Traditionally, the key function of museums and libraries has been the management and preservation of the collections they maintain, as well as the access of those collections to the public. Not much has changed in the important classical role of these enduring institutions, but innovations providing a much greater emphasis on public engagement and accessibility are now being embraced. This pivotal shift goes back to the 1980s when a new trend of perceived pork barrel cleansing brought on by the recession in the United States had stemmed previously generous funding. Museums and libraries were forced to reevaluate themselves and their role in communities. In redefining themselves as learning hubs, museums and libraries have been rewarded not only by reinvigorated government allocations, but by the resounding support of the public with ever increasing demand for their facilities. In the context of the information age, now more than ever museums and libraries are competing for people’s time and attention and seek to engage and broaden their prospective audience by adopting an education model over a strict conservation/repository model. This change in focus toward public engagement has continued to give rise to approaches toward administration, education, technology integration, community outreach, and new ways for these unique institutions to develop a professional staff.

Even if you've been successful at obtaining grants in the past, the prospect of poring over a federal or state grant guidance document may still rate right up there with oral surgery.

The good news though is that these large documents (often 100+ pages in length) actually follow a fairly consistent format, and with a few tips from Grants Office’s reserve of hard-earned experience, you can approach new grant programs much more confidently.

Today, most grantseekers are familiar with the Federal Electronic Grants Clearinghouse, better known by its URL, Grants.gov. You may not know that when it was launched, the portal represented nearly ten years of work by federal officials, often volunteers working with no budget and extremely limited support.

May the finger-pointing and intense partisan rhetoric commence!  Shortly after finally passing a continuing resolution to fund the government through the rest of fiscal year 2013 (which ends September 30^th), both chambers of Congress went to work on a budget for 2014.   Recent history suggests that having a federal budget in place by the start of the fiscal year is a long shot.  The truth is that the federal government has not passed an actual budget bill, nevermind an on-time one, since April 2009.  Instead, we have seen a long line of continuing resolutions, or temporary stopgap measures that extend funding in an effort to avoid government shutdowns.  While these resolutions keep funds flowing, they wreak havoc on the ability of federal agencies to effectively plan their grant programming and financial obligations for the year.  That uncertainty amongst federal agencies trickles all the way down to public and non-profit organizations that rely on federal grant funds to fund their programs and initiatives.