To support the efforts of museums to conserve the
Nation's historic, scientific, and cultural heritage; to maintain and expand
museums and libraries educational roles; and to ease the financial burden
borne by museums and libraries as a result of their increasing use by the
public.
TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:
Direct Payments with Unrestricted Use. Place Cursor Here for Definition
USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:
To make unrestricted General Operating Support (GOS) grants to museums. GOS
grants are 2-year competitive awards made on an annual basis to maintain or
improve the operations of museums; successful applicants are not eligible for
the subsequent year's competition.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Applicant Eligibility: A museum located in the 50
States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands,
the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands,
Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, The Federated States of
Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, or the District of Columbia may apply for a
grant under the Act. No museum is eligible to apply for General Operating
Support or Conservation Project Support funding under the Act unless it has
provided museum services including exhibiting objects to the general public on
a regular basis for at least 2 years prior to application. A public or private
nonprofit organization, such as a municipality, college, or university which
is responsible for the operation of a museum may, if necessary, apply on
behalf of the museum. A museum operated by a department or agency of the
Federal government is not eligible to apply. Under the IMLS definition, a
museum is a public or private nonprofit institution which is organized on a
permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes and which,
using a professional staff: (1) Owns or uses tangible objects, whether animate
or inanimate; (2) cares for these objects; and (3) exhibits them to the
general public on a regular basis. A museum must have at least one staff
member, paid or unpaid, who devotes his or her time primarily to the
acquisition, care or exhibition of objects. The definition makes clear that
the term "museum" includes aquariums and zoological parks; botanical
gardens and arboretums; nature centers; art, history, (including historic
buildings and sites), natural history, children's, general and specialized
museums, science and technology centers and planetariums.
Beneficiary Eligibility: Public nonprofit museums
and private nonprofit museums.
Credentials/Documentation: Costs will be
determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local
governments. OMB Circular No. A-21 for educational institutions and other
nonprofit organizations also applies.
Pre-application Coordination: The standard
application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB
Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program. This program is excluded
from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure: Applications are submitted
directly to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Room 609, Washington, DC 20506. Telephone: (202)606-8539. For
General Operating Support, a museum must submit the designated application
form containing the information requested in the form. This form requests a
description of the museum including its purposes, programs, collections,
audience served and the number and general duties of the staff. As part of the
application each applicant museum must submit a financial statement for the 2
fiscal years immediately preceding the fiscal year for which application is
made. Prior grant recipients must also submit an audited financial statement
in addition to those in the application. Description of long-range plans for
program and financial development must also be provided. This program is
subject to the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award Procedure: Proposals are reviewed by field
reviewers, panels of experts, and the Director to determine the grants,
contracts, or cooperative agreements awarded by IMLS to eligible applicants.
Deadlines: Contact the Institute of Museum and
Library Services for deadlines at (202) 606-8539 or imlsinfo@imls.gov.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: From 7
months.
Appeals: Appeals may be made in writing to the
Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Renewals: It is anticipated that no extensions
will be allowed for General Operating Support awards.
ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:
Formula and Matching Requirements: 45 CFR 1180. The
maximum grant is currently $112,500 or up to 15 percent of the applicant
museum's nonfederal operating income, whichever is less, through the General
Operating Support Program.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: GOS Grants
are awarded in quarterly payments on a 2-year basis.
POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Reports: The IMLS requires final financial and
narrative reports from General Operating Support recipients.
Audits: All applicants who have previously
received an IMLS grant (excluding MAP and CAP grants) must submit their
audited financial statement for the last fiscal year immediately preceding the
fiscal year in which application is made or the preceding fiscal year,
prepared by an individual or organization meeting the qualifications of the
Comptroller General of the United States for individuals or organizations
conducting Government audits. Reference is made to GAO, "Standards for
Audit of Government Organizations, Programs and Functions."
Records: Grant and contract recipients will be
required to maintain standard and financial statements.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION:
Account Identification: 59-0300-0-1-503.
Obligations: (Grants) FY 01 $15,610,000; FY 02
est $15,517,000; and FY 03 est $15,483,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance: For
fiscal year 2001, GOS awards were 15 percent of the Museum's operating budget
up to $112,500.
For fiscal year 2001, 826 GOS applications were received and 178 were funded.
REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:
Final regulations are codified in 45 CFR 1180.
INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Regional or Local Office: Not applicable.
Headquarters Office: Institute of Museum and
Library Services, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, Room 510, NW., Washington, DC
20506. Contacts: Dan Lukash at (202) 606-4644, Public Affairs at (202)
606-8339, or imlsinfo@imls.gov. General information is available by calling
(202) 606-5226 for information on library programs and (202) 606-8539 for
information on museum programs. The TTY number is (202) 606-8636.
Web Site Address: http://www.imls.gov.
EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:
General Operating Support for an exploratorium, a planetarium, and an art
museum.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:
The following criteria apply to the evaluation of all applications for General
Operating Support: I. Audience: (1) How does the museum reach an appropriately
broad and diverse audience? (2) How are the levels of public participation in
the services the museum provides appropriate to its audience and activities?
II. Collections: (1) How do the museum's collections support the statement of
purpose? (2) What is the significance of the collections to the museum's
community and constituencies? III. Exhibitions: (1) How do the museum's
exhibitions support the statement of purpose? (2) How are exhibitions
developed and evaluated? IV. Management and Care: (1) What are the museum's
policies and practices for the responsible care and management of collections?
(2) How are the collections used? (3) What are the museum's policies and
practices for the responsible care and management of its exhibits? (4) What is
the significance of the exhibits to the museum's community and constituents?
(5) What is the extent, purpose, and use of research by staff, visitors, and
scholars? V. Education: (1) How do the museum's education programs support the
statement of purpose? (2) How are educational programs developed,
disseminated, and evaluated? VI. Physical Facilities/Safety and Security: (1)
How does the museum use its physical resources in providing museum services to
the general public and specialized audiences? (2) What practices and schedules
does the museum follow to ensure the proper care and maintenance of its
physical plant? (3) How does the museum ensure the safety of its staff,
visitors, facilities, and collections? VII. Staff: (1) How are the
qualifications, responsibilities, and professional activities of the museum's
permanent, professional staff appropriate to the museum's mission? (2) What
personnel policies and practices does the museum follow? (3) How does the
museum select, recruit, train, and use supplementary staff? VIII. Governance
and Management/Financial Management: (1) How is the museum's governing
authority appropriate to the museum's mission and operation? (2) How is the
museum's management structure appropriate to the museum's mission and
operation? (3) What is the museum's financial condition? (4) What are the
museum's procedures for budgetary development and control? IX. Support: (1)
How does the community's non-cash support of the museum operations demonstrate
commitment to the museum's services? (2) How does the museum acquire
non-federal financial support? X. Long-Range Plan: (1) How does the long-range
plan support the mission of the museum? (2) How does the museum develop,
implement, and update the long-range plan? (3) How will GOS funds, if awarded
this year, be used to further the museum's purpose?
