Museum Grants for African American History and Culture guidelines

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Dated Material
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2007
Museum Grants
for African
American History
and Culture
Grant Program Guidelines
and Application Forms
CFDA No. 45.309

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US Postage

PAID

Institute of Museum
and Library Services
Permit No. G-274

Application Deadline: January 15, 2007
Online application available through Grants.gov
(see www.imls.gov/grantsgov for more information)

For more information, call or write:

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture Staff
Christopher J. Reich, Senior Program Officer
Phone: 202/653-4685
E-mail: [email protected]
Twinet G. Kimbrough, Program Specialist
Phone: 202/653-4703
E-mail: [email protected]

Office of Museum Services
General number: 202/653-4789

Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M Street, NW
9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802
General phone: 202/653-IMLS (4657)
General E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.imls.gov
TTY (for hearing-impaired persons): 202/653-4699
IMLS will provide visually impaired or learning-disabled persons with an audio recording of this
publication or any other grant publication upon request.

IMLS programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap,
or age. For further information, write to the Civil Rights Officer, Institute of Museum and Library
Services, Washington, DC 20506.

Burden estimate and request for public comments
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average nine hours per
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering
and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Institute of Museum and Library Services at the address above; and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction
Project (3137-0065), Washington, DC 20503.
CFDA Number: 45.309
OMB Number: 3137-0065; Expiration Date: 06/30/2009

DEAR COLLEAGUE

I am pleased to present the 2007 guidelines for Museum Grants for African American History and
Culture. These grants provide opportunities for African American museums to strengthen the
knowledge and abilities of current staff and attract other professionals and new staff to African
American museum practice.
Museum Grants for African American History and Culture are intended to build expertise and
improve skills in management, operations, programming, collections care, and other areas. We
encourage African American museums to design projects that will enhance institutional capacity
and sustainability through professional training, networking and mentoring opportunities, internships and fellowships, technical assistance, outside expertise, and other tools.
This historic program was established by the National Museum of African American History and
Culture Act, which calls upon the Director of the Institute to create a new funding opportunity in
consultation with the Director and Council of the National Museum for African American History
and Culture. We were delighted to announce the first-ever grants for this program in September,
2006, awarding over $800,000 to eight organizations throughout the country.
I invite you to read these guidelines, speak with IMLS staff, and consider applying for funding.
We were pleased by the enthusiastic response in the inaugural year of this exciting new opportunity and look forward to a robust response in the second funding cycle.
Sincerely,

Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Ph.D.
Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services



table of contents

Section 1: General Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About Museum Grants for African American History and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Institutional Eligibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Eligible Activities and Costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
and Employer Identification Number (EIN). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Conditions of a Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Duration of a Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Project Start Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Amount of Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Cost Sharing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Use of Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Copyright/Work Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Announcement of Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Payment, Accounting, Management and Report Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Section 2: The Application Package. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Application Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Application Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Paper Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Grants.gov Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Grants.gov Registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Obtaining Application Packages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Working on an Application Package. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Application Attachments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Grants.gov Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Face Sheet/SF-424s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Program Information Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
AAHC Narrative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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Section 2: The Application Package (Continued)
‘Text Responses’ Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Statement of purpose/mission statement and history. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Explanation of budget surplus or deficit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Summary of project activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Institutional financial statements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Schedule of completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Budget justification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
List of key project staff and consultants and resumes for key project personnel . . . . . . . . . 32
Other Attachments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Proof of Nonprofit status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Optional Attachments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Assembling Paper Application Packages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Submitting Grants.gov Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Submitting Paper Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Section 3: Application Forms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Application Checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Face Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Program Information Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Budget Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Sample Schedule of Completion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
IMLS Assurances and Certification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

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iv

General Information

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the
nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong
libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the
national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture,
and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.
The Institute supports the full range of museums, including art, history, science and technology,
children’s, natural history, historic houses, nature centers, botanical gardens, and zoos; and all
types of libraries, including public, school, academic, research, and archival. Our robust capacity
for research, evaluation, policy analysis, grantmaking, and partnerships help make it possible for
libraries and museums to be leaders in their communities.
Museums and libraries are America’s leading public institutions, making knowledge available to
millions at little or no cost. As public institutions they must meet a very high threshold of mission
accountability and use resources wisely for public good.
Through grants and information resources, we annually reach thousands of museums and
libraries in myriad ways—from providing much needed technical assistance for small institutions
to establishing national and replicable models, strengthening state networks, and supporting professional development. To aid institutions in program design, we also provide tools for strategic
planning and evaluation. Funding from the Institute helps museums and libraries operate effectively and give value to their communities. It also leverages additional public and private support.
Collecting and disseminating results from funded projects, engaging in research, and publishing
reports enables the Institute of Museum and Library Services to make a significant contribution
to library, museum, and information policy and practice in the United States.



about Museum Grants for African American
History and Culture

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC) are intended to build
professional capacity in the African American
museum community. The program provides
opportunities for the staffs of African American museums to gain knowledge and abilities
in the areas of management, operations, programming, collections care and other museum
skills identified as high priorities by applicants.
It provides an opportunity for African American
museums to design projects that will enhance
institutional capacity and sustainability by
utilizing professional training, technical assistance, internships, outside expertise, and
other tools.
For FY2007, the program will invite applications that focus on one or more of the following three goals:
• Developing or strengthening knowledge,
skills and other expertise of current staff
at African American museums
• Attracting and retaining professionals with
the skills needed to strengthen African
American museums
• Attracting new staff to African American
museum practice and providing them with
the expertise needed to sustain them in
the museum field

• enrollment in courses or workshops;
• technical assistance or consultation with
museum or business professionals from
outside the institution; and
• organizational support for the development and implementation of internship
and fellowship programs. (Awards are not
made to individuals.)
Grantees are encouraged to include staff
attendance at one or more professional
museum conferences that support the
design of their project proposals, and can
fund this attendance with grant funds.
Conferences can include state, regional, or
national meetings.

IMLS encourages projects within the full
range of funding; we expect that awards
will be made at all levels, from $5,000 to
$150,000.

Funds will support a wide range of activities
that support these goals, including
• staff exchange, mentoring, education or
training, or other strategies that increase
the skills needed to improve African American museum services;
• attendance at museum conferences and
other professional meetings;



institutional Eligibility

An applicant must
NOTE: a museum2 is defined as an organization that, using a professional staff,3
(1) is organized on a permanent basis for
essentially educational or aesthetic purposes; (2) owns or uses tangible objects,
either animate or inanimate; (3) cares
for these objects; and (4) exhibits these
objects to the general public on a regular basis through facilities that it owns or
operates.4

1. be either a unit of state or local government or a private not-for-profit organization that has tax-exempt status under the
Internal Revenue Code;
2. be located in one of the 50 states of the
United States of America, the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin
Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the
Marshall Islands, the Federated States of
Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau; and
3. qualify as one of the following three types
of organizations:
a. A museum whose primary purpose, as
reflected in its mission, is African American
life, art, history, and/or culture, encompassing the period of slavery; the era of reconstruction; the Harlem Renaissance; the
civil rights movement; and other periods of
the African American Diaspora;
b. A museum service organization or association1 whose primary purpose, as reflected in its mission, is to support museums
identified above; or
c. A historically black college or university,
as defined by the Higher Education Act
of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. Section
1061, and pursuant to Executive Order
13256, dated February 12, 2002.
A friends group associated with a single museum
is not an eligible applicant.
1



Museums include, but are not limited to, aquariums, arboretums, art museums, botanical gardens,
children/youth museums, general museums (those
having two or more significant disciplines), historic
houses/sites, history museums, natural history/
anthropology museums, nature centers, planetariums, science/technology centers, specialized
museums (limited to a single distinct subject), and
zoological parks.
2

An institution uses a professional staff if it employs at least one professional staff member, or
the full-time equivalent, whether paid or unpaid,
primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of objects owned or used by the
institution.
3

An institution exhibits objects to the general public
if such exhibition is a primary purpose of the institution. An institution that exhibits objects to the general
public for at least 120 days a year is deemed to exhibit objects to the general public on a regular basis.
4

An institution that exhibits objects by appointment
may meet the requirement to exhibit objects to the
general public on a regular basis if it can establish, in
light of the facts under all the relevant circumstances, that this method of exhibition does not unreasonably restrict the accessibility of the institution’s exhibits to the general public. (continued on next page)

Please note that a museum located within a
parent organization that is a state or local government or multipurpose not-for-profit entity,
such as a municipality, university, historical
society, foundation, or cultural center, may apply on its own behalf if the museum (1) is able
to independently fulfill all the eligibility requirements listed above; (2) functions as a discrete
unit within the parent organization; (3) has its
own fully segregated and itemized operating
budget; and (4) has the authority to make the
application on its own. When any of the last
three conditions cannot be met, a museum
may apply through its parent organization, and
the parent organization may submit a single
application for one or more of its museums.

(continued from previous page) An institution that
does not have as a primary purpose the exhibition
of objects to the general public but that can demonstrate that it exhibits objects to the general public on
a regular basis as a significant, separate, distinct,
and continuing portion of its activities, and that it otherwise meets the museum eligibility requirements,
may be determined to be eligible as a museum under
these guidelines. For more information, please see
45 C.F.R. Chapter XI, Subchapter E (Institute of Museum and Library Services).



Eligible Activities and Costs

The Museum Grants for African American
History and Culture program is designed to
help build professional capacity in the African
American museum community. Applicants
should define how the project activities relate
to their institutional goals for building professional capacity.
Types of grant activities funded may include
but are not limited to
• staff exchange, mentoring, education or
training, or other strategies that increase
the skills needed to improve African American museum services;
• attendance at museum conferences and
other professional meetings;
• enrollment in courses or workshops;
• technical assistance or consultation with
museum and/or business professionals
from outside the institution; and
• organizational support for the development and implementation of internship
and fellowship programs. (Awards are not
made to individuals.)
Grantees are encouraged to include staff
attendance at one or more professional
museum conferences that support the
design of their project proposals, and can
fund this attendance with grant funds.
Conferences can include state, regional, or
national meetings.
Grant activities are expected to have quantifiable and measurable outcomes, and grantees
will be expected to evaluate the success of
the project against the intended outcomes
established in the original grant application.
IMLS will provide technical support to grantees



as they develop and implemet their evaluation plans. Information about outcome-based
evaluation can be found on the IMLS Web site
(www.imls.gov/applicants/obe.shtm) or may
be requested from IMLS.

Non-Eligible Activities and Costs
• general museum fundraising costs, such
as development office expenditures or
other staff time devoted to general fundraising;
• contributions to endowment funds;
• acquisition of objects for the collection;
• costs of social activities, ceremonies, and
other entertainment;
• pre-award costs (costs incurred prior to
the effective date of the grant);
• construction and renovation of museum
facilities (Any activity involving contract
labor in the construction trades is not an
allowable cost.);
• collection conservation activities, including
the purchase of storage equipment such
as shelving, installation of collections,
HVAC systems, creation of collections storage facilities, object treatment, collections
surveys, or historic structure renovation
(For these activities, please see IMLS Conservation Project Support Guidelines.)
• exhibit fabrication that includes creation of
large scale permanent structures for animals or objects that would involve contract
labor of the construction trades. (Exhibits
fabrication may be an allowable cost. If
you have a question about the eligibility
of the scope of your exhibition activities,
please call IMLS staff immediately.)

Eligible Activities and Costs

Cost Share

Eligible expenses include but are not limited to

IMLS will provide up to one-half the cost of the
project. Your cost share may consist of

• staffing;
• purchase of equipment, materials, supplies or services;
• staff training;
• internship stipends and support activities;
• integration of technology into museum
operations;
• publication;
• costs associated with evaluation of grant
programs or activities;
• indirect or overhead costs (see page 28).
Applicable government-wide cost principles
are listed in 45 C.F.R. Section 1180.10(a)
(IMLS regulations), available upon request.

•
•
•
•
•

cash contributions;
earned income;
in-kind contributions;
materials and supplies; and/or
equipment.

You may not use federal funds as your cost
share. In-kind contributions such as staff time,
donated services, supplies, and space may be
used as cost share if you can document that
donations relate specifically to your African
American History and Culture grant project.



Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)/
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)

DUNS

TIN

To improve the statistical reporting of federal
grants and cooperative agreements, the Office
of Management and Budget has directed all
federal agencies to require all applicants for
federal grants to provide a Dun and Bradstreet
(D&B) Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) Number when applying for federal
grants or cooperative agreements.

The Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is
an identification number used by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) in the administration
of tax laws. It is issued either by the Social
Security Administration (SSA) or by the IRS. A
Social Security Number is issued by the SSA
whereas all other TINs are issued by the IRS.
An Employer Identification Number (EIN), also
known as a federal tax identification number,
is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to
business entities. The IRS uses this number to
identify taxpayers that are required to file various business tax returns.

Organizations should verify that they have a
DUNS Number or take the steps needed to
obtain one. Organizations can receive a DUNS
Number at no cost by calling the dedicated
toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-866705-5711 or by visiting www.dnb.com/us.



If an organization does not have a DUNS and a
TIN number, the application will be rejected.

Conditions of a Grant

Duration of a Grant
Generally, project activities supported by
grants may be carried out for a period of up to
two years.

Project Start Date
Projects may begin no earlier than August 1,
2007 and no later than November 1, 2007.
Projects must begin on the first day of the
month and end on the last day of the month.

Amount of Grant
Museum Grants for African American History
and Culture range from $5,000 to $150,000.
IMLS will review and negotiate budgets as
necessary. Applicants may be granted an
amount less than requested. Please note that
applicants may submit only one application
for funding through AAHC for each application
deadline

Cost Sharing
Project cost must be matched 1:1 through the
cost share by the applicant. Applicants must
provide at least one-half of the total cost of
the project from non-federal sources. These
costs may be supported by the grantee’s cash
outlays including cash contributions from
third parties that are used to support project
costs, the value of the grantee’s contributions
of property and services to the project, and
third-party in-kind contributions that are used
to support project activities. IMLS encourages
applicants to contribute as cost sharing the
salaries of any existing permanent staff to
be employed on a project in proportion to the
amount of time they will spend on the project.
If IMLS funding is requested for salaries of
existing permanent staff, the proposal should
explain how their regular duties will be per-

formed during the grant period. IMLS strongly
encourages applicants to seek third-party
donations of cash, equipment, and services. If
any funds are to be contributed as cost share
by sources other than the applicant or its
official partners, the applicant must identify
whether the commitment of funds is assured
or pending. If the funds are assured, the applicant should include a letter from the source
affirming its commitment. If the funds are not
assured, the applicant should describe the
plan for meeting the promised cost share from
other sources in the event that the pending
funds are not received.

Use of Funds
IMLS grant funds may be used only for costs
directly related to the project such as costs
for salaries for museum personnel, project
supplies and materials, membership fees,
telecommunication services and equipment,
and other fees or expenses associated with
the project.
Grant funds may not be used for construction,
contributions to endowment funds, social activities, ceremonies, entertainment, collection
acquisition, or pre-grant costs.
Projects should be investments in the organization that will have long-term institutional
impact, not one-time activities. Any revenues
generated with project funds during the grant
period must be reported as program income
and should be applied to the grant recipient’s
cost sharing or as specified in applicable OMB
circulars. All listed expenses must be incurred
during the grant period. Government-wide uniform administration rules and requirements
apply, including appropriate OMB circulars.



Conditions of a Grant

For a list of allowable and unallowable costs,
please see page 6.

Copyright/Work Products
IMLS requires acknowledgment of IMLS assistance in all publications and other products
resulting from the project. Products should be
distributed for free or at cost unless the recipient has received written approval from IMLS
for another arrangement. With written permission, the recipient may copyright any work
that is subject to copyright and was developed
under an award or for which ownership was
purchased. IMLS reserves, for federal government purposes, a royalty-free, nonexclusive,
and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish,
or otherwise use the work and authorize others to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use
the work. IMLS requires that grantees provide
three copies of any products produced with
IMLS funds to IMLS with final reports.

Announcement of Award
No information about the status of an application will be released until all applications
have been reviewed and all negotiations are
concluded. IMLS will notify applicants of final
decisions in July 2007.

Payment, Accounting, Management and
Reporting Procedures
A federal accounting office handles the payment for Museum Grants for African American
History and Culture recipients, and grantees
may request cash advances or reimbursements as needed during the project period.
Payments are made electronically. IMLS requires grant recipients to maintain a restricted
account for funds received during the project
period. Grantees do not need to maintain a

10

separate bank account for IMLS grant funds;
however, they must establish and maintain
a separate accounting category within an
internal accounting system to show that the
funds have been used for project costs only.
This restricted accounting record must be adequate to satisfy normal auditing procedures.
Grants are subject to the provisions of Office
of Management and Budget audit requirements. In addition, government-wide uniform
grant administrative rules and requirements
apply, including appropriate OMB circulars.
Grant recipients are required to submit semiannual interim performance reports every six
months during the grant period as well as annual financial reports. They are also required
to submit a final performance report and a
final financial report at the end of the grant
period.

Application Review and Evaluation

IMLS staff determines whether an applicant
is eligible and whether an application is
complete. IMLS staff may contact applicants
for information needed to make an eligibility
determination. If an applicant is determined to
be ineligible as an official applicant, the application will be rejected without evaluation (see
“Institutional Eligibility,” page 3). Incomplete
applications are subject to rejection without
evaluation. If an application is rejected, the
applicant will be notified by mail.
All eligible applications for AAHC grants will
be evaluated by individual field review and/or
panel review. Reviewers will have professional
experience in or relating to African American
history and culture as well as experience with
general museum operations. The IMLS Director makes the final funding decisions on the
basis of the evaluations by reviewers and panels, the types of projects encouraged by IMLS,
and the overall goals of the AAHC program and
of IMLS.
Reviewers provide their evaluation applying
the review criteria listed with the narrative
questions on pages 24-26. For examples of
funded projects, search the Awarded Grants
database at www.imls.gov/search.asp.

11

12

The Application
Package

Application Components

An application requesting AAHC funding should include the following materials:
1. Face Sheet: the two-page form on pages 39-40 of this booklet or “Application for Federal
Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form (SF-424S)” on Grants.gov, also available as a
fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov zip file or on the IMLS Web site.
2. Program Information Sheet: the three-page form on pages 41-43 of this booklet, which
is available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov instructions zip file or on
the IMLS Web site.
3. Narrative (not to exceed seven pages). Include each question’s number and label.
4. Budget: the four-page form on pages 44-47 of this booklet, with the detailed budget pages
replicated for each year. This form is available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the
Grants.gov zip file or on the IMLS Web site.
5. Text Responses Document, which will include the following:
a. Explanation of budget surplus or deficit, if applicable
b. Statement of purpose/mission statement and history
c. Institutional financial statements
d. Summary of project activities
e. Schedule of completion
f. Budget justification
g. List of key project staff and consultants
h. Resumes for key project personnel (no more than 2 pages per person)
6. Other attachments:
a. Proof of nonprofit status, if applicable
b. Current federally negotiated rate for indirect costs, if applicable
c. Letters of commitment, if applicable
d. Optional attachments (not to exceed 20 pages)

14

Application Options

Applicants to the AAHC program have two
options for submitting their applications:
(1) on paper or (2) through Grants.gov, the
one-stop Web site for organizations looking for
and applying for federal grant opportunities.
The application instructions contained
within these guidelines are designed to
accommodate both the paper and the online
application process. Applicants should feel
free to contact AAHC program staff at any
time with questions about an application
component.

Paper Applications
Applicants who wish to submit their
application on paper are encouraged to
visit www.imls.gov and download the fillable
versions of the application forms, which
are available in both Adobe PDF (Portable
Document Format) and Microsoft Word. To
open these files, applicants must have either
the freely available Adobe Acrobat Reader or
Microsoft Word software on their computers.
(Visit www.imls.gov/plugins.shtm to link to
free downloads.) Caution: Applicants using
the free version of the Reader software
cannot save the filled-out forms, so the forms
must be completely filled in and printed in
one operation. Applicants who have the full
version of Adobe will be able to save filled-out
forms. There are also many low-cost or free
software packages that can help with saving
documents as PDFs.
To learn more, see www.imls.gov/pdf/
PDFConversion.pdf. As an alternative,
applicants may re-create the forms
electronically following the IMLS format or may
type on printed forms.
Please see the “Assembling Paper
Application Packages” and “Submitting
Paper Applications” sections for instructions
on printing, copying, and mailing paper
applications.

15

Grants.gov Applications

Organizations that are applying under the
January 15, 2007, deadline for the AAHC
program may submit their applications
through Grants.gov, the federal government’s
online application system. Since January 15
is a federal holiday, the Grants.gov system
will accept applications through 11:59 P.M.
eastern time, January 16, 2007.
While the deadline is January 16, IMLS
recommends strongly that applicants
REGISTER EARLY (see “Grants.gov
Registration” section below) and COMPLETE
AND SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS EARLY.
Applicants are urged not to wait until the last
day to submit their applications. Grants.gov
can slow down during periods of high usage,
which most often occur between 12:00 noon
and 5:00 P.M. eastern time, particularly on
days near a deadline. Applicants will have
a better experience if they submit their
applications outside of these hours and in
advance of the deadline.

Grants.gov Registration
All applicants who are using Grants.gov must
register with Grants.gov before submitting
their applications. The multistep registration
process generally cannot be completed in a
single day. Applicants who are not already
registered should allow at least two weeks
to complete this one-time process. DO NOT
WAIT UNTIL THE DAY OF THE APPLICATION
DEADLINE TO REGISTER.
Step-by-step instructions for registering are
available at www.grants.gov/GetStarted.
In addition, IMLS has created an easy-tofollow checklist for registering at www.imls.
gov/applicants/grantsgov/checklist.shtm.
Applicants who have problems registering
should call the Grants.gov help desk at
1-800-518-4726; e-mail support@grants.
gov; or consult the information posted on
the Grants.gov Web site at www.grants.gov/
CustomerSupport. The Grants.gov customer
service hours are 7:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Applicants do not need to complete the
registration process to download the
application package and begin to prepare
their material (see below). However, they
will need their Grants.gov UserIDs and
passwords, which are obtained during the
registration process, to submit their completed
applications.

16

Obtaining Application Packages
Electronic application packages are obtained
directly from www.Grants.gov. Organizations
applying through Grants.gov will first need to
locate the AAHC package on the site. To locate
the package:

To access, complete, and submit the
application package, applicants will need to
have PureEdge Viewer, a small, free software
program, installed on their computers.
Applicants who do not already have this
software can follow the instructions on Grants.
gov for installing this program.

1. Go to www.Grants.gov.
2. In the left-hand column, click on “Apply for
Grants,” then click on “Download a Grant
Application Package and Instructions.”
3. This will take you to the “Download
Application Package” screen. On this
screen, enter one of the numbers below to
locate the AAHC Application Package:

CFDA No: 45.309
Funding Opportunity Number: AAHC-FY07
4. When an applicant starts an application,
there are two items they need to download:
Download Application Instructions – This
package contains the grant application
guidelines (which include instructions for
completing the application) and the IMLS
forms for budget, program information and
any others related to a specific program.
Download Application Package – This
package has the Face Sheet (application
for federal assistance) and the Attachment
Form.
Applicants will need to download both of
these packages to have all of the materials
and forms they need to complete the
application.

Please note that the PureEdge viewer is
compatible with PCs running the Windows
operating system. Non-Windows users will be
able to download and complete the PureEdge
forms by taking advantage of the free Citrix
server. See www.grants.gov/MacSupport for
more information.
The application package will download in
a zipped file (.zip). Applicants will need to
have software that unzips files to open them.
Numerous freeware packages are available
on the Internet. The .zip contents are also
available on the IMLS Web site at www.imls.
gov/grantsgov.
Working on an Application Package
1. When opening the application package
that is saved on the applicant’s computer,
the Grants.gov “Grant Application Package”
screen will appear. In the “Application Filing
Name” field, the applicant should enter the
organization’s legal name.
2. The forms needed to complete the AAHC
application appear in the “Mandatory
Documents” box. To open an item, click
on it to select it, and then click on the
“Open Form” button that is beneath the
“Mandatory Documents” box. Forms cannot
be opened by double-clicking. When a form
is more than one page, navigate between

17

Grants.gov Applications

pages by using the “Next” or “Previous”
buttons at the top of the screen.
3. After working on a form, click the “Close
Form” button at the top of the screen to
capture entered information and return to
the “Grant Application Package” screen.
Before closing the “Grant Application
Package” screen, click on the “Save” button.
Until all of the required fields in all of the
mandatory forms are completed, clicking on
the “Save” button will generate an invalid
values message. Click “Yes” to proceed.
Grants.gov will also ask: “File Already Exists.
OVERWRITE?” Clicking “Yes” will save the
most recent changes to the existing file.
4. When a form is completed, click on the
form name in the “Mandatory Documents”
box to select it, and then click the “=>”
button. This will move the form to the
“Mandatory Completed Documents for
Submission” box. All forms must be in the
“Mandatory Completed Documents for
Submission” box before an applicant will be
able to submit an application. Forms can
be worked on from either the “Mandatory
Documents” or “Mandatory Completed
Documents for Submission” box.

18

There are two forms in the “Mandatory
Documents” box that every applicant must fill
out before submitting an application:
1. Application for Federal Domestic
Assistance/Short Organizational Form (SF424S), which asks for basic information on
the applicant’s organization and project. It
is equivalent to the IMLS Face Sheet form
in the conventional application package.
2. Attachments Form, which is not a form
in the conventional sense, but rather a
place to attach the other AAHC forms and
additional items that must be included for
a Grants.gov application package to be
considered complete.
Note: The Program Information Form and the
Budget Form are also mandatory components
of the AAHC application. They are included
in the downloaded .zip file in both Adobe
PDF and Microsoft Word formats, and are
also available on the IMLS Web site. They
can be saved in either PDF or Word format,
then attached to the application using the
Attachments Form.
Before completing the required forms,
applicants may want to activate the Help tool
by clicking on the help button (looks like a
question mark) in the tool bar. Applicants can
then find instructions by positioning the cursor
over each item or, where relevant, over the
radio button for an item. Detailed instructions
for certain items are provided in the next
section.

Application Attachments
The forms and documents that must be
attached to the Attachments Form are listed in
their correct sequence below:
1. Program Information Form
2. Narrative
3. Budget Form
4. Text Responses document
5. Any remaining attachments
Several important points about the forms and
documents to attach:
1. On the Attachments Form, there are 15
attachment buttons, labeled “Attachment
1” through “Attachment 15.” By clicking on
a button, applicants will be able to choose
the file from their computers that they
wish to attach. Applicants should attach
only one copy of each item. Applicants
are encouraged to create multipaged
documents that consolidate multiple
attachments into one document, if possible.
2. Applicants must submit all attachments
in one of the following formats: Microsoft
Word (.doc), Adobe Portable Document
Format (.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls), JPEG
(.jpg), rich text (.rtf), or plain text (.txt).
To save the PDF versions of either the
Program Information Form or Budget
Form as a PDF, applicants must use
Adobe Acrobat Approval or the full Acrobat
Standard or Professional Programs.
(Acrobat Approval is no longer available for
purchase, but existing versions will work.)
Caution: Applicants using the free version
of the Reader software cannot save the
filled-out forms.

Nonform documents, such as the narrative
and Text Responses document(s), can
be created with any software, but must
be saved and submitted in one of the
formats listed above. Applicants who do
not have the software needed to convert
files to PDF can use one of the many lowcost or free software packages available.
To learn more, go to www.imls.gov/pdf/
PDFConversion.pdf. Documents not
available in an electronic format should
be scanned and submitted as a PDF or
JPEG file.

3. For documents that are not forms,
applicants should make sure that pages
are clearly labeled with the organization’s
legal name and the name of the item
(e.g., application narrative) and numbered
sequentially.
4. Forms and document files should be
labeled clearly and attached in the proper
order so that IMLS can correctly identify
attachments.
5. Applicants do not have to fill in all 15
Attachments Form buttons.
6. If unable to view an attachment by clicking
the “View Attachment” button on the
Attachments Form, applicants should
check the bottom of the screen for the
message, “Pop-ups were blocked on this
page.” If this message is present, pressing
“Ctrl” and “View Attachment” will enable
the applicant to see the attachment.

19

Grants.gov Applications

Grants.gov Help
For help on how to use Grants.gov, please
see the help material on the Grants.gov Web
site at www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport.
Applicants can also e-mail the Grants.gov
helpdesk at [email protected] or call
them at 1-800-518-4726 from 7:00 A.M.
to 9:00 P.M. eastern time, Monday through
Friday.
The Grants.gov help desk will assign a case
number to each inquiry. This number only
documents the inquiry to the help desk, and is
in no way related to the tracking number that
Grants.gov will assign an application once it
has been successfully submitted.

20

Face Sheet/SF-424s

The IMLS Face Sheet is a two-page form
located on pages 39-40. It is the equivalent
of the “Application for Federal Domestic
Assistance/Short Organizational Form
(SF‑424S)” on Grants.gov.
Note: Questions 1 to 4 will auto-fill for
Grants.gov applicants and are not required
for paper applicants.

5. Applicant Information
a. Legal Name: Enter the legal name of the
organization that is making the application.
Please see page 4 (Institutional Eligibility) for
eligibility details. If the eligible entity does not
have the authority to apply directly to IMLS
for funding, enter the name of the parent
organization that is submitting the application
on behalf of the eligible entity. Enter the name
of the eligible entity in the space provided
for “Organizational Unit” on the Program
Information Form, Question 1b.
b. Address: Use Street1 for the organization’s
street address or post office box number,
whichever is used for its U.S. Postal Service
mailing address. Street2 is not a required
field and should be used only when a Suite or
Room Number or other similar information is
part of the address.
In the Zip+4/Postal Code box, enter the full
nine-digit Zip code assigned by the U.S. Postal
Service. An organization’s full Zip code can be
retrieved at www.usps.com/zip4.
d. Type of Applicant: After checking page 4
for AAHC program eligibility, select the one
code that best characterizes the applicant
organization from the menu in the first drop-

down box. Leave the other boxes blank. The
following types of applicants are not eligible to
receive AAHC grants:
•
•
•
•
•

Individuals
Public/Indian Housing Authority
For-profit organization
Small business
Nondomestic (non-U.S.) entity

e. EIN/TIN: Enter the nine-digit number
assigned by the IRS; do not use a Social
Security number.
f. Organizational DUNS: All organizational
applicants for federal funds must have a
DUNS number. If applying through Grants.gov,
ensure that the number entered here agrees
with the number (either 9 or 13 digits) that
was used with the CCR (Central Contractor
Registry) as part of the Grants.gov registration.
g. Congressional District (Grants.gov
applicants only—this field is not present on
the paper form): Enter the number of the
congressional district in which the applicant
organization is located. Use the following
format: two-letter state abbreviation, followed
by a hyphen, followed by the three-digit district
number. For example, if the organization
is located in the 5th Congressional District
of California, enter “CA‑005.” For the 12th
district of North Carolina, enter “NC-012.”
If a museum does not have a congressional
district (e.g., it is located in a U.S. territory
that does not have districts), enter 00-000.
To determine an institution’s district, visit
the House of Representatives Web site
at www.house.gov and use the “Find Your
Representative” tool.

21

Face Sheet/SF-424s

6. Project Information
a. Project Title: Provide a brief descriptive
title.
b. Project Description: Briefly describe the
specific project, not the applicant organization.
Use clear language that can be understood
readily by readers who may not be familiar
with the discipline or subject area.
c. Proposed Project Start Date/End Date:
Enter the beginning and ending dates for
the requested period of support, that is, the
span of time necessary to plan, execute, and
close out the proposed project. AAHC projects
must begin between August 1, 2007 and
November 1, 2007. Start dates must be the
first day of a month and end dates must be
the last day of a month.

7. Project Director
Provide the requested information for the
Project Director, who will be responsible for
carrying out the project and who will serve as
the key contact person with IMLS regarding
the progress achieved under the grant. Leave
the Social Security number blank. Select a
prefix (even though this field is not required on
Grants.gov).

8. Primary Contact/Grants Administrator
Provide the requested information for the
individual who should be contacted on all
matters involving this application and the
administration of any grant that may be
awarded. For colleges and universities,
this person is often a sponsored research,
sponsored programs, or contracts and grants
officer. In some museums, the person could
be the development director. Leave the Social

22

Security number blank. Select the appropriate
prefix (even though this field is not required on
Grants.gov).
In some organizations, particularly smaller
ones, this individual may be the same as the
Project Director. If this is the case, check the
“Same as Project Director” box. (If the primary
contact/grants administrator is the same
as the Authorized Representative, please
complete all items under both 8 and 9 even
though there will be some repetition.)

9. Authorized Representative
Enter the name and contact information
of the person who has the authority to
apply for federal support of the applicant’s
activities and enter into legal agreements in
the name of the applicant. The Authorized
Representative should not be the same
person as the Project Director. By checking the
“I Agree” box at the top of Item 9 and signing
the application, this individual certifies the
applicant’s compliance with relevant federal
requirements (the “IMLS Assurances and
Certification” section, page 49). All written
correspondence will be addressed to the
authorized representative.
For Grants.gov applications, the “Signature of
Authorized Representative” and “Date Signed”
boxes will be populated upon submission of
the application. Submission of the application
by the Authorized Representative certifies
compliance with relevant federal requirements
as the signature does on a paper application.

Program Information Sheet

1. Applicant Information
a. Legal Name: Enter the legal name of the
applicant.
b. and c. Organizational Unit and Address:
If the eligible entity cannot apply for grants
on its own behalf, then enter the name and
address of the entity in these spaces. For
example, if a museum or library that is part
of a parent organization, such as a university,
is applying, the university would be the legal
applicant, and the museum or library would
be entered as the organizational unit. Be sure
to include the four-digit extension on the Zip
code.
d. Web Address: If an organizational unit is
listed, enter its Web address here. If not, enter
the Web site of the entity listed at Legal Name.
e. Type of Institution: Select the one that
most accurately describes the applicant.

2. Grant Program or Grant Program
Category
Select “d. Museum Grants for African
American History and Culture.”

3. Request Information
a. Amount of Grant Money Requested: Enter
the amount sought from IMLS. This amount
may not exceed $150,000, including indirect
costs if requested.
b. Cost Share Amount: This program requires
a 1:1 minimum match. Enter the amount here.

4. Museum Profile
All Museum applicants must answer all
questions in this section. If a museum
indicates a budget surplus or deficit for
question 4g, an explanation should be
included in its Text Responses Document.

5–8.
AAHC applicants should skip these sections.

23

AAHC Narrative

The application narrative must
• answer each section in the order listed
below, labeled and numbered;
• have the applicant organization’s name at
the top of each page;
• have each page numbered;
• be no more than seven single-spaced, onesided pages in length;
• have a margin of at least 0.5 inch on all
sides;
• use no smaller than a 12-point typeface
with no more than six lines per vertical
inch and standard spacing between letters;
condensed fonts are not acceptable;
handwritten applications are not
acceptable.
• not include detailed budget discussions.
These should be included in the “Budget
Justification” section (see page 32)
Grants.gov applicants should use the
Attachments Form to attach the narrative
to their applications. Attachments will be
accepted only in one of the following formats:
Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe Portable
Document Format (.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls),
JPEG (.jpg), rich text (.rtf), or plain text (.txt).
IMLS reviewers base their evaluations only on
the information presented in the application.
This makes it very important for applicants
to prepare a clear, concise, well organized
document. Applicants must address each
question separately, and in the same order
in which they are listed below. The following
pages provide guidance in preparing the
narrative component of the AAHC grant
application. There are four sections to the
narrative. Each section must be addressed in

24

the order presented and must be labeled with
number and section title to guide reviewers in
their evaluation of the proposal.
Review criteria are listed with each section of
the narrative. These criteria describe what the
reviewers are instructed to consider as they
evaluate the proposal. A well-designed
proposal narrative is thorough and succinct
while addressing the bullet points under each
section as well as the review criteria.
Grants.gov applicants should use the
Attachments Form to attach the narrative
to their applications. Attachments will be
accepted only in one of the following formats:
Microsoft Word (.doc), Adobe Portable
Document Format (.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls),
JPEG (.jpg), rich text (.rtf), or plain text (.txt).

IMLS reviewers base their evaluations only on the information presented in the application. This
makes it very important for applicants to prepare a clear, concise, well organized document.
Applicants must address each question separately, and in the same order in which they are listed
below.

1. Statement of Need

2. Project Design

Include a statement of need as it relates to
the museum, its audience, or the African
American museum community. Include information such as

Include a description of the proposed project
design. Include information such as:

• audiences to whom African American
museum services are being provided;

• specific skills, knowledge, and experiences
that will build staff or institutional
capacities;

• how the proposed project will improve
museum staff abilities and museum
services;
• (for proposals that are designed to benefit
multiple African American museums) how
the project will improve the overall African
American museum community.
Review Criteria: Evidence the applicant has
performed a formal or informal assessment
of museum and/or community needs and has
developed the project and its goals as the best
solution to those needs.

• project goals and objectives;

• changes in staff behavior the project is
designed to effect;
• action steps and activities to implement
the project;
Review Criteria: Evidence that the project
proposes efficient, effective, and reasonable
approaches to accomplish clear goals and
objectives. Evidence that the methodology
and design are appropriate to the scope of the
project. Evidence that the project will meet
IMLS program goals.

25

AAHC Narrative

3. Project Resources: Time, Personnel,
Budget
Describe project resources, both those
funded by the grant and those funded by the
institutional cost share. Include information
such as
• time allocated to complete project;
• key staff and consultants involved in
project, their qualifications, commitment
to project activities, and how they will
balance project responsibilities with other
ongoing duties;
• budget allocated to accomplish project
activities, including both the applicant’s
contributions and how the applicant will
meet the required 1:1 match.
Review Criteria: Evidence that the applicant
will effectively complete the project activities
through the deployment and management
of resources, including money, facilities,
equipment, and supplies. Evidence of
sound financial management, coupled with
an appropriate and cost-efficient budget.
Evidence that the applicant has the ability to
meet the cost share requirement. Evidence
that the project personnel demonstrate
appropriate experience and expertise and
will commit adequate time to accomplish
project goals and activities. For this section
of the application, reviewers will consider the
Narrative, Budget Forms, Budget Justification,
and Resumes.

26

4. Impact
Describe how the project will impact the
institution. Include information such as
• specific outcomes that will result from the
project;
• how the project’s accomplishments,
benefits, and changes will continue
beyond the grant period;
• (for proposals that are designed to benefit
multiple African American museums) how
the project results will be disseminated
to benefit the African American museum
community.
Review Criteria: Evidence that the project
will create specific changes and benefits for
the applicant, and/or the community served.
Evidence that the applicant has plans to
sustain those changes and benefits beyond
the grant period.

Budget

The AAHC application requires three elements
to describe the costs of a proposed project.
The Detailed Budget for each year of the
project and the Summary Budget that
describes costs for the entire project are
both part of the four-page Budget Form on
pages 44-47. The third element is the Budget
Justification, which is referenced below and
further explained in the “Text Responses
Document” section.

Section A: Detailed Budget
Applicants need to fill out a copy of the
Detailed Budget Form for each year of the
project. The first copy of the Budget Form
should begin on the project start date and end
12 months later. Applicants using the PDF or
Word fill-in forms can fill out the form for one
year, save or print it, then fill it out again for
the remaining years. Applicants using the PDF
fill-in forms will notice that the columns total
automatically, whereas applicants using the
Word forms will have to total their columns
manually.
The budget should include the project costs
that will be charged to grant funds as well as
those that will be supported by the applicant
or third-party cash and in-kind contributions
(cost sharing). In-kind contributions include
the value of services or equipment that is
donated to the project free of charge. All of
the items listed, whether supported by grant
funds or cost-sharing contributions, must be
reasonably necessary to accomplish project
objectives, allowable in terms of the applicable
federal cost principles, auditable, and incurred
during the grant period. Charges to the project
for items such as salaries, fringe benefits,
travel, and contractual services must conform

to the written policies and established
practices of the applicant organization. When
indirect costs are charged to the project, care
should be taken to ensure that expenses
included in the organization’s indirect cost
pool (see “Indirect Costs” below) are not
charged to the project as direct costs.
“Method of Cost Computation” can refer to a
percentage of a person’s time devoted to the
project, a number of days, a quantity of items,
and so on. This column should clarify how the
applicant arrived at the costs indicated.
1. Salaries and Wages: Indicate both
temporary and permanent staff by noting
“temp” or “perm” in parentheses after each
staff member listed.
2. Fringe Benefits: Fringe benefits may
include contributions for Social Security,
employee insurance, pension plans, and so
on. Only those benefits not included in an
organization’s indirect cost pool may be shown
as direct costs.
3. Consultant Fees: List the individuals or
groups who will provide consultative services
on the grant and their fees, and explain the
method of computation for the fees.
4. Travel: The lowest available commercial
fares for coach or equivalent accommodations
must be used, and foreign travel must be
undertaken on U.S. flag carriers when such
services are available.

27

Budget

5. Materials, Supplies, and Equipment:
List specific items necessary to support the
implementation of the project, and explain the
method of cost computation.
6. Services: List the costs of project activities
to be undertaken by a third-party contractor,
including a partner, under this budget category
as a single line item that shows the amount
that will be charged to IMLS grant funds and
the cost sharing that will be contributed by the
third party. Attach a complete itemization of
these costs to the IMLS Budget Form. If there
is more than one contractor, list the cost of
each contract separately on the IMLS Budget
Form and with an attached itemization.
7. Student Support: AAHC applicants should
leave this section blank.
8. Other Costs: Please do not use the “Other
Costs” section to list items that did not fit
in the number of lines allotted for another
section. If more lines are needed, the
information should be summarized in the
Budget Form and further explained in the
Budget Justification.
Applicants who are including an education
component in their application should include
the component’s costs under “Other Costs”
and provide more detailed explanation in the
Budget Justification.

28

10. Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are project
costs that an organization incurs that
cannot be easily assigned to an individual
project. They are also called “overhead” or
“administrative costs.” Examples of indirectcost type items are charges for utilities,
insurance, use of office space and equipment
owned by the applicant, local telephone
service, and the salaries of the management
and administrative personnel of the
organization.
Organizations that do not have a federally
negotiated indirect cost rate and do not wish
to negotiate one may charge an administrative
fee to the project of up to 15 percent. IMLS
will pay this administrative fee only on
that portion of direct project costs that are
supported by IMLS funds. This fee may also be
applied to the direct project costs that will be
supported by the applicant and may therefore
be counted as part of the applicant’s cost
sharing. If an applicant chooses this option,
it must be careful to exclude all indirect-cost
type items from the budget and the fee may
not be applied to more than the first $5,000 of
distorting costs such as equipment purchases
or subcontracts.

If an organization has a federally negotiated
indirect cost rate that will be current on
the date of award, as cited on the award
notification, this rate may be used to
determine total project costs, as long as
the rate is applied in accordance with the
negotiated agreement and a copy of the
negotiation is forwarded to IMLS with the
application. However, IMLS will pay indirect
costs only on the portion of the direct costs
that are supported by IMLS funds. Indirect
costs that are related to the direct project
costs that will be supported by the applicant
may be included in the budget only as a part
of the applicant’s cost sharing. IMLS will not
accept an indirect cost rate that is scheduled
to expire before the award is issued.
An organization that is in the process of
negotiating an indirect cost rate with a
federal agency may apply the proposed rate
to estimate total project costs as long as
it follows the instructions in the previous
paragraph in applying the rate and includes
the indirect cost proposal in the application
material. IMLS will not pay any indirect costs
until a rate is negotiated and a copy of the
final agreement is submitted to the OGA. It
is possible that the amount of the award will
be reduced if the final negotiated rate is less
than the rate that was used in the application
budget. However, the amount of the award will
not be increased if the negotiated indirect cost
rate is higher than the rate proposed in the
application.

Once an indirect cost rate is accepted by
IMLS, the rate shall be considered fixed for
the duration of the award even if, during the
course of the award, the grantee negotiates a
new indirect cost rate.
If a grantee has one or more predetermined
rates negotiated at the time of the award, e.g.,
30 percent the first year and 32 percent the
second year, these rates may be used in the
project budget. However, in the example given
above, if the grant period ran more than two
years, the last predetermined rate would apply
not only to the second year of the grant but
also to any subsequent years.
These instructions also apply to an
organization that will function as a partner in
undertaking grant activities.

Section B: Summary Budget
The Summary Budget should clearly
identify the amount requested from IMLS
and the amount provided as cash and inkind contributions by the applicant, by any
partners, and from any other sources.

29

Text Responses Document

For the following application items, create a
single document that includes all of the items
below, in the order listed below. When it is
finished, please run spell check (if available).
The Text Responses Document must

Explanation of Budget Surplus or Deficit

• supply information in the order requested;
• include the title (e.g., Schedule of
Completion) for each item;
• have the applicant organization’s name at
the top of each page;
• have a margin of at least .5 inch on all
sides;
• have each page numbered.;
• use no smaller than a 12-point typeface
with no more than six lines per vertical inch
and standard spacing between letters; not
use condensed fonts; not be handwritten

Statement of Purpose/Mission
Statement and History

Grants.gov applicants should save the
document with the file name “TextResponses.”
Applicants will use the Attachments Form
to add this document to their applications.
Attachments will be accepted only in one of
the following formats: Microsoft Word (.doc),
Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf),
Microsoft Excel (.xls), JPEG (.jpg), rich text
(.rtf), or plain text (.txt).

30

Applicants who indicate a budget surplus or
deficit for the two previous fiscal years on
question 4g of the Program Information Sheet
must include a one-page explanation.

The Statement of Purpose and History
includes a mission statement and brief
background history for the reviewers that
• notes the source, approving body, and
date of the official document in which it
appears;
• may be quoted from or summarized
to convey the essential points of the
statement if the statement is too long to be
quoted in full;
• must accurately portray the applicant’s
purpose or mission
• includes a brief history of the museum or
applicant organization; and
• is one page or less

Summary of Project Activities
A summary of project activities not exceeding
one single-spaced (2000-word maximum)
page must be provided. Information in the
abstract should cover the following areas as
related to the proposed project:
• Who is the lead applicant and who are the
formal partners, if applicable?
• What is the time frame for the project?
• What will be the project’s activities, outcomes, and tangible products?
This abstract may be used by IMLS for
public information purposes, so it should be
informative to other persons working in the
same or related fields and understandable
to a technically literate lay reader. The
abstract must not include any proprietary or
confidential information.

Institutional Financial Statements
(Museum and service organization applicants
only). Institutional financial statements are a
snapshot of the museum’s financial health
that helps reviewers determine the financial
stability of the institution and gives an overall
picture of the institution.

• Institutional financial statements may be in
the form of statement of activities, internal
balance sheets, audit summary pages, or
federal tax returns.
• Do not include copies of full audits. (Full
audits may be included in the attachments
section if desired.)
• Do not include audits of the value of the
collection used for insurance purposes.

Schedule of Completion
The applicant must provide a Schedule of
Completion that shows when each major
project task will be undertaken, marks
the milestones for each grant activity, and
designates how grant funds are to be spent
throughout the project. The Schedule of
Completion must also correspond to the
activities described in the narrative and the
project dates on the Face Sheet and Budget
pages. One way to plot this information is in
a graph or chart that lists project activities
and the corresponding months when these
activities will take place during the project.
This document may be created as a narrative
or spreadsheet, and should be no longer
than one page per year. See page 48 for an
example.

• Include the museum’s financial statements
for the past two complete fiscal years. If
at the time of application your fiscal year
is complete, but not yet audited, please
submit these unaudited figures and label
as such.
• If the museum is part of a larger
organization (municipal government,
university, etc.), do not include financial
statements for those parent organizations,
only for the museum.

31

Text Responses Document

Budget Justification
The Budget Justification should explain
all elements of the Detailed Budget and
the “Other Costs” listed for the education
component, if requested. For example, the
Budget Justification should explain the role
that each person listed in the project budget
will play. It should also provide justification
for all proposed equipment, supplies, travel,
services, and other expenses. The application
should provide specifications for all hardware
and software for which IMLS funding is
requested.
IMLS encourages applicants to contribute as
cost share the salaries of permanent staff to
be employed on a project in proportion to the
amount of time they will spend on the project.
If IMLS funding is requested for salaries of
permanent staff, the proposal should explain
why funds are requested for this purpose and
how the regular duties of these individuals
will be performed during the grant period. The
Budget Justification should explain the role
of any outside consultants and third-party
vendors to be employed on the project and
how each was identified and selected. Costs
for third-party service providers should be
documented by bids or otherwise justified.
The cost of project activities to be undertaken
by a third-party contractor, or a partner,
should be listed under “Services” on the
Detailed Budget as a single line item that
shows the amount that will be charged to
IMLS grant funds and the cost sharing that
will be provided by the third party. A complete
itemization of these costs should be included
as part of the Budget Justification. If there is
more than one contractor, the cost of each

32

contract must be listed separately on the
IMLS Budget Form and an itemization must be
included as part of the Budget Justification.

List of Key Project Staff and Consultants
and Resumes
1. Provide a list of the key project staff
and the consultants who will be directly
involved in the program.
2. Add resumes or curriculum vitae of no
more than two pages each for all key
project staff and consultants. Add a page
break at the end of the list of personnel,
then add page breaks at the end of each
of the resumes/vitae.
3. If the key project staff and consultants
have not been selected by the application
deadline date, then submit position
descriptions instead of resumes.

Other Attachments

Proof of Nonprofit Status
If the applicant’s organization is a private,
nonprofit organization (for those who
answered “Private Nonprofit” or “Other” on
question 5d of the Face Sheet):
• The applicant must submit a copy of the
IRS letter indicating the organization’s
eligibility for nonprofit status under the
applicable provisions of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.
• IMLS will not accept a letter of state sales
tax exemption as proof of nonprofit status.

Letters of Commitment
Applicants must submit a letter of commitment for each project consultant. The letter
should include
• confirmation that the consultant will work
on the project if funded
• dates of service, scope of work, and fee
structure

plan projects, which can include surveys,
reports, etc.); reports from planning
activities; products or evaluations from
previously completed or ongoing projects
of a similar nature; or other documents for
the evaluation of the proposal.
• Other attachments could include letters
of support from partners or other groups
that the museum works closely with on this
project, collections, technology, or other
departmental plans for the institution as
applicable to the proposed project.
• Total attachments are limited to 20 one- or
two-sided pages. This includes any books.
If they are over 20 pages in length, they
will not be included in your application and
cannot be returned.
• IMLS will remove any supplemental
materials above the 20-page limit. They
will not be sent to field reviewers as part of
your application and cannot be returned.

The information in this letter must correspond
to the information in the application narrative.

Optional Attachments
These optional documents specifically relate
to the justification for the project.
• IMLS encourages applicants to include
only information that will supplement the
narrative and support the information
provided in the application. Applicants
should not use attachments to answer
narrative questions.
• IMLS strongly encourages inclusion of
needs assessments (formal or informal
documentation used to evaluate and

33

Assembling Paper Application Packages

Review your application package carefully before sending it to us. You must include all of the
required items listed below and the proper number of copies. (Each item is described in detail in
Step 2.) Your application is subject to rejection without review if any required item is missing.
If you have any questions, contact AAHC Program staff.
Step One: Make two photocopies of your Face Sheet and Program Information Sheet
Extra Face
Sheets/
Program
Information
Sheets
(copy 1)

Extra Face
Sheets/
Program
Information
Sheets
(copy 2)

Note: Make sure to copy all 5 pages of the Face Sheet and
Program Information Sheet

Step Two: Collate ONE original (complete) copy of your application as follows:

Face Sheet
(2 pages)

Program
Information
Sheet
(3 pages)

AAHC
Narrative
(7 or fewer
pages)

Summary
Budget
(1 page)

Text
Responses
Document

Other
Attachments

Detailed
Budget
Forms
by Year
(3 pages
each)

Step Three: Make TEN identical sets of the material assembled in Step Two.
Step Four: Collate your piles from Steps One thru Three as follows:
Extra Face
Sheets and
Program
Information
Sheets
(2 copies)

Original
Application

Ten copies of
the Original
Application

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Do not use staples to fasten pages together; use binder clips or other removable binding.
Please Note: IMLS will not do your photocopying or collating!
Your materials are now ready to send to IMLS!

34

Submitting Grants.gov Applications

1. In the top left corner of the Grants.gov
menu screen, applicants will see “Submit,”
“Save,” “Print,” “Cancel,” and “Check
Package for Errors” buttons.
2. Once applicants have completed the AAHC
application (i.e., all of the Mandatory
Documents have been completed and
moved to the “Completed Documents”
box), they should click the “Check Package
for Errors” button to double-check that they
have provided all required information.
3. Applicants should then click the “Save”
button one last time to make sure that all
of the most current information is saved.
(At this point, the invalid values message
should not pop up.)
4. Applicants should print out a hard copy of
the completed application for their files.
Clicking the “Print” button will print out all
of the forms in the “Mandatory Completed
Documents for Submission” box.
Applicants who desire a hard copy of the
items attached to the Attachments Form
will have to print those out on their own.
5. The authorized official will click the
“Submit” button. The “Submit” button will
not become active until the application is
saved with all required fields completed.
Clicking this button will reconnect the
user to Grants.gov and the Internet.
The authorized official will be prompted
to provide the Grants.gov UserID and
password that were obtained during the
Grants.gov registration process.

Applicants should be certain that they
are satisfied with their application before
clicking the “Submit” button. No changes
or revisions are possible once the
application is submitted.

Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on
each application after it is fully uploaded.
The time it takes to upload an application
will vary depending on a number of factors,
including the size of the application,
the speed of the applicant’s Internet
connection, and the number of other
applications (for grants from a variety of
federal agencies) being sent to Grants.gov
at the same time.

Since January 15 is a federal holiday,
applications can be submitted until
11:59 P.M. (Eastern time) on January 16.
However, applicants are strongly
encouraged to submit applications early,
in case of delays resulting from heavy
online traffic or to deal with any last-minute
problems that may be encountered.

6. Upon submission of the application to
Grants.gov, the Grants.gov tracking number
assigned to the application will display on
the screen. Applicants should print out a
copy of this notification number for their
records. The tracking number also will be
e-mailed to the authorized organization
representative.
7. After the AAHC deadline (January 15, 2006),
applicants will receive a notification via email from Grants.gov when IMLS retrieves
their applications from Grants.gov.

35

Submitting paper Applications

Since January 15, 2007 is a federal holiday,
the IMLS will accept applications postmarked
no later than January 16, 2007. Ship or handdeliver applications to:
African American History and Culture
Office of Museum Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802

Shipping
• All applications must be postmarked
no later than the application deadline.
Applications that do not meet the
postmark deadline will be rejected without
evaluation.
• Please consider using commercial delivery
services. Applications need not be sent
overnight; ground service is acceptable.
• If the U.S. Postal Service must be used,
IMLS recommends certified or registered
mail.
• Because of the length and number of
copies required for complete submission,
applications cannot be accepted by fax or
e-mail.
• In the event that a deadline falls on a
day U.S. post offices are closed, such as
Sundays and federal holidays, IMLS will
accept proposals postmarked the next
business day.

Hand Delivery
IMLS accepts hand-delivered applications
between 9:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. (Eastern
time) daily, except Saturday, Sunday, and
federal holidays. IMLS will provide a dated
receipt at the time of delivery.

36

IMLS Acknowledgment
• Within 30 working days after the
application deadline, IMLS will e-mail
applicants an acknowledgment form with
an application log number. Applicants who
do not receive this form should contact
IMLS to make sure the application was
received.
• If an application is received more than 30
working days after the postmark deadline,
it may not be sent out for review and may
be rejected. See “Shipping,” above, for
information about postal delays.
• IMLS may ask for proof of shipping if the
postmark date on the package cannot
be read.
• The U.S. Postal Service does not always
postmark packages when it receives them.
Ask to have the package dated, then verify
that it is properly date stamped.
• IMLS will accept a legible receipt stamped
by the U.S. Postal Service or a legible dated
shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a
commercial carrier.
• IMLS will not accept private metered
postmarks or private mail receipts unless
they contain a legible date stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
• If registered mail is used, the green return
receipt card does not meet the IMLS
requirement for proof of shipping.

Application
Forms

application checklist

An application requesting AAHC funding should include the following materials:
 Face Sheet: the two-page form on pages 39-40 of this booklet or “Application for Federal
Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational Form (SF-424S)” on Grants.gov.
 Program Information Sheet: the three-page form on pages 41-43 of this booklet, which
is available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov zip file or on the IMLS
Web site.
 AAHC narrative (not to exceed seven pages); include each section’s number and label.
 Budget: the four-page form on pages 44-47 of this booklet, with the detailed budget pages
replicated for each year.
 Text Responses document(s), which will include the following:

Explanation of budget surplus or deficit, if applicable

Statement of purpose/mission statement and history

Institutional financial statements

Summary of project activities

Schedule of completion

Budget justification

List of key project staff and consultants

Resumes for key project personnel (no more than 2 pages per person)
 Other attachments:
 Proof of Nonprofit Status, if applicable
 Current, federally negotiated rate for indirect costs, if applicable
 Letters of commitment, if applicable
 Optional attachments (not to exceed 20 pages)

38

Face Sheet - Page one

Please note: Questions 1—4 will auto-fill for Grants.gov applicants and are not required for paper applicants.
5. Applicant Information
a. Legal Name:
b. Address:

Street1:

Street2:

City:

County:

State:

Province: N/A

Country:

Zip+4/Postal Code:

c. Web Address: http://

d. Type of Applicant (check one):










State Government
County Government
City or Township Government
Special District Government
Regional Organization
U.S. Territory or Possession
Independent School District
Public/State-Controlled Institution of Higher Education
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally
Recognized)
 Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than
Federally Recognized)
 Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization
 Public/Indian Housing Authority

 Nonprofit with 501(c)3 IRS Status (Other than Institution
of Higher Education)
 Nonprofit without 501(c)3 IRS Status (Other than
Institution of Higher Education)
 Private Institution of Higher Education
 Individual
 For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)
 Small Business
 Hispanic-serving Institution
 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
 Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
 Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
 Nondomestic (non-U.S.) Entity
 Other (specify)

e. Employer/Taxpayer Number (EIN/TIN):

f. Organizational DUNS:

6. Project Information
a. Project Title:
b. Project Description:

c. Proposed Project Start Date:

End Date:

7. Project Director
a. Social Security Number: N/A
b. Prefix:

c. First Name:

d. Middle Name:

e. Last Name:

f. Suffix:

g. Title:

h. E-mail:

i. Telephone Number:

j. Fax Number:

OMB Number: 4040-0003, Expiration Date: 01/31/2007

39

Face Sheet - Page two

7. Project Director (continued)
k. Address
Street1:

Street2:

City:

County:

State:

Province: N/A

Country:

Zip+4/Postal Code:

8. Primary Contact/Grants Administrator


Same as Project Director (skip to next item)

b. Prefix:

c. First Name:

a. Social Security Number: N/A
d. Middle Name:

e. Last Name:

f. Suffix:

g. Title:

h. E-mail:

i. Telephone Number:

j. Fax Number:

k. Address
Street1:

Street2:

City:

County:

State:

Province: N/A

Country:

Zip+4/Postal Code:

9. Authorized Representative
*By signing this application, I certify (1) to the statements contained in the list of certifications** and (2) that the statements
herein are true, complete, and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I also provide the required assurances** and agree to
comply with any resulting terms if I accept an award. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may
subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties (U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001).
**The list of certifications and assurances, or an Internet site where you may obtain this list, is contained in the announcement
or agency-specific instructions.

a.  *I Agree
b. Prefix:

c. First Name:

d. Middle Name:

e. Last Name:

f. Suffix:

g. Title:

h. E-mail:

i. Telephone Number:

j. Fax Number:

k. Signature of Authorized Representative:
l. Date Signed:

40

Program information sheet - page one

1. Applicant Information
a. Legal Name (5a from Face Sheet):
b. Organizational Unit (if different from Legal Name):
c. Organizational Unit Address
Street1:

Street2:

City:

County:

State:

Zip+4/Postal Code:

d. Web Address: http://
e. Type of Institution (check one):
Academic Library
 Library Association
 School Library, or School District
Aquarium
 Library Consortium
applying on behalf of a School
Arboretum/Botanical garden
 Museum Library
Library or Libraries
Art Museum
 Museum Services Organization/
 Science/Technology Museum
Children’s/Youth Museum
Association
 Special Library
Community College
 Native American Tribe/Native
 Specialized Museum**
Four-year College
Hawaiian Organization
 State Library
General Museum*
 Natural History/Anthropology
 State Museum Agency
Graduate School of Library and
Museum
 State Museum Library
Information Science
 Nature Center
 Zoo
 Historic House/Site
 Planetarium
 Institution of higher education other
 Historically Black College or
 Public Library
than listed above
University
 Research Library/Archives
 Other, please specify:
 History Museum

*A museum with collections representing two or more disciplines equally (e.g., art and history)
**A museum with collections limited to one narrowly defined discipline (e.g., textiles, stamps, maritime, ethnic group)










2. Grant Program or Grant Program Category
 a. 21st Century Museum
Professionals

















b. Conservation Project Support
General Conservation Survey
Detailed Conservation Survey
Environmental Survey
Environmental Improvements
Treatment
Research
Training
Impact Project

 d. Museum Grants for African
American History and Culture
e. Museums for America
 Sustaining Cultural Heritage
 Supporting Lifelong Learning
 Serving as Centers of Community
Engagement
f. National Leadership Grants
Select Museum or Library:
 Museum
 Library
Select Grant Category:
 Advancing Learning Communities
 Building Digital Resources
Research and Demonstration:
 Research
 Demonstration

c. Laura Bush 21st Century
Librarian Program
Master’s-level Programs
Doctoral-level Programs
Pre-professional Programs
Research (early career development)
Research (other than early career
development)
Continuing Education
Programs to Build Institutional Capacity

g. Native American Library Services
 Basic Grant only
 Basic Grant with Education/
Assessment Option
 Enhancement Grant
 Native Hawaiian Library Services
h. Native American/Native
Hawaiian Museum Services
 Programming
 Professional Development
 Enhancement of Museum Services
 i. Partnership for a Nation of
Learners Community Collaboration
Grants

OMB Number: 3137-0029, Expiration Date: 01/31/2007

41

Program information sheet - page two

3. Request Information
a. IMLS funds requested:

b. Cost share amount:

4. Museum Profile (Museum Applicants only)
a. Is the institution either a unit of state or local government or a private not-for-profit organization that has taxexempt status under the Internal Revenue Code and that is organized on a permanent basis for essentially
educational or aesthetic purposes?
 
Yes
 
No
b. Does the institution own or use tangible objects, whether animate or inanimate?
c. Does the institution care for tangible objects, whether animate or inanimate?

 
Yes
 Yes

 
No
 
No

d. Are these objects exhibited by the institution to the general public on a regular basis through facilities the
institution owns or operates?
 
Yes
 
No
e. Is the institution open and exhibiting tangible objects to the general public at least 120 days a year through
facilities the institution owns or operates?
 
Yes
 
No
Offsite:
   Institution’s attendance for the 12-month period prior to the application: Onsite:
   Year the institution was first open and exhibiting to the public:
   Total number of days the institution was open to the public for the 12-month period prior to application:
f. Does the institution employ at least one professional staff member, or the full-time equivalent, whether paid or
unpaid, who is primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of tangible objects owned or
used by the institution?  Yes
 
No
    Number of full-time paid institution staff:
   Number of part-time paid institution staff:
g.

Fiscal year

Revenue/
Support income

Expenses/
Outlays

Number of full-time unpaid institution staff:
Number of part-time unpaid institution staff:
Budget deficit
(if applicable)*

Budget surplus
(if applicable)*

Most recently
completed FY
Second most recently
completed FY
*If Institution has a budget deficit or surplus for either of the two most recently completed fiscal years, please
explain the circumstances of this deficit or surplus in the Text Responses section of the application.

5. Public Broadcasting Licensee Information (Partnership for a Nation of Learners Grants only)
a. Nonfederal financial support (NFFS) for the most recently completed fiscal year: $

.00

b. CPB CSG ID#

6. Native Hawaiian Organization Eligibility (Native American/Native Hawaiian Programs only)
Is the institution an eligible not-for-profit organization that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians (as defined
in Title 20 U.S.C. Section 7517; if yes, see Proof of Eligibility requirements)?
 
Yes
 
No

42

Program information sheet - page three

7. Institutional Profile (Native American Library Services Grants only)
a. Number of hours per week the library collection is accessible to patrons:
b. Number of staff dedicated full-time to library operations:
c. Number of staff with part-time library duties:
d. Number of holdings (books, journals, media):
e. Number of circulation transactions per year:
f. Does library staff have access to the Internet?  Yes
 
No
g. Does the library provide public access to the Internet?
 
Yes
 
No
h. Amount of operating budget for library services in most recently completed fiscal year: $
i. Identify which of the following activities will be supported by grant funds (check all that apply):

Expand services for learning and access to information and educational resources.
Develop library services that provide all users with access to information.
Provide electronic and other linkages between and among all types of libraries.
Develop public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations.
Target library services to help increase the access and the ability to use information resources for individuals of diverse
backgrounds, with disabilities, or with limited functional literacy or information skills.
 Target library and information services to help increase the access and the ability to use information resources for persons
having difficulty using a library, and for underserved urban and rural communities.






j. Maintenance of Effort (check the appropriate response):

 FY 2007 expenditures will equal or exceed previous 12-month grant period. Maintenance of effort is assured.
 FY 2007 expenditures will not equal or exceed previous 12-month expenditure. Maintenance of effort is not assured.
 Maintenance of effort does not apply.

8. Collection and Material Information (Conservation Project Support Grants only)
a. Type of Collection
 Nonliving
 Animals, living




Natural History/Anthropology
Plants, living

b. Types of Materials. Use a scale from 1 (primarily affected) to 4 (minimally affected) to show which collection types
are primarily affected by the project:
aeronautics, space/airplanes
animals, live
animals, preserved
anthropologic, ethnographic
archaeological
books
ceramics, glass, metals, plastics
documents, manuscripts
furniture/wooden objects
geological, mineral,
paleontological
historic buildings
historic sites

horological (clocks)
landscape features, constructed
machinery
maritime, historic ships
medals
medical, dental, health,
pharmacological
military, including weapons
motion picture, audiovisual
musical instruments
numismatics (money)
paintings
philatelic (stamps)

photography, negatives
photography, prints
physical science projects
plants, live
plants, preserved
sculpture, indoor
sculpture, outdoor
textiles and costumes
tools
toys and dolls
transportation, excluding
airplanes
works of art on paper

43

Budget Form - Page one

a. Legal Name (5a from Face Sheet):
b. Requested Grant Period From:

Requested Grant Period Through:

c. If this is a revised budget, indicate application/grant number:

Section A: Detailed Budget
a. Year:  
1   
2   
3   
4 

b. Budget Detail for the Period From:

c. Through:

1. Salaries and Wages
Name/Title of Position

No.

Method of Cost Computation

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

SUBTOTALS

2. Fringe Benefits
Rate

$ Salary Base
% of
% of
% of
SUBTOTALS

3. Consultant Fees
Name or Type of Consultant

No. of
days

Daily Rate of Compensation

SUBTOTALS
44

Budget Form - Page two

4. Travel
From/To

No. of
No. of
persons days

$ Subsistence
Costs

$ Transportation
Costs

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

SUBTOTALS

5. Supplies and Materials
Item

Basis/Method of Cost Computation

SUBTOTALS

6. Services
Item

Basis/Method of Cost Computation

SUBTOTALS
OMB Number: 3137-0029, Expiration Date: 01/31/2007; OMB Number: 3137-0049, Expiration Date: 01/31/2007

45

Budget Form - Page three

7. Student Support (Laura Bush 21st Century Librarians Program only)
Item

Basis/Method of Cost Computation

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

SUBTOTALS

8. Other Costs
Item

Basis/Method of Cost Computation

SUBTOTALS

9. Total Direct Costs
TOTALS (Add subtotals of items 1 to 8)

10. Indirect Costs
Read the instructions about Indirect Costs before completing this section. Check the appropriate box below and
provide the information requested.



Current indirect cost rate(s) have been negotiated with
a federal agency (for item A, indicate the name of the
agency and date of agreement expiration; complete item B).
Indirect cost proposal has been submitted to a federal
agency but not yet negotiated (for item A, indicate the name
of the agency and date of proposal; complete item B).

 Applicant chooses a rate not to exceed 15% of direct
costs (complete item B).
 Applicant is a State Library Administrative Agency and will
charge an administrative fee of 4% of total costs
(complete item B).

Item A: Name of federal agency:
Expiration Date:
Rate

Item B:

Proposal Date:
$ Base

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

% of
% of
% of
SUBTOTALS

11. Total Project Costs
PROJECT COST TOTALS (Direct and Indirect for Budget Period)
PROJECT COST TOTALS (Excluding Student Support)
46

Budget Form - Page Four

Section B: Summary Budget
$ IMLS

$ Cost Share

$ TOTAL COSTS

1. Salaries and Wages
2. Fringe Benefits
3. Consultant Fees
4. Travel
5. Supplies and Materials
6. Services
7. Student Support
8. Other Costs
TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (1—8)
9. Indirect Costs
TOTAL COSTS (Direct and Indirect)
Project Funding for the Entire Grant Period
1. Grant Funds Requested from IMLS
2. Cost Sharing:
a. Cash Contribution
b. In-Kind Contribution
c. Other Federal Agencies*
d. TOTAL COST SHARING
3. TOTAL PROJECT FUNDING (1+2d)
% of Total Costs Requested from IMLS
* If funding has been requested from another federal agency, indicate the agency’s name:

47

48

Activity Eleven

Activity Ten

Activity Nine

Activity Eight

Activity Seven

Activity Six

Activity Five

Activity Four

Activity Three

Activity Two

Activity One

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

This is a sample format for a schedule of completion (see page 31). You may prepare yours in a similar manner
or you may create your own format. Whatever format you choose, be sure to list each major project activity
addressed in your narrative, the date each activity begins and ends (month, day, year), and, if part of a much
larger project, make sure the IMLS-funded portion is clearly identified. It is critical that the dates on your
schedule of completion correspond to the project dates on your Face Sheet (pages 39-40).

sample schedule of completion

IMLS Assurances and Certification

IMLS is required to obtain from all
applicants certifications regarding federal
debt status, debarment and suspension,
nondiscrimination, and a drug-free workplace.
Applicants requesting more than $100,000
in grant funds must also certify regarding
lobbying activities and may be required to
submit a “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”
(Standard Form LLL). Some applicants will be
required to certify that they will comply with
other federal statutes that pertain to their
particular situation. These requirements are
incorporated in the Assurances Statement
below. The authorized representative/
authorizing official must review the statement
and provide the certification in item 9 on the
application Face Sheet, pages 39-40.

Assurances Statement
By signing the application form, the authorized
representative/authorizing official, on behalf
of the applicant, assures and certifies that,
should a grant be awarded, the applicant
will comply with the statutes outlined below
and all related IMLS regulations, which are
found in 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI, Subchapter E
(Institute of Museum and Library Services).
These assurances are given in connection
with any and all financial assistance from
IMLS after the date this form is signed, but
may include payments after this date for
financial assistance approved prior to this
date. These assurances shall obligate the
applicant for the period during which the
federal financial assistance is extended. The
applicant recognizes and agrees that any such
assistance will be extended in reliance on
the representations and agreements made in
these assurances, and that the United States
government has the right to seek judicial
enforcement of these assurances, which
are binding on the applicant, its successors,
transferees, and assignees, and on the
authorized official whose signature appears
on the application form.

49

IMLS Assurances and Certification

Certifications Required of All Applicants
Financial, Administrative, and Legal
Accountability
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that the applicant has legal authority to apply
for federal assistance and the institutional,
managerial, and financial capability (including
funds sufficient to pay the nonfederal share
of project costs) to ensure proper planning,
management, and completion of the project
described in this application.
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that the applicant will cause to be performed
the required financial and compliance audits
in accordance with the Single Audit Act
Amendments of 1996 (31 U.S.C. § 7501 et
seq.) and OMB Circular No. A-133, “Audits of
States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit
Organizations.”
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that the applicant will comply with the
provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110,
“Uniform Administrative Requirements for
Grants and Other Agreements with Institutions
of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other NonProfit Organizations.”
Federal Debt Status
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies to
the best of his or her knowledge and belief
that the applicant is not delinquent in the
repayment of any federal debt.

50

Suspension, Debarment, and Other
Responsibility Matters
1. The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
to the best of his or her knowledge and
belief that the applicant and its principals:
(a) Are not presently excluded or
disqualified;
(b) Have not been convicted within
the preceding three years of any
of the offenses listed in 45 C.F.R.
1185.800(a) or had a civil judgment
rendered against the applicant or its
principals for one of those offenses
within that time period;
(c) Are not presently indicted for or
otherwise criminally or civilly charged
by a governmental entity (federal,
state, or local) with commission of
any of the offenses listed in 45 C.F.R.
1185.800(a); and
(d) Have not had one or more public
transactions (federal, state, or local)
terminated with the preceding three
years for cause or default.
2. The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant,
further certifies that the applicant and
its principals will comply with 45 C.F.R.
Part 1185 Subpart C (Responsibilities
of Participants Regarding Transactions)
and will require similar compliance with
Subpart C by persons at the next lower
tier with whom the primary tier participant
enters into covered transactions.

Nondiscrimination
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that the applicant will comply with the
following nondiscrimination statutes and their
implementing regulations:
(a) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
as amended (42 U.S.C. § 2000 et seq.),
which prohibits discrimination on the basis
of race, color, or national origin;
(b) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 701 et
seq.), which prohibits discrimination on
the basis of disability;
(c) Title IX of the Education Amendments
of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. §§
1681-83, 1685-86), which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex in
education programs; and
(d) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 6101
et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on
the basis of age.

Drug-Free Workplace
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies,
as a condition of the award, that the applicant
will or will continue to provide a drug-free
workplace by complying with the requirements
in Subpart B of 45 C.F.R. Part 1186.
This includes: making a good faith effort on
a continuing basis, to maintain a drug-free
workplace, publishing a drug-free workplace
statement; establishing a drug-free awareness
program for employees; taking actions
concerning employees who are convicted of
violating drug statutes in the workplace; and
identifying (either with this application, upon
award, or in documents kept on file in the
applicant’s office) all known workplaces under
the award.

51

IMLS Assurances and Certification

Certification Regarding Lobbying Activities
(Applies to Applicants Requesting Funds in
Excess of $100,000)
The authorized representative/authorizing
official certifies, to the best of his or her
knowledge and belief, that:
(a) no federal appropriated funds have been
paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of
the authorizing official, to any person for
influencing or attempting to influence
an officer or employee of any agency,
a Member of Congress, an officer or
employee of Congress, or an employee
of a Member of Congress in connection
with the awarding of a federal contract,
the making of a federal grant, the making
of a federal loan, the entering into of a
cooperative agreement, or the extension,
continuation, renewal, amendment, or
modification of a federal contract, grant,
loan, or cooperative agreement;
(b) if any funds other than appropriated
federal funds have been paid or will be
paid to any person (other than a regularly
employed officer or employee of the
applicant) for influencing or attempting
to influence an officer or employee of
any agency, a Member of Congress, an
officer or employee of Congress, or an
employee of a Member of Congress in
connection with this federal contract,
grant, loan, or cooperative agreement,
the authorized representative/authorizing
official shall request, complete, and
submit Standard Form LLL, “Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities,” in accordance with its
instructions; and

52

(c) the authorizing official shall require
that the language of this certification
be included in the award documents
for all subawards at all tiers (including
subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts
under grants, loans, and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients
shall certify and disclose accordingly.
General Certification
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that it will comply with all applicable
requirements of all other federal laws,
executive orders, regulations, and policies
governing the program. IMLS grant regulations
may be found at 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI,
Subchapter E (Institute of Museum and Library
Services).

Certifications Required of Some
Applicants
The following certifications are required
if applicable to the project for which an
application is being submitted. Applicants
should be aware that additional federal
certifications, not listed below, might apply to
a particular project.
Subagreements
A grantee may not make a subgrant (for more
details, see 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI, Subchapter
E (Institute of Museum and Library Services)).
Applicants who plan to use awards to fund
contracts and subcontracts should be
aware that they must receive the following
certifications from those who bid on contracts:
1. certification of compliance with the
nondiscrimination statutes from
institutional applicants and contractors,
and
2. certification regarding debarment and
suspension from potential contractors and
subcontractors who will receive $100,000
or more in grant funds. Applicants are also
required to include without modification
the following wording in solicitations for
contracts that are expected to equal or
exceed $100,000:
(a) The prospective lower tier participant
certifies, by submission of this
proposal, that neither it nor its
principals are presently debarred,
suspended, proposed for debarment,
declared ineligible, or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this
transaction by any federal department
or agency.

(b) Where the prospective lower tier
participant is unable to certify to any
of the statements in this certification,
such prospective participant shall
attach an explanation to this proposal.
Native American Human Remains and
Associated Funerary Objects
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that
the applicant will comply with the provisions
of the Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act of 1990 (25 U.S.C. § 3001 et
seq.), which applies to any organization that
controls or possesses Native American human
remains and associated funerary objects, and
which receives federal funding, even for a
purpose unrelated to the Act.
Historic Properties
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that the applicant will assist the awarding
agency in ensuring compliance with Section
106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. §
470f), Executive Order (E.O.) 11593, and the
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. § 469 et seq.).

53

IMLS Assurances and Certification

Environmental Protections
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that the project will comply with environmental
standards, including the following:

that the project will comply with the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, as amended (16
U.S.C. § 1271 et seq.), related to protecting
components or potential components of the
national wild and scenic rivers system.

(a) institution of environmental quality
control measures under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.) and
Executive Order (E.O.) 11514;
(b) notification of violating facilities pursuant
to Executive Order (E.O.) 11738;
(c) protection of wetlands pursuant to
Executive Order (E.O.) 11990, as amended
by Executive Order (E.O.) 12608;
(d) evaluation of flood hazards in floodplains
in accordance with Executive Order (E.O.)
11988, as amended;
(e) assurance of project consistency with the
approved State management program
developed under the Coastal Zone
Management Act of 1972, as amended
(16 U.S.C. § 1451 et seq.);
(f ) conformity of federal actions to State
(Clean Air) Implementation Plans under
section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act of 1955,
as amended (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.);
(g) protection of underground sources of
drinking water under the Safe Drinking
Water Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C.
§ 300f et seq.); and
(h) protection of endangered species under
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. §§ 1531-1543).

The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that the applicant will comply with the flood
insurance requirements of the Flood Disaster
Protection Act of 1973, as amended (42 U.S.C.
§ 4001 et seq.), which requires recipients in
a special flood hazard area to participate in
the program and to purchase flood insurance
if the total cost of insurable construction and
acquisition is $10,000 or more.

The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies

54

Research on Human and Animal Subjects
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies that
the project will comply with 45 C.F.R. Part 46
regarding the protection of human subjects
involved in research, development, and related
activities supported by this award of assistance.
The authorized representative/authorizing
official, on behalf of the applicant, certifies
that the project will comply with the Laboratory
Animal Welfare Act of 1966, as amended
(7 U.S.C. § 2131 et seq.), pertaining to the
care, handling, and treatment of warmblooded animals held for research, teaching,
or other activities supported by this award of
assistance.
For further information on these certifications,
contact IMLS, 1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor,
Washington, DC 20036. Or call 202/653-IMLS
(4657).

For more information, call or write:

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture Staff
Christopher J. Reich, Senior Program Officer
Phone: 202/653-4685
E-mail: [email protected]
Twinet G. Kimbrough, Program Specialist
Phone: 202/653-4703
E-mail: [email protected]

Office of Museum Services
General number: 202/653-4789

Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M Street, NW
9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802
General phone: 202/653-IMLS (4657)
General E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.imls.gov
TTY (for hearing-impaired persons): 202/653-4699
IMLS will provide visually impaired or learning-disabled persons with an audio recording of this
publication or any other grant publication upon request.

IMLS programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap,
or age. For further information, write to the Civil Rights Officer, Institute of Museum and Library
Services, Washington, DC 20506.

Burden estimate and request for public comments
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average nine hours per
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering
and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Institute of Museum and Library Services at the address above; and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction
Project (3137-0065), Washington, DC 20503.
CFDA Number: 45.309
OMB Number: 3137-0065; Expiration Date: 06/30/2009

1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use, $300

Dated Material
OPEN IMMEDIATELY

2007
Museum Grants
for African
American History
and Culture
Grant Program Guidelines
and Application Forms
CFDA No. 45.309

PRSRT STD
US Postage

PAID

Institute of Museum
and Library Services
Permit No. G-274

Application Deadline: January 15, 2007
Online application available through Grants.gov
(see www.imls.gov/grantsgov for more information)