Small Museums Collection Care Grant

Purpose The CSA Small Museums Collection Care Grant is intended to assist the costume and textiles collections of small museums (including historical societies, historic houses or sites, and other similar institutions) that have very limited budget and staff. Funding may be used to support the care, conservation, and/or exhibition of costume and textiles that have historic, regional, or other significance and are intended for preservation. Description Up to two $1,500.00 grants to support costume in small museums are awarded annually. These Grants, first awarded in 2003, 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 Institutions applying for a Grant must meet the following requirements: have very limited budget and staff to support their costume collection. The project must relate to maintaining the costume and textile collection. fall into the small museum category, which includes historical societies, historic houses or sites, or other similar institutions be a non-profit organization as recognized under IRS Section 501 be regularly open to the public for a minimum of forty days per year have a collection of tangible costume objects propose a project relating to maintaining the costume and textile collection 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 an institution is not eligible to receive a Grant more than once in three years Application Deadline Completed applications and relevant documentation must be postmarked by February 28. Application Procedure Complete the application (see below). Please consult the Archival Storage Supply List for a list of appropriate archival supplies and suppliers when considering your application. When completed, please send five (5) copies, together with any relevant documentation and supporting material, to: CSA Small Museums Collection Care Grant Committee Chair - Cynthia Amneus Selection Criteria The CSA Small Museums Collection Care Grant is intended to make a dramatic beneficial impact on the receiving institution's' 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. Historically, institutions with operating budgets over $1 million have not been funded. Applications will be judged by: high impact of the project on collection's well-being and mission feasibility of the project in terms of budget, time line, and personnel to carry it out significance of the collection Grant Schedule The Grant Committee will review the applications and proposals and select a short list of candidates. Recognizing 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), 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, conservationally sound, in the best interests of the collection, and meets the collection's most pressing needs. 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 National Symposium of the Costume Society of America. Grant funds will be available by June 15th. 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 institution's area to generate local publicity.

Application for a CSA Small Museums Collection Care Grant