Grant Opportunities

**The Fall 2024 grant cycle is now closed.The Winter 2025 grant cycle will open in December 2024, with an application deadline of February 17, 2025. The information below is from the Fall 2024 cycle and is provided only as a reference. Updated guidelines for the Winter cycle will be posted by December 1, 2024.**

Learn more about the Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 grant recipients.

Purpose
The purpose of Delaware 250 grants is to support museums, libraries, non-profit organizations, historic sites, heritage groups, and other such groups in developing programs or other public-facing ventures that help to commemorate the 250^th anniversary for Delawareans and Delaware’s visitors. Funding may also be used to conduct research into archival collections, in order to tell a fuller, documented, or more inclusive story of the past. Grant funding may also support on-site improvements and other efforts to get historical sites “visitor ready” for the Semiquincentennial. A potential project or undertaking need not be tied specifically to the history of the American Revolution, but it should contribute to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Delaware’s rich history and heritage, which should be clearly identified in the grant application narrative.

Applicants are encouraged to consider a full and inclusive interpretation of this anniversary, in keeping with Delaware 250 Overarching Themes:

• Tell the full and honest story of Delaware’s past, which allows more people to see themselves reflected in Delaware’s history.
• Frame 1776 as a beginning, not the end, of our American story, as we continually strive toward creating “a more perfect union.”
• Cultivate a deeper appreciation for Delaware’s history among state residents and visitors, so that we may celebrate Delaware’s history and inspire the next generation of caretakers of the rich and diverse histories of our State.

Organizations that serve or represent groups or peoples whose histories have been underrepresented or historically marginalized are strongly encouraged to apply.

All undertakings must include a public-facing element, which should be clearly articulated in the grant narrative.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Margaret Hughes, Delaware 250 Coordinator, at margaret.hughes@delaware.gov or (302) 744-5067.

Eligibility
Eligible entities must be registered non-profit organizations or local (non-State government) municipalities with a board of trustees or other governing body. Applicants must be open to the public on a regular basis or must regularly offer programs or provide a service to the public. Entities must be based in the State of Delaware, and proposed undertakings must benefit or be in service of Delawareans. Individuals are not eligible to apply for grants on their own, although organizations may include individuals as researchers, speakers, artists, creators, etc. within a grant application.

Eligible expenses include (but are not limited to)

• The development or implementation of programs or resources for the public related to the Semiquincentennial
• The research, development, or mounting of special exhibits or cultural or artistic undertakings related to the Semiquincentennial
• Honoraria for speakers, performers, or other outside experts
• Purchasing of materials related to project
• Hiring of temporary workers or wages for part-time staff, specifically for a program, project, or research directly tied to the Semiquincentennial
• Physical or infrastructure improvements to get historical sites “visitor ready” for the public
• Taking steps necessary to make collections accessible to the public, whether through digital means, allowing for on-site access, or other means of access
• Archival or archaeological research, for purposes of telling a fuller, documented, or more inclusive story of the past
• Materials, supplies, or part-time wages incurred for training of part-time staff and/or volunteers on new interpretive plans, relevant to the 250^th anniversary

Ineligible expenses include (but are not limited to)

• Programs/initiatives that are not concerned with the research, presentation, or interpretation of Delaware or American history
• Salaries for full-time staff or for regularly-scheduled part-time staff as part of their ongoing work (i.e., staffing for regularly scheduled tours)
• Ongoing operational expenses
• Programs that advance a political agenda or advocate for a public policy
• Reenactment of battles, skirmishes, or other form of combat. Military encampments or demonstrations, supervised by a trained safety manager, are eligible for funding.

Organizations may be eligible for more than one Delaware 250 grant between January 2024 and December 2026, although they may submit only one application at a time and must finish one grant and submit a final report before applying for another.

Interested in an Oral History Project?
Many groups are using the milestone of the United States Semiquincentennial as an opportunity to document the unique stories of their communities and constituencies. Recognizing this interest, the Delaware Heritage Commission has acquired oral history recording equipment to make available to organizations across Delaware. If you are interested in conducting an oral history project, please contact Margaret Hughes at margaret.hughes@delaware.gov. Equipment is subject to availability. The Heritage Commission also hosts workshops on oral history best practices. Please visit their website for more information.

Funding Amounts
Applicants are encouraged to consider the ranges of

• Up to $5,000
• $5,001 to $7,500
• $7,501 to $10,000

Matching Funds
Any grants over $7,500 should include a fifty percent match, meaning that the grant recipient must match fifty percent of the total award. Matching funding does not need to be monetary and may include the valuation of staff or volunteer time, the use of facilities, or in-kind services

Delaware 250 grants may be eligible to be used as matching funds for grants that require a match (for example, federal grants).

Timeframe

For funding in	Application Deadline	Grant Review	Grant Notification	Grant Report
Winter 2025	February 17, 2025	February/March 2025	By March 31, 2025	No later than June 30, 2026
Spring 2025*	May 15, 2025	May/June 2025	By June 30, 2025	No later than September 30, 2026

* Anticipated; a Notice of Funding Opportunity will be posted for Winter and Spring grant cycles

All funds must be spent within twelve months of receiving funds and a final report submitted within three months of the program’s conclusion or of funds being spent. Failure to file a final report may result in ineligibility for subsequent funding. Unspent funds must be returned to Delaware 250.

To Apply
Applications must include:

• Grant narrative explaining the purpose of the proposed program or undertaking, the need or interest it fills, anticipated audience, and how it relates to the 250^th anniversary and to the Delaware 250 themes, as outlined above. Please be sure to include a description of the public-facing elements of this undertaking. The narrative should be in the range of three (3) to five (5) pages, although applicants requesting larger funding amounts should take care to explain their projects in full detail and may use additional pages as necessary to do so.
• Description of the group or organization’s work, including its mission and vision statements, as relevant, and the services, opportunities, or programming that the group or organization typically offers to the public.
• Itemized budget, explaining all expenses for which funding is requested. For budgets that include wages of part-time staff or contracted work, please identify the rate of pay and the hours of work the grant will cover. For proposals that include collaboration between two or more entities, the budget should clearly identify how funds will be allocated among the collaborators.
• Two (2) letters of support from community members knowledgeable about the organization and endorsing the proposed project or program. Letters of support may not come from board members, staff/volunteers, or their immediate family.
• In the event that an application includes a collaboration between two or more entities, each partner must submit a letter testifying to their participation and to the financial allocations as presented in the itemized budget.

In addition, applicants may include any supplemental materials that they feel helps to support their application. Please include descriptions of these materials in narrative or as a separate document.

Applications should be emailed as a single document, in either Word or PDF format, to Margaret Hughes at margaret.hughes@delaware.gov.

Applications will be reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Delaware 250 Steering Committee. The Executive Committee will make recommendations to the full Delaware 250 committee in the quarterly committee meetings.

Successful applicants will be required to enroll in the State of Delaware’s vendor system in order to receive grant monies. Details about this process will be provided upon notification of grant funding approval. All Delaware 250 grant funding will go through this system.

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Margaret Hughes, Delaware 250 Coordinator, at margaret.hughes@delaware.gov or (302) 744-5067.

Other Grant or Funding Opportunities
In addition to Delaware 250 grants, there are other organizations across Delaware that support projects with similar themes to Delaware 250. We encourage you to check out these other opportunities as well. (While Delaware 250 cannot guarantee it, in some cases, Delaware 250 grant funding may be a source of matching funds for grants listed below.)

Delaware Division of the Arts
Delaware Heritage Commission
Delaware Humanities
Friends of the Delaware Archives Harold Handcock Research Fellowship
Preservation Delaware
Save America’s Treasures (through the National Park Service)

These links provided as a courtesy. Delaware 250 does not maintain the above websites or administer the respective grant programs.