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.

The goals of the program are to advance the museum field’s ability to

• Advance museum-based learning and engagement practices in the museum field;
• Advance the museum field’s ability to respond to community needs; and
• Identify new solutions that address high priority and widespread collections care or conservation issues.

The primary audiences for this program are museums, museum service organizations and affiliated nonprofits, and museum professionals. Secondary audiences include museum visitors and future museum professionals.

Grant amounts may range from $50,000–$750,000 over a period of one to three years.

For further details regarding eligibility, please see the full Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Eligibility

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are:

• Located in the United States or any U.S. Territories or freely associated States; AND
• A unit of state, local or Tribal government or a private, nonprofit organization; AND
• A museum, an organization or association related to the museum field, an institution of higher education.

Match Requirement

Applicants must provide funds from non-federal sources in an amount that is equal to or greater than the amount of the request, unless otherwise indicated in the FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the Grants.gov listing, which requires accounts for both Grants.gov and SAM.gov.

If you need help with Grants.gov, you can call 800-518-4726 or email support@grants.gov.

If you need help with SAM.gov, you can call 866-606-8220.

Contact

Helen Wechsler
Supervisory Grants Management Specialist
hwechsler@imls.gov
202-653-4779

To schedule a time to talk to Helen Wechsler, click here.

Deadline

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on March 13, 2026.