Grants to Support Costume in Small Museums

Description The Costume Society of America annually awards up to two $1,500.00 Grants to Support Costume in Small Museums. This classification includes historical societies, historic houses or sites, and other similar institutions with very limited budget and staff to support their costume collection. Funding is intended to assist the costume and textiles collections of small museums, and may be used for appropriate supplies or display items, the services of a consultant or specialist, or other projects which relate directly to the institution’s costume collection and foster the care or use of the collection at a level appropriate to the particular collection’s most pressing needs. Eligibility 1. The grants are intended for institutions with very limited budget and staff to support their costume collection. The project must relate to maintaining the costume and textile collection. 2. Applying institutions must fall into the small museum category, which includes historical societies, historic houses or sites, or other similar institutions. 3. An applying institution must be a non-profit organization as recognized under IRS Section 501; must be regularly open to the public for a minimum of forty days per year; and must have a collection of tangible costume objects. 4. Applications are welcomed from any institution that meets the above criteria. To accept a grant, an institution must be or become an institutional member of the Costume Society of America or have an active staff member who is an individual CSA member. 5. An institution is not eligible to receive a grant more than once in three years. Grant Criteria CSA’s Grants to Support Costume in Small Museums are intended to make a dramatic beneficial impact on the receiving institutions’ costume collections. There is no set limit on institutional budget size, since the field of candidates may vary from year to year; however, budget size and access to other financial resources will be taken into account when selecting grant recipients, with strong preference given to institutions with very limited budget and resources. The Grant Committee recognizes that a small institution may not be able to prepare a project proposal complete with formal proposals from conservators or consultants and a list of the most appropriate materials. In order to assist these institutions, after the preliminary evaluation, institutions may be asked to clarify or refine their applications if necessary, working with the Grant Committee to ensure that their proposed project is feasible, in the best interests of the collection, is conservationally sound, and meets the collection’s most pressing needs. Grant Schedule Five copies of the Grant Application and relevant documentation must be postmarked by February 1 and mailed to the national office of the Costume Society of America. The Grant Committee will review the proposals and select a short list of candidates. After clarifying proposals as needed, a final evaluation will be done and the Grant Committee will select the grant recipients. Grant recipients will be announced at the spring national symposium of the Costume Society of America. The grant funds will be available by June 15th. The funded projects must be completed by June 30th of the following year. Upon completion of their project, each institution must submit a final report to the Grant Committee Chair. CSA News and/or CSA e-news will publicize the completed grant projects to CSA members and information will be sent to newspapers in the area of the grant recipients to generate local publicity. Grant Administration The Committee consists of the Chair, who is a voting member, and four Grant Committee members plus one alternate. The Grant Committee Chair is appointed by the Vice President for Awards and Honors in Consultation with the President. Grant Committee members and the alternate are appointed by the Chair and serve staggered three year terms; up to three of the members and the alternate may be members from the CSA Board of Directors and up to three may be from the CSA membership at large. Application for Grant to Support Costume in Small Museums