Grants Guides for museums in the United States, Europe, Canada, and Latin America
The 2023 Museum Grants Guides have arrived! Every year, Gallery Systems releases its much-anticipated guides to support museums and cultural institutions in securing grants and funding opportunities.
We have expanded and refreshed guides for the United States, Canada, Europe and the United Kingdom, and Spain and Latin America (en español), plus an international guide for museum conservators and conservation.
Inside each guide, you’ll find a wide selection of grants, contests, and awards designed to benefit all aspects of museum operations. Applying to a grant program could be your first step toward a successful project, new innovations in collections care, or career leaps as a museum professional.
Leverage our 2023 Museum Grants Guides to secure the funding needed to unlock exciting, future possibilities this year and beyond.
What can museum grants fund?
Grants often help fill budgeting gaps within an institution. Through this influx of funding, museums can successfully remove financial barriers that hinder project development, exhibition creation, hiring and training staff, and accessing and upgrading technology.
In recent years, grants have taken on even greater importance. Many museums are still recovering from pandemic-related losses, sustained through devastating closures, layoffs, and expenditure cuts.
Let’s discuss the different areas where grants can make a profound impact—whether your institution is currently rebuilding or looking to expand its initiatives.
Collections management and care
A collections management system (CMS) is the heart of a museum’s operations. Having a robust system, that adheres to standards like Spectrum to ensure data consistency, can facilitate every aspect of collections management and care.
Institutions looking to purchase or upgrade a CMS can apply for grant funding toward its implementation. Be sure to specify how the CMS will increase the accessibility, reliability, and sharing of your collections data, both within the institution and while collaborating on projects with others.
| 💡 TMS Collections, the industry-leading CMS by Gallery Systems, is widely used across the museum world by top institutions. Managing your collection using TMS Collections streamlines internal workflows, ensures compliance with industry standards (including Spectrum), and makes it simple to share data with other TMS users. Clients have successfully applied for grants to support the buying and setup of TMS Collections. |
Online collections and archives
Publishing your collections online brings new visibility to your institution, drawing in both web and in-person visitors. Grants are available to help showcase your collections on a public-facing website, create a digital exhibition, and share archival history with new audiences.
Online collections and archives can also help prioritize DEAI and spotlight important heritage from historically marginalized groups and people.
| 💡 Online collections software, including eMuseum, facilitates the publication of collections and archives. Applying for a digital strategy grant may help to cover its purchase and implementation. |
Digitization projects
Digitizing a collection increases access to it, causing a positive ripple effect throughout an institution and out into the public sphere. However, the technology and software costs associated with digitization are often prohibitive. A digital initiative grant can help you overcome this barrier, providing the means to further preserve and share the objects that cement your collections’ legacy.
| 💡 Digital asset management systems (DAMS), such as TMS Media Studio, are valuable tools for the use, organization, and sharing of digital assets. Their purchase and implementation may be eligible grant expenses. |
Conservation practices
Your collection’s longevity relies on the conservation of its objects. Luckily, many international grants offer generous support for artwork and object preservation, conservation projects, and the purchase of technology and software.
Grant funding is also available to museum conservators and archaeologists wanting to develop their knowledge, skills, and research practices.
To learn more, view to our 2023 Grants Guide for Museum Conservation.
| 💡 Speed up departmental workflows and projects with conservation documentation software like TMS Conservation Studio. Some conservation grants may cover its purchase and implementation. |
Professional development
Museum grants don’t just cover an institution and its projects—staff members can apply for funding as well! Professional development grants help to advance your career goals by financing trainings, workshops, mentorships, and even conference attendance.
| 💡 Looking to expand your horizons? Gallery Systems offers collections management training and our popular user conference, Collective Imagination, as grant-worthy opportunities for skillset building. |
Museum grants for the United States
Within the United States, there is an abundance of granting bodies offering funding to American museums and cultural institutions. The 2023 Museum Grants Guide for the U.S. saves you research time by distilling the best nationwide grants into one document.
▶️ Featuring grants and funding programs from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Historical Publications and Records Commission, Kress Foundation, and more.
Museum grants for Canada
Curated for Canadian and Indigenous organizations, the 2023 Museums Grants Guide for Canada includes opportunities throughout all 13 provinces and territories. Find a trove of newly added grants to enhance your collections care, digital strategy, career growth, and other initiatives.
▶️ Featuring grants and funding programs from the Canada Council for the Arts, Museums Assistance Program, Canada Cultural Investment Fund, and more.
Museum grants for Europe and the United Kingdom
Institutions throughout Europe are tasked with caring for priceless collections and heritage objects. Discover programs that facilitate operational growth, collections care, and public engagement in the 2023 Museums Grants Guide for Europe and the United Kingdom.
▶️ Featuring grants and funding programs from the European Union, Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe, Arts Council England, The Wolfson Foundation, and more.
Museum grants for Spain and Latin America
Reduce barriers to heritage preservation with the 2023 Museums Grants Guide for Spain and Latin America (en español). From international funding bodies to local governmental agencies and arts organizations, there are increasing opportunities to conserve and share the valuable collections stewarded by Spanish-speaking nations.
▶️ Featuring grants and funding programs from the Portal Iberoamericano de Gestión Cultural, Cultura y Mecenazgo, UNESCO, and more.
Grants for museum conservators and conservation
Support your departmental and professional goals using the 2023 Grants Guide for Museum Conservation. We’ve compiled an international directory of grants to further your conservation projects, documentation, and skills training as a museum conservator.
▶️ Featuring grants and funding programs from the Bank of America, Creative Europe, EEA and Norway Grants, and more.
Need support in applying for museum grants?
A successful grant application unlocks a world of opportunity—and Gallery Systems wants to support you during the application process. We’ve helped countless institutions secure funding toward collections management software and training.
Reach out to learn how we can assist your institution achieve its goals in 2023 and beyond.
