The Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program (NANH) supports Native American Tribes, Alaska Native Villages, and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians in sustaining heritage, culture, and knowledge.
Donor Name: Institute of Museum and Library Services
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/13/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The program supports projects such as educational services and programs, workforce professional development, organizational capacity building, community engagement, and collections stewardship involving, but not limited to:
- educational programming for all ages;
- language preservation and revitalization;
- oral history collection and documentation;
- digital media and technology enhancements;
- institutional planning and policy development;
- professional training, internships, and mentorships;
- supporting and engaging with cultural practitioners and scholars;
- exhibition development, design, fabrication, and interpretation;
- collections information management, research, and planning;
- digitization and digital asset management;
- repatriation-related research, consultation, and documentation; and
- conservation surveys, treatments, and environmental improvements.
The goal of the program is to build the capacity of Native American Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to provide museum services to their communities through support of the:
- preservation and perpetuation of languages and cultural practices;
- professional development of the museum workforce; and
- management and care of museum collections and their associated documentation.
The primary audiences for this program are Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions providing museum services, and the professionals engaged with such institutions per the eligibility restrictions below.
Funding Information
- Total amount of funding IMLS expects to award through this announcement: $3,772,000
- Expected amount of individual awards: $5,000 – $250,000
- Average amount of funding per award experienced in previous years: $150,000
Project Period
September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2029.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an award under the NANH program, your organization must be either:
- a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe, or
- a Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians.
Federally Recognized Indian Tribe
“Indian Tribe” means any Tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village, regional corporation, or village corporation (as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)), which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.
Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians
The term “Native Hawaiian”, as defined in the Native Hawaiian Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 7517(2)), means:
- any individual who is a citizen of the United States and
- a descendant of the aboriginal people who, prior to 1778, occupied and exercised sovereignty in the area that now comprises the state of Hawaii, as evidenced by genealogical records, Kupuna (elders) or Kamaaina (long-term community residents) verification, or certified birth records.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
