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Grants for Museum Advancement Tips for a Successful Grants Experience
Read the Guidelines First! We have only a few exclusions, restrictions, and basic program guidelines, but they are very important. We don't want you to make the effort to write and submit an application, and then get it rejected outright because the application (or your organization) doesn't fit our guidelines. The most important? You must hold a Charter from the NYS Board of Regents (unless you are a branch of local government). Not sure if you do? Contact the NYS Chartering Office at 518.473.3131, e-mail: dpalmqui@mail.nysed.gov. Exceptions to these guidelines are very rare—please contact us to discuss any of our guidelines. For GET SET! Grants—Submit four (4) copies of your application and supporting materials We are now requiring GET SET! applicants to submit four (4) copies of their application materials. Your application may be delayed if we do not receive the correct number of copies. Don't Leave Items Blank If you aren't sure of the answer, or the question doesn't apply to your organization, please do not leave that item blank. We can't read your mind--- leaving blanks will only hinder our review of your application. Provide Us With a Budget Breakdown Tell us how you came up with the figures for your budget. For instance: Travel - $200 (396 miles @ .505/mile); Consultant Fees - $1500 (3 days at $500/day) . A space is provided on the application form for your mileage breakdown. Information on current per diem, travel, and lodging rates is available at gsa.gov. You can figure out mileage at websites such as mapquest.com. If applicable, you may also want to include a copy of the workshop/conference brochure, hotel form, registration form, examples of train or plane fares, consultant contract or letter of intent, etc. to help explain costs. What Costs are Allowable? Remember that GET READY! grants do not provide funds - the consultant is paid directly by UHA. For GET SET! grants, funds may only be used to pay the consultant fees and his or her travel. It may not be used for meeting expenses such as lunch, administrative costs, copies or other items. Please read the GO! grant guidelines for eligible travel expenses. Round Numbers to the Nearest Whole Dollar Please round up to the nearest whole dollar. Note that we cannot grant you more than you have asked for. What If Your Budget Exceeds the $3000 Limit We understand that the budget for consultation projects or travel opportunities sometimes exceeds our grant amounts. If your total budget exceeds the grant limit ($3000 for GET SET!, $750 for GO!), please tell us:
We are very hesitant to approve larger projects or travel opportunities without knowing that the entire project will somehow be supported. Submit a Draft of Your Application Nothing hurts more than being rejected because your application was missing something or wasn’t clear enough. We welcome the opportunity to review application drafts, particularly for Get Set projects. We will review drafts up to one week before a deadline. We accept take drafts by e-mail or fax to speed up the process. Review Your Application - Again Spell Check, Spell Check, Spell Check! Have someone different review your application. Two sets of eyes are better than one because even Spell Check doesn’t pick up all of your mistakes. Poor grammar and sentence structure can hamper your application. Don’t forget the little things - one applicant misspelled the name of their consultant throughout the application, even with the consultant’s resume (with their correct name) attached. When in Doubt - Send Certified We encourage you to send your applications by certified mail or with other delivery confirmation. Mark Your Calendar Once you’ve received one of our grants, it’s very important that you submit your final report and associated materials in a timely manner. You won’t be eligible for further grants until all final reports are submitted. Call Us We encourage you to contact us directly by phone or e-mail with any questions. We can be reached at 800.895.1648 or info@upstatehistory.org. |
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