Priority Areas for Library Funding Agencies
In my last post, I shared about where to locate library grants. In this post, I want to discuss topics that may be of interest to funding agencies. Now, one of my grant-writing friends has always said we should not chase the money. I agree with this statement. Grants we write need to be good fits for the mission and visions of our libraries. At the same time, funding agencies have priorities, and some projects will be better fits (more likely to get funded) than others.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has 10 priority areas. These are:
Accessibility
Broadband
Collections
Digital Initiatives
Early Learning
Making
Professional Development
STEM
Veterans
Workforce Development
Additional information about these priority areas is available on the IMLS website. Other funding agencies will have their own priorities. When selecting an agency to submit an application, I recommend reviewing their funding priorities closely.
Other documents to consider referencing to demonstrate your proposed project’s benefit for your institution and the broader library community are standards and core value areas for the American Library Association. The American Library Association has eight core areas where they focus their resources. These are:
Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession
Diversity
Education and Lifelong Learning
Equitable Access to Information and Library Services
Intellectual Freedom
Literacy
Organizational Excellence
Transforming Libraries
Standards such as the American Association of School Libraries Framework and the Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education are also documents that can help support and align your grant application.
Finally, it is important to consider your institution’s mission, needs, and then look for alignment with agency funding priorities. This alignment will help make your application more competitive.
Reach out to PKS Grant Management and Accounting Solutions, LLC for additional ideas on aligning projects with funding agency priorities.
