NYSCA/GHHN Grants - Site Assessment

The NYSCA/GHHN Grants for Site Assessment offer support for half-day museum site assessments in New York. Funded by the New York State Council on the Arts and the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, this initiative helps museums and cultural organizations improve their collections care. Organizations can apply for up to $1,000 for professional consultancy services, focusing on stewardship and collections-related issues. Eligibility includes chartered nonprofit museums and historical organizations, while federal and municipal institutions must inquire about their status.

The NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Grant Program is made possible with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of The Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation supports projects from Long Island and New York City. This statewide program now offers three opportunities for collecting institutions in New York State.
Conservation TreatmentPreservation SuppliesSite Assessment
Organizations may apply to all three opportunities in the same year.
The NYSCA/GHHN Site Assessment Grant is an opportunity under the NYSCA/GHHN Conservation Grant Program, a partnership between the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN), that will provide support for half-day museum site assessments for museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State. Additional funding from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation supports projects from Long Island and New York City.
What We Fund
The grant will support professional services for a Site Assessment consultant who will come to their organization for a half-day site visit focusing on a collections-related topic. Inclusion on this list does not constitute GHHN’s endorsement of a consultant. You are free to choose a consultant from this list or your own consultant. All applications must include a current consultant resume. We will not process your application unless a consultant resume has been received.
Scope of Consultancy: The consultant will discuss various areas of stewardship with the site including their specific collections issues, suggest and prioritize basic steps to improve care of their collections. These can include but are not limited to: storage solutions, policies and procedures, environmental controls, disaster preparedness planning, pest management and consultations on specific material types (3D objects only). Consultants must provide a written report with recommendations to be submitted to the site within 3 weeks of the visit.
Consultant support will not exceed $1,000 which includes the site assessment report and round-trip travel. Only travel within New York State borders will be supported. Any consultation fee above $1,000 is the responsibility of the applicant. No match is required.
Funding
Maximum Award: $1,000For a half-day site visit by a collections consultant to discuss specific areas of stewardship, including identifying collections issues and prioritizing basic steps to improve the care of your collections, followed by a written report

Eligibility

Applications will be accepted from chartered nonprofit museums, historical organizations or other cultural institutions either incorporated in or registered to do business in NYS, that own, care for and exhibit collections to the public. GHHN membership is not required. Federal & municipal museums and historic sites must contact the GHHN to discuss eligibility.Organizations may apply once a year.

Ineligibility

Sites owned by state agencies and religious institutions are ineligible.Grants will not support staff salaries or staff time. Requests for a site assessment for archival or library materials and collections (i.e., books, ledgers, log books, letters, scrapbooks, newspapers, ephemera, maps, or any item primarily used for informational/research value) will not be supported. Architectural requests, i.e. engineer’s reports or historic structures reports, will not be supported.