Smithsonian Community Grant Program: Connecting Museums with Their Communities. Sponsored by the MetLife Foundation.

Instructions

1. Application must be submitted electronically to sitesgrants@si.edu
2. Application must be in MS Word, using a 12-point font (Times or similar) and one-inch margins on all sides. Pages should be single-spaced and numbered.
3. Fully read each question and provide as much information as possible. If you are unsure about a question, email us your inquiry at sitesgrants@si.edu
4. Be specific!
5. Please note strict length limitations.
6. Please email any questions to sitesgrants@si.edu

Executive Summary (no more than 2 pages)

1. Application date
2. Organization’s name
3. Contact information (full address, including mailing address if different, telephone, fax, and Web address)
4. Organization’s federal tax-exempt number
5. Contact person’s name, title, and contact information (telephone, fax, and e-mail)
6. SITES exhibit and booking dates to which the program corresponds
7. Dollar amount requested for this grant
8. Total budget for program this grant will support
9. Total current organizational budget (indicate if venue is part of a larger organization and if so, also provide the venue’s budget)
10. Period this funding request will cover
11. Purpose of this funding request, including target population, number of individuals, and geographic area(s) that will benefit from this proposal
12. SITES exhibits that organization has hosted in the past (if applicable)

Narrative (no more than 5 pages)

1. Describe, in one paragraph, the organization’s history, mission, and goals
2. Describe, in one paragraph, current programs and activities, and recent organizational accomplishments
3. Describe purpose of this request, how it relates to the SITES exhibit; please include program dates, locations, and target audience.
4. How does the program fit into the mission of the organization?
5. How will this request enable the organization to build its capacity, address current limitations, and/or improve its ability to meet program or organizational goals?
6. How will this request enhance your organization’s presentation of the SITES exhibit? (What themes are you addressing? How does the proposed project tie in with the exhibition? Why is it important for your community that you do this project?)
7. Describe the issue or need that this program will address and evidence of that need?
8. For a new program: how was the program approach developed? (Did education staff develop this program based on past experiences, visitor feedback/requests, and national education standards? Did the SITES Advanced Materials and/or the exhibition’s themes inspire the program? Are there plans to partner with an outside organization because they have a certain expertise? How has the program been developed and reviewed organizationally?)
9. For an ongoing program: what measurable outcomes have been achieved with this type of program in the past? (attendance numbers, member value, public relations opportunities, serving new audiences)
10. What is the plan for implementation (timetable or narrative)? What, if any, existing community resources (e.g., facilities, people, funding) will be used? (Provide a timeline for the project including outside resources)
11. What is the promotional plan for the program? (What resources or existing avenues of promotion are used regularly? Will these be augmented?)
12. How will the program be evaluated? What measurable outcomes will be achieved during this grant period? (Are there exit surveys? Internal staff reviews?)
13. If applicable, please include short biographies of key staff, volunteers, speakers, honored guests, etc., essential to the success of this request

Finances (no more than three pages)
Please be specific!

1. Provide your organization’s current total annual operating budget
2. Provide the total budget for hosting this SITES exhibition (participation fee, shipping & installation, advertising & marketing, programming & events, etc.)
3. Provide a detailed line breakdown of all costs associated with the program(s) for the grant requested (include cost of supplies, honoraria, advertising & marketing, etc.)

Please email all questions to sitesgrants@si.edu.