Would you like FREE collections preservation money?  It does exist and has nothing to do with the stimulus package.  It is available through the PAG (Preservation Assistance Grants for smaller institutions) program of NEH.  Projects of up to $6,000 can be funded with NO MATCH required.  The application deadline is May 14, and the application is easy, compared to other NEH and IMLS programs.  Sample projects that can be funded include the following.

·        Design of a light control plan, including testing of sample methods.

·        Implementation of light control solutions following a plan.

·        Environmental monitoring, including purchase of data loggers.

·        Design of an environmental improvement plan.

·        Storage improvements, including materials and supplies.

·        Conservation assessment of your collections.

If you are interested in this funding, please begin IMMEDIATELY.  The application procedure consists of the following steps.

1)      Register your institution with grants.gov.  Do this now, as there has been a huge increase in the number of users (this is the system used for ALL federal grants, not just museums) and backlogs have been common recently.

2)      Design your project – you must draw upon the knowledge of appropriate conservation consultants in order to receive funding.

3)      Complete the grant narrative and grant budget.

4)      Supply supporting documentation.

5)      Submit the grant electronically via grants.gov.  Do this BEFORE the deadline, or you may be locked out due to heavy use.

That’s a brief summary of everything and it is quite straight-forward.  Please visit http://neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html for more information.  I would be pleased to assist you in the design of a project and preparation of the grant.  Go get your piece of the pie, and good luck!

Marc