Grants for Museums

Last updated October 12, 2026

Grantable tracks 158 active grants for museums in its free grants database, drawn from state and foundation sources and updated daily. 2 of them have a verified open deadline or accept applications on a rolling basis. 90 list an award amount, with a median of $20K.

Grants tracked: 158; from 113 funders
Median award: $20K; middle half $5,000–$76K
Total listed funding: $16.4M; across 90 grants that list an amount
Rolling deadlines: 2; 7 with a published date

On this page: State Foundation · Updated daily

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Grant	Deadline ▲	Amount
Art Preservation Fund Grants Foundation Oct 30, 2026 · Up to $25K Art Preservation Fund's inaugural grant cycle supports the interventive conservation treatment of art and heritage items held in nonprofit collections across the United States. There are two tracks.	Oct 30, 2026	Up to $25K
Mini Grants Wisconsin Humanities Council Inc · Foundation ~November · Varies Wisconsin Humanities offers Mini Grants to support cultural and educational programs around the state.	~November	Varies
Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Inc · Foundation Nov 10, 2026 · $1K – $20K The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation offers grants to support diverse initiatives, including museums, educational programs, and environmental activities.	Nov 10, 2026	$1K – $20K
Cultural Facilities Fund Mass Cultural Council · State Dec 10, 2026 · $700K – $20M Grants to support acquisition, design, repair, rehabilitation, renovation, expansion, or construction of cultural facilities.	Dec 10, 2026	$700K – $20M
Major Grants Wisconsin Humanities Council Inc · Foundation ~December · Varies Wisconsin Humanities offers Major Grants to support larger cultural and educational programs around the state.	~December	Varies
Major Grants Maine Humanities Council · Foundation ~January · $2K – $8K The Major Grants program supports larger, more substantial humanities projects across Maine. Award amounts range from $2,001 to $7,500.	~January	$2K – $8K
Teiger Foundation Single Project Grant Teiger Foundation · Foundation Jan 26, 2027 · Up to $250K The Teiger Foundation Single Project Grant supports innovative visual arts projects at non-profit exhibition spaces with annual budgets exceeding $3 million.	Jan 26, 2027	Up to $250K
Project Grants Vermont Humanities Council · Foundation Not published · $1K – $5K	Not published	$1K – $5K
Attingham Scholarship The National Society of the Colonial · Foundation Not published · Varies The NSCDA offers museum professionals employed at NSCDA properties a rare opportunity to study collections and landscapes of historic English country homes at the prestigious Attingham Summer School in Britain.	Not published	Varies
4Culture: Heritage Projects' Grant Program 4Culture · Foundation Not published · $2K – $15K The 4Culture Heritage Projects Grant Program supports initiatives that make history relevant through exhibits, publications, and oral histories in King County, WA.	Not published	$2K – $15K
Historical and Cultural Museum Assistance Program Maryland Historical Trust · State Not published · Varies This program provides technical and financial assistance to public, non-profit museum organizations to help interpret Maryland's rich history, promote tourism, support public education and encourage professionalism within museum practice.	Not published	Varies
ACM Outstanding Practice Award Association of Children's Museums Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies Recognizes an exceptional accomplishment by a children's museum in work across all departments that is also recognized as an outstanding practice for the field.	Not published	Varies
Blowing Rock Community Foundation Grants Blowing Rock Community Foundat Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies	Not published	Varies
Community Fund Grants: Arts & Culture Akron Community Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Akron Community Foundation offers Community Fund Grants focused on Arts & Culture, aimed at enriching the community's quality of life.	Not published	Varies
CSA Midwest Region: Otto Thieme Memorial Internship Grant Costume Society of America · Foundation Not published · $2K The CSA Midwest Region: Otto Thieme Memorial Internship provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in a hands-on curatorial experience with costume collections at Midwestern museums, historical societies, or universities.	Not published	$2K
RF: Alaska Art Fund Grant Rasmuson Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies Established in 2002 and initiated in 2003, the Alaska Art Fund (AAF), formerly known as the Art Acquisition Fund, stands as a testament to the partnership between Rasmuson Foundation and Museums Alaska.	Not published	Varies
Project Grants: Small Museum Project Utah Division of Art & Museums · Foundation Not published · Up to $3K The Small Museum Project Grants aim to support small museums in Utah by promoting best practices in collection management, exhibition development, and public access.	Not published	Up to $3K
Kleberg Foundation: Arts & Humanities Grant Robert J & Helen C Kleberg Foundation · Foundation Not published · Varies The Kleberg Foundation supports arts and humanities initiatives, prioritizing established organizations with a history of partnership.	Not published	Varies
IFPDA Foundation Grants Ifpda Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · Varies The IFPDA Foundation provides financial support to museums and non-profit organizations for exhibitions, publications, and educational projects that promote greater awareness and understanding of printmaking as an artistic medium.	Not published	Varies
Richard Hamilton Acquisition Prize Ifpda Foundation Inc · Foundation Not published · $10K Supports museum acquisition of prints from any period at the IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair.	Not published	$10K
David Whitehouse Research Residency for Scholars Grant The Corning Museum Of Glass · Foundation Not published · Varies The David Whitehouse Research Residency for Scholars at The Corning Museum of Glass offers a unique opportunity for scholars to engage with the museum's extensive glass research resources.	Not published	Varies
CSA Small Museum Collection Care Grant Costume Society of America · Foundation Not published · $2K The CSA Small Museum Collection Care Grant provides $1,500 to support small museums in preserving their costume and textiles collections.	Not published	$2K
MCDARF: Regular Grants Mary Chilton DAR Foundation · Foundation Not published · $1K – $15K The Mary Chilton DAR Foundation offers Regular Grants ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 to support projects aligned with their mission of promoting historic preservation, education, and patriotism within South Dakota.	Not published	$1K – $15K
NC Science Museums Grants State Not published · Varies	Not published	Varies

Showing 1–24 of 158

Grants for museums by the numbers

How deadlines work

Rolling or ongoing: 2 1%
Upcoming date published: 7 4%
Stated cycle, no date yet: 24 15%
No deadline published: 125 79%

Only 7 of these grants publish a date, too few to show a seasonal pattern.

Funders with the most active grants for museums

Metropolitan Museum Of Art 10 active
Costume Society of America 5 active
Ifpda Foundation Inc 4 active
Samuel H Kress Foundation 4 active
Wisconsin Humanities Council Inc 4 active
4Culture 3 active

113 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

Source: Grantable's grants database, compiled from funder websites, Grants.gov and state grant portals. Figures cover all 158 active grants for museums (with a deadline today or later, or none published) as of October 12, 2026, and refresh daily. Award amounts are each grant's listed maximum; 2 listed amounts over $10M are left out, since they're usually program-wide totals rather than single awards.

About grants for museums

Grants for museums support exhibitions, collections care, conservation, education programs, and digital initiatives. Major sources include the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), whose Museums for America and Inspire! Grants for Small Museums programs are the largest federal funding streams for the field, alongside the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and private funders like the Mellon Foundation. State humanities councils and regional foundations round out the landscape for institutions of every size.

A long list is the starting point, not the shortlist. Our grant prospecting guide shows how to narrow grants for museums down to the funders most likely to say yes, using their giving records.

Grants for Museums by state

Browse grants for museums available to organizations in 5 states.

Grants for Museums in Maryland 5 Grants for Museums in Minnesota 2 Grants for Museums in Massachusetts 1 Grants for Museums in North Carolina 1 Grants for Museums in Vermont 1

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much money do grants for museums award?

Of the 158 grants for museums Grantable lists as of October 12, 2026, 90 publish an award amount. The median listed award is $20K, and the middle half fall between $5,000 and $76K. The largest is $4M. Amounts are each grant's stated maximum, so a typical award can be smaller.

Which funders offer the most grants for museums?

By number of active listings, the leading funders are Metropolitan Museum Of Art (10), Costume Society of America (5), Ifpda Foundation Inc (4), Samuel H Kress Foundation (4), and Wisconsin Humanities Council Inc (4). In all, 113 funders have at least one active grant in this category.

When are grants for museums due?

Of 158 grants listed, 2 accept applications on a rolling basis, 7 have a published upcoming deadline, 24 run on a stated cycle (such as annual or quarterly) without a published date, and 125 don't publish a deadline, so check the funder's site.

What grants are available for museums?

Museums can pursue funding for exhibitions, collections management and conservation, educational and interpretive programming, professional development, and digital access projects. Federal programs such as IMLS Museums for America are project-based and open to a wide range of museum types, while the NEH supports humanities-focused exhibitions and preservation. Many private foundations and state agencies also offer operating, capacity-building, and capital support.

Who funds museums in the United States?

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary source of federal museum funding, and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports humanities exhibitions and collections work. Private funders like the Mellon Foundation back larger institutions, archives, and cultural preservation, while state humanities councils, community foundations, and corporate giving programs support local and mid-sized museums.

Can small museums compete for these grants?

Yes. IMLS runs Inspire! Grants for Small Museums specifically for institutions with smaller budgets, and many funders welcome first-time applicants. Small museums often succeed by proposing focused, well-scoped projects, demonstrating community impact, and partnering with state humanities councils or regional foundations that prioritize local cultural organizations.

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