New York Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF)
The New York Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) supports local government archival projects such as inactive records, files management, management of historical records, and converting records to digital images. Operated by the New York State Archives, this grant fund began in 1989 and grant money comes from county clerk New York City Register fees.
Grant applicants can apply for Shared Services Grants, when two or more local governments work together, or Individual grants. Shared Services Grants are the funding priorities for the New York State Archives. Shared Services grants may request up to $150,000 for their grant project. Individual grant projects, proposed by individual local governments or volunteer fire companies or ambulance services, may request up to $75,000.
Regardless of whether applicants are applying as a collective or individually, their grant projects must fall into one of the following categories:
Applicants classify their projects in one of the following categories:
Document Conversion and Access. Projects in this category convert records to alternative formats to improve access, such as microfilming, or digital imaging.
Inactive Records. This category supports projects that improve the management of initiative records, which still must be retained under their retention schedule but are used infrequently. Examples of projects this grant category supports include inventory and storage planning projects.
File Management. This category supports projects that improve systematic control of active files, preferably from the point of creation, regardless of their format.
Historical records. The State Archives recommends collaborating with them on the management of permanent, historical (archival) records. Projects in this category may include arrangement and description, finding aid creation, rehousing, and conversation projects.
Administrative. This category applies to the New York City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) only. New York City agencies can apply for up to $75,000 in funding.
Disaster Preparedness. This category funds projects to develop, test, and implement disaster recovery plans and systems. Proposed projects must take into account both physical and electronic records. Local governments can apply for a Disaster Preparedness grant as a second grant for projects up to $10,000 if they are already applying for another category of grant.
Disaster recovery grants of up to $20,000 may be requested outside the LGRMIF grant cycle.
Applicants must be local government archives, which New York state law defines as “any county, city, town, village, school district, board of cooperative educational services, district corporation, public benefit corporation, public corporation, or other government created under state law that is not a state department, division, board, bureau, commission or other agency, heretofore or hereafter established by law.” Other eligibility requirements are delineated on the fund’s website.
The fund provides an extensive guide to applying, and you can view the 2026-2027 awardees on the New York State Archives’s website.
Backlog can help with grant-funded projects. We will need to know the scope of the project and photographs of the collections and storage space. Schedule a short Zoom meeting with us so we can gather information, and we can write a proposal to give a cost estimate. Shoot an email to emma@backlog-archivists.com or fill out our contact page to get started.