FY26 Grant Cycle
Grant funding totaling $237,223 will be distributed to organizations statewide to support preparations for the upcoming America250 and enhance their operations. Twenty-eight organizations across twenty counties are receiving funds.
- Allen County Historical Society, Allen County, $7,378.20
- Behringer-Crawford Museum, Kenton County, $9,950
- Black Yarn, Inc., Fayette County, $10,000
- Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Fayette County, $10,000
- Boone County Public Library, Boone County, $9,000
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana, Jefferson County, $10,000
- Business Cultivation Foundation, Carter County, $10,000
- Campbell County Public Library, Campbell County, $7,980.12
- Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning, Fayette County, $10,000
- Carter County Fiscal Court, Carter County, $10,000
- City of Frankfort, Franklin County, $10,000
- Crittenden County Clerk's Office, Crittenden County, $6,790
- Eastern Kentucky University Library, Madison County, $9,824.72
- Harlan Tourism, Harlan County, $10,000
- Henry Clay Memorial Foundation, Fayette County, $10,000
- Hopkinsville History Foundation, Christian County, $10,000
- Kentucky Genealogical Society, Fayette County, $10,000
- Kentucky Organization of Professional Archaeologists, Butler County, $10,000
- Kentucky Museum and Heritage Alliance, Logan County, $10,000
- McConnell Center, Jefferson County, $10,000
- Morehead State University – Camden-Carroll Library, Rowan County, $10,000
- Mount Washington Historical Society, Bullitt County, $1,500
- National Society of the Colonial Dames of America – KY (Liberty Hall), Franklin County, $4,500
- Our Land of Promise Inc., Fayette County, $7,800
- Red Oaks Forest School, Garrard County, $5,500
- Scott County Public Library, Scott County, $3,000
- Shelby County Historical Society, Shelby County, $4,000
- Western Kentucky University, Warren County, $10,000
FY25 Grant Cycle
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) (Fayette 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)
Grant Eligibility & Criteria
Thank you for your interest. We are no longer accepting applications.
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 was 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%)
Please direct all questions concerning grant funds to America250KY@ky.gov.