Grant funding totaling $249,657 will be distributed to organizations statewide to support preparations for the upcoming America250 and enhance their operations. The grant review panel considered over 100 applications. Twenty-nine organizations across nineteen counties are receiving funds.
- African American Genealogy Group of KY (Franklin County)
- Bardstown Historic Development Corporation (Nelson County)
- Behringer-Crawford Museum (Kenton County)
- Casey County Public Library (Casey County)
- Eastern Kentucky University (Madison County)
- Faulkner Morgan Archive (Fayette County)
- Friends of Harlan (Harlan County)
- The Friends of Maple Grove Cemetery (Madison County)
- Green County Public Library (Green County)
- Historic Russellville Inc. DBA SEEK Museum (Logan County)
- I Was Here (Fayette County)
- Jackson County Public Library McKee KY (Jackson County)
- Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC) (Boyd County)
- Kentucky Humanities (Fayette County)
- Kentucky Museum at WKU (Warren County)
- LexArts - Lexington Freedom Train (Fayette County)
- Lexington Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution National Headquarters (Fayette County)
- The Living Arts & Science Center (Fayette County)
- Locust Grove - Historic Locust Grove, Inc. (Jefferson County)
- The Middle Ohio Valley Heritage Foundation (Greenup County)
- Middlesboro Independent Schools (High School) (Bell County)
- Mt. Washington Historical Society (Bullitt County)
- National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (Jefferson County)
- Northern Kentucky University Research Foundation (Kenton County)
- Reckoning, Inc. (Jefferson County)
- Rowan County Veterans Foundation (Rowan County)
- South Union Shaker Village (Logan County)
- Spencer County Public Library (Spencer County)
- Taylorsville-Spencer County Recreation, Tourist, and Convention Commission (Taylorsville, KY Tourism) (Spencer County)
Apply for a Grant
Thank you for your interest. The application deadline has passed. Grant funding awardees will be notified on December 3, 2024.
To help communities and history organizations commemorate and celebrate the 250th, the Kentucky Historical Society is proud to announce the America250KY grant program! The America250KY grants aim to improve the programming and sustainability of Kentucky’s museums and historic sites as they commemorate the 250 years of American history since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Funding up to $10,000, museums in Kentucky, local history organizations, public libraries, educational institutions, applicable government agencies, and 501(c)3 not-for-profit institutions are eligible for grant funds. Please see the attached Grants Fact Sheet for more information.
Eligibility
The following may apply:
Museums in Kentucky, local history organizations, public libraries, educational institutions, applicable government agencies, and 501 (c)3 not-for-profit institutions are eligible for grant funds.
Those who are NOT eligible include for-profit businesses or private individuals.
Criteria
Examples of eligible projects include:
- Research
- Publications
- Exhibition implementation
- Interpretive signs
- Events and public programs
- Educational programs
- Production and implementation of tours
- Planning, including research, collections assessments, exhibition planning, event/programming planning Collections management planning, materials, or software
- Collections preservation, stewardship, or storage supplies and materials
- Digital history projects
Projects that are NOT eligible include:
- Brick-and-mortar projects (i.e. window replacements, shingle repairs, etc.)
- Building maintenance, utilities, grounds keeping, insurance costs, interest or debt
- Payments, or other projects that KHS considers to fall under an organizations' day-to-day or administrative operations Personnel, payroll, or benefits
- Purchasing collections
- Public art
- State historical markers
- Fundraising events
- Oral history projects (the Kentucky Oral History Commission, administered by the Kentucky Historical Society, already offers a variety of grants for the preservation and creation of oral histories; visit here for more information)
Application scoring is based on the following:
- Relevance of project to America250KY themes (30%)
- Demonstrated ability to complete project (30%)
- Outcomes and Impact (25%)
- Originality and quality (10%)
- Budget (5%)
Application Deadline: October 25, 2024
Award Notification: December 3, 2024
Fiscal Year: 2025
Maximum Amount: $10,000
Cash Match or In-Kind Match Requirement: No
Agency Name: Kentucky Historical Society
Description: The Kentucky Historical Society is an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, has full accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and is a founding member of the History Relevance Campaign. The Kentucky Historical Society works to educate and engage the public through Kentucky history in order to meet the challenges of the future.
Please direct all questions concerning grant funds to America250KY@ky.gov.