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Museum Capital Grants
What is the Museum Capital Grant Program?
The Public Museum Capital Grants Program is designed to help public museums in Illinois expand and upgrade facilities and create new exhibits and other physical facilities to enhance public museums' abilities to meet their mission.
Applicant Eligibility
Museum Grants are available to non-profit public museums that meet the following criteria:
- Must have been open to the public, for its instruction and enjoyment, for at least two years
- Must be operated by or located upon land or owned by a unit of local government or certified as a public museum
- Must meet professional standards of the appropriate accreditation program
- Must have a professional staff
- Must care for and own or utilize tangible options and present programs and exhibits
- Must be open to the public on a regular schedule and must collect and maintain auditable attendance data
Further details on eligibility are available in 17 IL Admin Code Title 23, Sections 3200.20 and 3200.35.
How to Apply
Applications will be accepted April 15 through July 16, 2021. All applications must be emailed using instructions that will be available in the updated manual. The updated manual will be posted here by April 15th, 2021. Hand delivered applications cannot be accepted due to the IDNR building being closed to the public at this time.
TO ACCESS GATA FORMS: Right-click on link and then click save-as to save to your computer. Open files directly from your computer. Opening the GATA forms from a browser will engage accessibility features used by the vision-impaired.
Application Forms
- 2021 Museum Capital Grant Manual (.pdf, updated 4/12/2021)
- FY21 GATA Standard Application for State Grant Assistance - Museum (.pdf)
- GATA Uniform Budget Template for FY20 Museum (.zip)
Prior Year Manuals:
2020 Museum Capital Grant Manual (.pdf, updated 3/5/2020)