Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 012 - Department of Arkansas Heritage › Division 02 - Historic Preservation Commission › Rule 012.02.17-003 - Small Museum Grant Program

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
Rule Summary Small Museum Grant Program
This rule establishes the guidelines and process for the
				administration of a grant program to provide operating support to small museums
				in Arkansas. The rules includes items such as who is eligible to apply for the
				grant, how applications are evaluated, documentation required by the applicant
				and the timeline for application and decision. The maximum award per applicant
				is $2,500.
Legal Notice Ad
The Department of Arkansas Heritage is instituting a grant
				program designed to support operations of small museums located in communities
				around the state who maintain exhibits and collections and provide
				interpretation, and programming related to one or more eras of Arkansas
				history.
The Department is accepting public comment on the grant
				application rules and procedures through
______
July 17,
				2017
_________________.
Interested persons may review the rules online and email
				comments to
info@arkansasheritage.coments
. The rules
				are located online at
www.arkansasheritage.com
__________________.
Written comments may be returned to Small Museums Grant
				Program, Department of Arkansas Heritage, 1100 North Street, Little Rock, AR
				72201. Phone: (501) 324-9150.
THE DEPARTMENTS ARKANSAS HERITAGE
The Department of Arkansas Heritage
Since 1975, the Department of Arkansas Heritage has been
				charged with discovering, strengthening, protecting and preserving Arkansas's
				natural and cultural heritage. To fulfill its mission, the department
				coordinates the following natural and cultural heritage resource areas:
The Heritage Museums:
Museums research, preserve,
				present and interpret historic structures, objects and natural and cultural
				assets. They serve as a partner in education with public and private schools
				throughout Arkansas. The department's four museums are the
Delta Cultural
				Center, Historic Arkansas Museum, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
and
Old State House Museum.
The Heritage Resource Agencies:
The
Arkansas
				Natural Heritage Commission
identifies, protects and promotes areas that
				best exemplify Arkansas's rich heritage of biological diversity. These areas
				might be habitat for rare or disappearing species, or natural communities such
				as a tallgrass prairie or a river and its dependent aquatic system. The
Arkansas Arts Council
and the
Arkansas Historic Preservation
				Program
are conduits for federal and state grant money, and they provide
				technical assistance for developing and conserving Arkansas's cultural
				resources. They preserve and promote Arkansas's cultural resources including
				Arkansas's fine and traditional arts and historic structures, landscapes and
				archeological sites. The
Arkansas State Archives
collect and
				preserve the official records and historical materials for the state of
				Arkansas. These include state, county, and federal records, manuscript
				materials, newspapers, military records, family histories, an extensive
				Arkansas history and genealogy library, and a collection of Arkansas art and
				artifacts.
Guidelines for Small Museum Grant Program
Grant Program Goals
The Department of Arkansas Heritage has set these goals for
				Small Museum Grants:
* Promote education, awareness and enjoyment of Arkansas
				history
* Increase ability of community-based small
				museums/organization to research, preserve, present and conserve Arkansas
				history
Who May Apply
The following are the types of museums/organization that are
				eligible to apply:
* History Museums
* Historical Societies
* Historic Houses and Sites
* Military Museums
Evaluation Criteria
The Small Museum Grant Program is funded by the one-eighth cent
				conservation tax which is a limited source. Not every applicant can be funded.
				The maximum grant award is $2,500. All, part, or none of the applicant's
				request may be awarded.
General Conditions
There are five general conditions for eligibility in the Small
				Museum Grant Program:
* The museum must have an annual operating budget of $250,000
				or less.
* The museum must have a staff of at least one person qualified
				with museum training, knowledge and experience.
* Staff may be paid or volunteer. The museum staff must devote
				time primarily to the care of the museum and its collections.
* The museum must be open to the public at least 90 days per
				year.
Additional Requirements
To be considered for a Small Museum Grant, the applicant must
				meet the following requirements:
* Recipient must be located in Arkansas.
* Recipient must have tax exempt status (501(c)(3)) with the
				IRS or be part of a nonprofit organization.
* Recipient may receive no state or federal funds for operating
				costs.
* Recipient must have a strong educational component to the
				museum's/organization's programming. Educational programming should be designed
				to benefit the general public.
* Recipient must have a formally stated and board approved
				mission statement and bylaws.
* Recipient must use and interpret objects and/or a site for
				the public presentation of regularly scheduled programs and exhibits.
* Recipient must have a formal and appropriate program of
				documentation, care, and use of the collections and/or objects.
* Recipient must carry out the above functions primarily at a
				physical facility or site.
* Recipient must have been operational and open to the public
				for at least two years.
* Recipient must have a full-time director to whom authority is
				delegated for day-to-day operations.
Eligible Activities
Small Museums Grants can be used to underwrite an eligible
				museum's general operating expenses. The following expenses are eligible for
				inclusion within the grant application:
* Conservation materials
* Building and grounds maintenance
* Operating costs for utilities and HVAC
* Equipment purchase ($ 1,000 limit)
* Accessioning of artifact collections
* Research
* Website design and maintenance
* Exhibits
* Interpretation (brochures, educational programming and
				exhibits)
* Educational programs for K - 12 grade students or
				adults
* Printing, publicity and marketing
* Postage and telephone
* Travel and transportation
1. In-state travel for research and
			 training
2. Lodging for museum
			 staff only
3. Transportation costs
			 required for research and training must be itemized, stated in the form of
			 roundtrip miles, and not exceed the state government rate per round trip
			 mile
4. Meals for paid and non-paid
			 museum staff
* Staff Training
1. Museum practices and standards
2. Archival training
3. Interpretive training
4. Collections management
Ineligible Activities
* Small Museum Grants may not be used to fund the
				following:
* Acquisitions of objects for the collections
* Capital improvement projects
* Salaries
* Projects that serve a religious purpose or promote religious
				principals
* Exhibitions or public programs that are not available to the
				general public or taking place outside of the state of Arkansas
* Prizes and awards
* Expenses for entertainment
* Any state or federal funded museums
* Food for special or continuing programs
Application Timeline
* Notice of Grant Opportunity will be posted on the Department
				of Arkansas Heritage website at least 60 days before Small Museum Grant
				submission deadline.
* Submission deadline will be announced in Notice of Grant
				Opportunity.
* Deadline for revisions or additional material will be 30 days
				after submission deadline.
* Grants will be awarded within 60 days of application
				submission deadline.
* Funds will be available 15 days following the award
				date.
Decision Process
Small Museum Grant applications will be reviewed and evaluated
				against the goals, evaluation criteria and eligible activities of the Small
				Museum Grant Program by a panel of three or more individuals to be appointed by
				the Director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. The panel will include the
				State Historian or his/her designee. This panel will make the funding
				decisions.
Application - Small Museum Grant Program
1. Name, address, county, and telephone
			 number of applicant organization, website (if applicable) and normal hours of
			 operation.
2. Project Director's
			 name, address, email and telephone number (if different from above)
3. Amount of Grant Request ($2,500
			 maximum)____________________
4.
			 Proposed Grant Period (The period during which grant funds will be spent and
			 the project will take place)
From___________________________
Month Day Year Month Day Year
To_____________________________
Month Day Year Month Day Year
5. Executive Director/President of
			 Organization and Project Director
_____________________________
Name Signature Title Telephone
_____________________________
Name Signature Title Telephone
To Apply
The Notice of Grant Opportunity will specify method for
				submitting application. Applications will be accepted as stated in the Notice
				of Grant Opportunity. This will be either via the Department of Arkansas
				Heritage online grant portal or via paper application.
All applicants will be asked to provide the following
				information:
Brief History of Museum or Historical
				Society
Provide a brief history of the museum or historical society,
				include information as to the date of establishment, the organization's mission
				statement, the era(s) of Arkansas history that is the focal point of the museum
				or historical society, and a brief overview of the contents of exhibits,
				collections, interpretation, and programming.
1.
Description of proposed
			 project.
(Provide specifics as to what is to be accomplished during the
			 grant period.)
2.
Planning
(Tell us how the project was planned. Be specific about how humanities
			 scholars/museum experts were involved in the planning.)
3.
List the humanities
			 scholar(s)/museum expert(s) and their field, and briefly explain what they will
			 do.
(These individuals have expertise through formal education and
			 through research, writing, and teaching in the humanities, knowledge of
			 archival practices, museum collections management, museum operations. A
			 humanities scholar is recognized by fellow scholars as authorities in the
			 humanities
and/or
museum fields.)
4.
Identify the audience to be served
			 by this project and explain how they will benefit.
(Include an estimate of the number of people to be served if
				applicable.)
5.
Describe the plan for publicity and/or distribution
(If
			 applicable)
6.
Describe the
			 evaluation plan for assessing how well the project achieved its objectives.
(Include a measurable form of assessment to determine the outcome of
			 the success of the project.)
Note: These are not goals, but measurable
			 objectives.
7.
List
			 the name and affiliation of each member of the evaluation committee.
(It
			 is advisable to have a diverse number of individuals to evaluate the project.
			 Evaluation committee members may include the project director, humanities
			 scholar, museum patrons, audience members, etc.)
8.
Budget
* There are no cost-share requirements.
* Provide an itemized list of expenditures which includes each
				item, a unit cost, quantity, and a total amount.
* Shipping and handling and sales tax may be included in the
				itemized list of expenditures.
* Please list any external funds that make up cost-share for
				the project.
* List all individuals to receive honoraria by name, amount to
				be received and a total amount.
* All those to receive travel reimbursement should be listed
				individually, provide the "from and to" locations, a unit cost per mile, and a
				total amount.
* Itemi ze all supplies and materials, printing and
				duplicating, postage and telephone. Include the item, a unit cost, quantity,
				and a total amount.
* Include equipment that may be purchased or rented and the
				cost involved. Include a justification for the rental or the purchase of
				equipment, and provide a statement as to how the equipment will be used
				following the completion of the project.
* Itemi ze all advertising including the advertising venue,
				cost, and number of runs.
* Provide a total amount for each budgetary item and a
				cumulative total.
9.
Provide organization's mission statement, bylaws and evidence of tax exempt
			 status, (e.g. copy of IRS tax exemption determination letter)
10.
Attach signed Certification of Use
			 of Funds and Supplemental Grant Information
Department of Arkansas Heritage - Small Museum Grant
				Program Certification for Use of Funds
1 certify, to the best of my knowledge and
			 belief, that all criteria and pre-conditions established in the application
			 requesting funds for my organization have been met. I further certify that any
			 funds received in accordance with the Small Museum Grant Program will be used
			 specifically for the purposes listed in the grant award.
_____________________________________
(Name of Organization)
_____________________________________
(Date)
_____________________________________
(Signature*) (Title) (Print Name)
*individual with legal authority to bind organization to the
				proposed project
Supplemental Grant Information
You must provide the following information pertaining to the
				location (city, county, district) of the project for which you are applying for
				funding. Submit this form along with your grant application. Please contact
				your county clerk's office at your local county courthouse if you do not know
				who your local government officials are.
Applicant Museum/Organization
				Name:_____________________________________
Applicant's Address:
				____________________________________________________
Applicant's City/County:
				_________________________________________________
Governing Mayor:
				_____________________________________________________
County Judge:
				_________________________________________________________
State Senator:
				_________________________________________________________
State Representative:
				____________________________________________________
*Please note that some cities have multiple districts; please
				list the one applicable official.