State Board Programming Grants | STATE 201706

Opportunity Information: Apply for STATE 201706

The State Board Programming Grants opportunity is a discretionary federal grant program run by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) within the National Archives and Records Administration. Its central goal is to strengthen the national archival network by funding work led by state historical records advisory boards (SHRABs). In practical terms, the program is meant to help state boards expand the preservation of historical records, increase online access to those records, encourage and spread best practices in archives and records stewardship, and support hands-on activities that connect the public with primary sources both locally and through the internet. A major emphasis is also placed on building capacity in underserved communities by helping their organizations and repositories develop stronger institutions and better long-term stewardship.

The grant supports a fairly wide range of state-level programming, as long as it aligns with NHPRC priorities and avoids activities NHPRC deems ineligible. Funded projects can include operating state-based regrant programs that pass funding through to local repositories for preservation and online access work, as well as educational and outreach efforts such as workshops, training events, and other engagement activities designed to reach citizens, educators, and students. The program also encourages scholarship and training opportunities that advance the capabilities of archival and records repositories, with particular attention to organizations serving underserved communities. Collaboration is another key theme: state boards may propose joint projects with other organizations to tackle shared statewide issues, or participate in multi-state or consortium efforts among state archives to address common challenges or opportunities. In addition, the funding can support convening and participation in meetings and public forums focused on statewide or national archival issues, reflecting the idea that strengthening archives often depends on coordination, shared standards, and community problem-solving. Across all of these activities, NHPRC explicitly encourages active public engagement as part of project design rather than treating outreach as an afterthought.

Funding is relatively modest but flexible, with two main award structures. Applicants may request up to $40,000 for a one-year project or up to $80,000 for a two-year project. NHPRC anticipated making up to 20 awards in this category, with total funding projected at up to $625,000. For this cycle, projects were expected to start no earlier than January 1, 2018. Recipients must also acknowledge NHPRC support in publicity, publications, and any other products developed with grant assistance, which is a standard federal requirement intended to document public value and program impact.

Eligibility is tightly focused on the state archival leadership structure. Only the state historical records advisory board in each state, or the state agency responsible for that board (most often the state archives), is eligible to receive these awards. However, the opportunity allows some administrative flexibility: another state agency or a qualifying nonprofit partner such as a foundation or university may apply on behalf of the designated state agency. The term "states" is defined broadly to include the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories. The source data also lists eligible applicant types that may be relevant depending on how a state structures its application (for example, state governments, public/state-controlled institutions of higher education, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits), but the core requirement remains that the application must be submitted for the official state board or its responsible agency.

Cost sharing is mandatory and is a significant planning requirement. NHPRC will cover no more than 75 percent of the total project costs in this category, meaning the applicant must provide at least 25 percent in matching support. The applicant share can be built from multiple legitimate sources, including direct expenses, allowable indirect expenses contributed by the applicant, in-kind contributions, non-federal third-party contributions, and program income earned directly by the project. One important restriction is that NHPRC funds may not be used for indirect costs under this program (per 2 CFR 2600.101). If the applicant includes indirect costs, they must be counted as part of the applicant's cost-sharing contribution rather than charged to the federal award. This structure makes it important for applicants to clearly document match commitments and ensure the project budget shows NHPRC funds paying only allowable direct program expenses.

Finally, there are basic federal compliance requirements tied to the application process. Applicant organizations must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before applying, keep that registration active throughout review and award administration, and include a valid DUNS number in the application (reflecting the federal identity and tracking requirements used at the time of this opportunity). The opportunity also notes that NHPRC maintains a list of activities it will not fund, and applications made up entirely of ineligible activities will not move forward for review. Key reference identifiers in the posting include Funding Opportunity Number STATE 201706, CFDA 89.003, a creation date of December 9, 2016, and an original closing date of June 14, 2017.

• The National Archives and Records Administration in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "State Board Programming Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 89.003.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 09, 2016.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 14, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $80,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for STATE 201706

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