students, and the discipline of archaeology as a whole.
November 5
The Early Care and Education Grant program will help fund early care and education services for children birth to age five. Organizations that work with these children in SMIF’s 20-county region are eligible to apply. Grant funds could be used to support social, emotional, physical and mental health, training and development to operate and address the needs of young children, or other activities necessary to maintain the services in early care and education.
November 7
The Carnegie-Whitney Grant provides grants for the preparation of popular or scholarly reading lists, webliographies, indexes and other guides to library resources that will be useful to users of all types of libraries in the United States. Grant of up to $5,000 are awarded to individuals; local, regional or state libraries, associations or organizations, including units, affiliates and committees of the American Library Association, or programs of information and library studies/science.
November 14
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative offered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services through the Museums for America program. It is designed to support small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, policy development and institutional planning, technology enhancements, professional development, community outreach, audience development, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation.November 14
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative offered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services through the Museums for America program. It is designed to support projects that use the transformative power of professional development and training to generate systemic change within museums of all types and sizes.November 14
Inspire! Grants for Small Museums is a special initiative offered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services through the Museums for America program. It is designed to support small museums of all disciplines in project-based efforts to serve the public through exhibitions, educational/interpretive programs, digital learning resources, policy development and institutional planning, technology enhancements, professional development, community outreach, audience development, and/or collections management, curation, care, and conservation.
November 19
This program supports small projects that help students from underserved populations gain access to and benefit from the humanities. Projects must enhance the teaching and study of the humanities at one or more colleges and universities that enroll fewer than 10,000 undergraduate students and that belong to at least one of the following categories: community colleges, minority-serving institutions, rural colleges and universities, or colleges and universities with more than 40% of students receiving Pell grants. These institutions, nonprofit organizations, and state, local, or Native American Tribal governments aiming to advance the humanities at these institutions are eligible to apply. The program supports activities including but not limited to course or program development, expert consultations, speakers’ series, student research and experiential learning, creation of teaching resources, and community engagement.December
December
December 3
This program provides grants to organizations to support collaborative teams who are editing, annotating, and translating foundational humanities texts that are vital to scholarship but are currently inaccessible or only available in inadequate editions or translations. Typically, the texts are significant literary, philosophical, and historical materials, but works in other humanities fields may also be the subject of an edition. The program supports continuous full-time or part-time activities during the period of performance of one to three years. At least two scholars must work collaboratively on the project.
December 31
T-Mobile Hometown Grants is a $25 million, five-year initiative to support the people and organizations who help small towns across America thrive and grow. Hometown Grants are given every quarter to up to 25 small towns. Elected officials, town managers/employees, tribal leaders, and nonprofit community leaders from town with a population less than 50,000 can apply for up to $50,000 in funding to support a community project of your choice, like revitalizing or repurposing a historic structure, creating a downtown asset or destination, or improving a space where friends and neighbors gather. Projects that add to a sense of place or could lead to further investment are of particular interest.Rolling Basis
Rolling Basis
This grant program offers a budget total of up to $5,000 to one or more applicants. Grant money is to be applied to the preservation of cultural histories through the conservation, education and public accessibility of home and amateur analog audiovisual materials. This grant is limited to collections reflecting life in the upper midwest states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. The Fund accommodates most analog and obsolete audiovisual media formats. This grant is financially supported by its sponsor, The MediaPreserve, other partner vendors, and the Fund's donors. (Please note that grant monies are paid to partner vendors to cover grant related costs and are not dispensed directly to grantees. This grant is for moving image and audio recordings only. The fund does not support the digitization of still imagery).
Brooks and Joan Fortune Foundation Grant
The Jeffris Family Foundation invites applications for grants from the Jeffris Heartland Fund, to support the development of important historic preservation projects in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The decision to pursue a grant from the Jeffris Heartland Fund must be made in consultation with a Director of the Foundation to discuss your project and request a Jeffris Heartland Fund application form. Directors can also assist grant-seekers with the application process, provide related technical assistance to guide wise and constructive use of the grant funding, and administer grants once awarded. Applications, once invited, are accepted at any time. Award notices are issued within approximately 30 days of receipt of the application. Grants will be made in the range of $5,000 to $50,000 to cover 50% the cost of an Historic Structure Report, and must be matched dollar-for-dollar with cash from sources unrelated to the Jeffris Family.Brooks and Joan Fortune Foundation Grant
This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas, including libraries and museums. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.
The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program provides $10,000 in funding for resident-driven groups in small cities and towns to start the Community Heart & Soul model. Grant funding requires a $10,000 cash match from the participating municipality or a partnering organization. Applications may be submitted at any time. Applications submitted by 10:59 PM CT on the last day of the month will be considered in the following month.
The mission of the Jan Stauber Grants is to provide needed financial assistance to persons and organizations developing literacy programs and other educational experiences that will introduce young people to Sherlock Holmes. Applications can be submitted at any time, and libraries can be awarded up to $1,000 for a project.
The Jeffris Family Foundation invites applications for grants from the Jeffris Heartland Fund, to support the development of important historic preservation projects in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The decision to pursue a grant from the Jeffris Heartland Fund must be made in consultation with a Director of the Foundation to discuss your project and request a Jeffris Heartland Fund application form. Directors can also assist grant-seekers with the application process, provide related technical assistance to guide wise and constructive use of the grant funding, and administer grants once awarded. Applications, once invited, are accepted at any time. Award notices are issued within approximately 30 days of receipt of the application. Grants will be made in the range of $5,000 to $50,000 to cover 50% the cost of an Historic Structure Report, and must be matched dollar-for-dollar with cash from sources unrelated to the Jeffris Family.
The PFund Foundation offers event sponsorships for events, gatherings, conferences, and convenings serving a primarily LGBTQ+ audience. Sponsorship amounts typically range from $500 - $1,000 and organizations are limited to receiving one sponsorship per calendar year. Applications are reviewed on the last Monday of each month. After grants are reviewed, payment processing takes about 4 weeks. Please make sure to apply at least 60-days before your event date.
Through the Impact Library Program, Little Free Library provides free book exchanges where they can have a meaningful impact in the United States. The program aims to strengthen community ties, inspire readers, expand easy book access, positively influence literacy outcomes, and make Little Free Libraries available in high-need areas. Applications are reviewed monthly and applicants are notified by the end of the month after the month they applied.
The Arts & Culture program funds organizations across many artistic disciplines and cultural practices and support structures that equip and empower artists and culture bearers to practice, to produce, and to lead. This grant provides general operating (unrestricted) and specific program/project (restricted) grants to organizations, groups, and Tribal Nations primarily in Minnesota.
This program seeks to build vibrant and equitable communities for all Minnesotans by working to transform existing systems and create new ones that enable every resident, regardless of race, geography, or income, to have opportunities for upward economic mobility, individual and generational wealth building, access to stable, affordable housing, and an ability to meaningfully and fairly engage in civic and democratic processes. We provide operating and project grants to organizations in Minnesota. With very few exceptions, applicants must be classified by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt nonprofit organizations to be eligible for a grant. Government entities may apply for funding for innovative projects. However, we generally will not fund activities that are traditionally the sole responsibility of government.
Letter of inquiry required - invitation to submit a proposal may follow
Mellon makes grants to support communities through the power of the arts and humanities, supporting ideas and organizations that contribute to a more connected, creative, and just society through four core grantmaking areas and signature Presidential Initiatives. The four core areas are1. Arts and Culture: Art and artists are essential to human connection2. Higher Learning: Knowledge is produced everywhere3. Humanities in Place: How and where we tell our stories matters4. Public Knowledge: Knowledge should be accessible to allMellon only accepts proposals by invitation. If you are interested in funding from Mellon, you can submit a letter of inquiry, which may be followed by an invitation to submit a proposal
Funded by the Minnesota Department of Health and carried out by the St. Paul Conservatory of Music, this program aims to improve student social-emotional health, enhance musical arts awareness, improve engagement in school, and increase community vitality through music. Students involved in the program will have an opportunity to engage in artistically excellent individual and group music instruction from St. Paul Conservatory of Music faculty.
The Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund helps to build the capacity of existing preservation organizations and encourages collaboration among these organizations by providing grants for mentoring and other peer-to-peer and direct organizational development and learning opportunities. The purpose of these grants is to support the leadership and effectiveness of staff and board members of preservation organizations to fulfill their mission and to create a stronger, more effective preservation movement. By linking organizations with specific skills/programs to those seeking to develop similar abilities, the Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund promotes individualized mentoring and the sharing of expertise. Valuable lessons can be learned from someone who has successfully navigated the same situation that an organization currently faces. Grants from the Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund support travel costs and mentor honoraria with a maximum reimbursement of $2,500. Only Organizational Level Forum members or Main Street America members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation are eligible to apply for funding from the Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund grant program. To learn more about Forum and join today, visit our website.
The Rural Technology Fund provides grants for Rural Technology Education projects and Assistive Technology projects. If you are interested in applying for funding to support your project, please review the grant types at the link below and be sure you submit to the correct application. Applications are reviewed and grants are awarded every 30-60 days, and there are no specific deadlines for applying. Grant are available to school and organizations operating in the United States.
This grant program is divided into two parts
- One for preservation projects (for properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places for national significance or designated a National Historic Landmark. The property may be listed on either individually or as contributing to a nationally significant district). These awards are managed by the National Park Service.
- One for projects involving collections (including artifacts, museum collections, documents, sculptures, and other works of art). These awards are managed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Believe in Reading awards grants to existing and provably successful literacy programs. Organizations that have been designated as having tax exempt status according to the IRS Code Section 501(c)(3), or its equivalent for educational institutions, including public libraries, can apply. Believe in Reading will consider funding programs that serve any age or aspect of supporting reading and literacy, including adult literacy, English as a second language projects, or Braille related projects for the blind or visually impaired. Because addressing literacy is not a short-term process, Believe in Reading’s grants are renewable for up to a maximum of three years, but a first year award does not guarantee any subsequent awards. At this time, the maximum grant amount is $10,000, however the vast majority of grants awarded are for $3,000 or less. First time applicants will not be funded for more than $3,000.
Projects must be completed by 5/31/2026
Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) is the premier educational program by the Library of Congress. The TPS Midwest Region, which covers Minnesota, is managed by Illinois State University. The Midwest Region offers grants up to $25,000 to organizations interested in the Library's mission to engage all Americans with the use of primary source material. A successful grant application will include a thorough description of the intended project, its audience, and content, as well as be supported by a timeline of activities, budget, and narrative. Evaluators also look for management supports and a sustainability plan. TPS Regional directors make granting decisions within six weeks of submission.Report abuse