How many grant programs does IMLS administer?

Institute of Museum and Library Services administers 10 federal assistance programs listed in the SAM.gov Assistance Listings catalog. Each program has its own eligibility requirements, application process, and funding levels.

Where does this IMLS grant data come from?

All program data comes from SAM.gov Assistance Listings (formerly the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance), the official U.S. government database of all federal financial assistance programs maintained by the General Services Administration.

How do I apply for a IMLS grant?

First verify your eligibility on SAM.gov for the specific program. Most federal grant applications are submitted through Grants.gov. You will need a SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID (UEI). Check each program's Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for specific application instructions and deadlines.

Where does IMLS sit among federal grant agencies?

According to SAM.gov Assistance Listings program count among agencies on PlainGrants, Institute of Museum and Library Services ranks #18 of 24. Ordinals use program_count DESC matching the /agencies listing. See /methodology/#corpus-placement.

Federal Agency · IMLS · 10 programs

Institute of Museum and Library Services

Name: Institute of Museum and Library Services Federal Grant Programs
Creator: Institute of Museum and Library Services
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

10 federal assistance programs administered by Institute of Museum and Library Services, sourced from the SAM.gov Assistance Listings catalog.

PlainGrants home → About this data

10
Programs: 10
Active: 1
Categories: IMLS
Abbreviation

Compiled by PlainGrants · August 10, 2026

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Agency overview

Institute of Museum and Library Services administers 10 federal assistance programs across 1 categories. According to SAM.gov Assistance Listings program count among agencies on PlainGrants, Institute of Museum and Library Services ranks #18 of 24. 10 of 10 are currently active in SAM.gov.

10
catalogued programs: 10
currently active: 1
grant categories: $20.0 million
largest award ceiling

Agency portfolio posture

Small agency, dollar bands largely filled in

IMLS publishes ceilings on 10 of 10 programs (median $500,000). Largest listed band: Museum and Library Services — Basic Library Services (CFDA 45.301).

Derived from SAM.gov Assistance Listings program_count, funding_range fields, and eligibility tags. See methodology · corpus placement.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listings (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, CFDA) Institute of Museum and Library Services federal grant programs (CFDA codes), descriptions, eligibility, and funding categories · 2026 Accessed 2026-08-10 SAM.gov Assistance Listings replaced the legacy CFDA catalog; all federal financial assistance programs must publish here. Updated continuously as agencies revise program details.

Grant Programs (10)

45.310 Arts & Culture

Connecting People to Collections

Grants to connect people with collections, exhibitions, and programs through community-centered approaches.

Up to $250K

45.308 Arts & Culture

IMLS Inspire! Grants for Small Museums

Grants for small museums to enhance operations, increase access, and advance standards of practice.

Up to $75K

45.310 Arts & Culture

Imls Museums for America

Grants for museum projects that strengthen community relationships and increase public access.

Up to $250K

45.316 Arts & Culture

IMLS National Digital Platform

Grants to develop digital infrastructure and resources shared broadly across libraries, archives, and museums.

Up to $2M

45.312 Arts & Culture

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

Recruitment and education grants to support the library and information science workforce.

Up to $500K

45.301 Arts & Culture

Museum and Library Services — Basic Library Services

Formula grants to states for basic library services including public library development and access.

Up to $20M

45.308 Arts & Culture

Museum Grants for African American History and Culture

Grants to African American history museums and collections to preserve and share cultural heritage.

Up to $300K

45.313 Arts & Culture

Museums for America Grants

Competitive grants helping museums fulfill their role as educational institutions serving their communities.

Up to $500K

45.315 Arts & Culture

National Leadership Grants for Museums

Grants for innovative projects serving as national models for improving museum practice.

Up to $2M

45.312 Arts & Culture

Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services

Grants to preserve Native American and Native Hawaiian cultural and linguistic heritage collections.

Up to $250K

← All agencies Check your eligibility →

What to do next

IMLS: 10 SAM.gov listings · 10 active.

Arts & Culture is the largest shelf (10 programs) - start there if your mission aligns. Browse Arts & Culture
Highest listed ceiling in this portfolio: Museum and Library Services — Basic Library S… (45.301). Open program
Nearest catalog peer by program count: NEH (11 listings). Compare agency

Program availability and deadlines change frequently; always verify with the current NOFO on Grants.gov.

Agencies with similar catalog size

Nearest peers by SAM.gov program_count (10 here).

NEH (11) CDC (12) DOI (12) FEMA (13) | All agencies →

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGrants

This page is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, or grant-consulting advice. For a specific application, consult Institute of Museum and Library Services directly or a qualified grants professional; see our full disclaimer.

Every figure on PlainGrants is rendered directly from SAM.gov Assistance Listings data, no number is typed in by an editor. This agency's figures are rendered directly from SAM.gov Assistance Listings data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data issue on this page.

Publisher	PlainGrants
Sources	the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov