Criteria for Collections and Artifacts Grants

Organizations may apply for funding for the preservation of collections or artifacts that:

• Are threatened or endangered

• Embody the distinctive characteristics of a culture, organization, or community significant to Montana's history

• Are associated with a significant event or series of events in Montana history

• Are associated with the lives of persons significant to Montana's history

Grant projects should focus on the following areas:

• Conservation, preservation, and/or proper storage of artifacts or collections

• Survey and/or assessment of historically significant artifacts or collections

• Digitization of items or collections of items. All digitization projects must provide a letter of support from the Montana History Portal or a similar repository

Some examples of eligible projects include:

• Purchase of archival materials to facilitate proper preservation or restoration of an individual artifact or group of artifacts

• Creating an exhibit-ready replica of an artifact(s) so that the original may be preserved

• Digitizing historically significant, valuable, or fragile photographs or documents

• Creating museum-appropriate storage for significant collection(s)

• Developing an inventory of collections, a collections policy, and/or an exhibits plan

In most cases, The Foundation does not fund:

• Acquisition of collections

• Conservation or preservation of collections and artifacts primarily related to the history of a community or culture outside of Montana

• Newspaper digitization projects