National Leadership Grants for Museums (2026)
At a glance
National Leadership Grants for Museums (2026) is a closed federal grant opportunity from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The application deadline was March 13, 2026. Individual awards are listed as $50K – $750K, with about 15 awards expected and $5.8M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include others (see notice). Cost sharing or matching is required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 45.312 (National Leadership Grants).
Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.
Key facts
- Posted
- Jan 13, 2026
- Close date
- Mar 13, 2026
- Award floor
- $50,000
- Award ceiling
- $750,000
- Est. total funding
- $5,800,000
- Expected awards
- 15
- Cost sharing
- Required
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Opportunity category
- Discretionary
Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)
See the Notice of Funding Opportunity for program eligibility criteria.
Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.
What it funds
Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.
The National Leadership Grants for Museums program (NLG-M) invests in projects that address critical needs of the museum field. NLG-M projects have the potential to advance practice in the profession to strengthen museum services for the public through the development and replication of model practices, tools, research findings, and collaborations.
Assistance Listing
What is an ALN?Reported obligations under ALN 45.312
Historical data · not a predictionAgency contact (as published)
Institute of Museum and Library Services
imls-museumgrants@imls.gov
202-653-4634
Quick answers
Who is eligible to apply for “National Leadership Grants for Museums (2026)”?
The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: Others (see notice). Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.
How much funding is available through “National Leadership Grants for Museums (2026)”?
Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $50k – $750k, total estimated program funding is $5,800,000 and the agency expects to make about 15 awards.
How do I apply for “National Leadership Grants for Museums (2026)”?
Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity NLG-M-FY26), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.
Related open opportunities
Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.
National Leadership Grants for Museums (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $50K – $750K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
National Leadership Grants for Libraries (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $25K – $1M
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $5K – $500K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Inspire Grants for Small Museums (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $5K – $75K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
Museums for America (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $5K – $350K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)
21st Century Museum Professionals Program (2027)
Institute of Museum and Library Services- Award range
- $100K – $500K
- Closes
- Nov 13, 2026
- Who can apply
- Others (see notice)