Ohio History Fund
Ohio History Fund Grants, operated by Ohio History Connection, offer support to Ohio cultural organizations for history-based projects. Grant applications open annually in June, with a submission deadline in September. Grant projects must fall into one of the following categories:
Bricks & Mortar $2,000-$20,000, up to 24 months, 60/40 match (applicant 40)
Organizational Development $1,000-$4,000, up to 12 months, 80/20
Programs & Collections $2,000-$20,000, up to 24 months, 60/40
The application requires matching funds, goods, and/or services for recipients.
Ineligible projects include collections acquisitions; moving, reconstructing, or remodeling existing structures outside the scope of the Bricks & Mortar grant category; digital conversion of materials to which the applicant institution does not hold copyright; ongoing or utilities costs; creation of new works of art; purchase of equipment for general use; building or maintaining Ohio Historical Markers; honoraria; insurance; interest and down payments; lobbying or fundraising; mitigation costs; general oral histories that do not focus on a particular subject or theme.
Examples of recently-funded projects:
Hiring a coordinator to lead the development of a museum’s first strategic plan
Scanning public records for hosting on the Ohio Memory platform
Bringing restrooms at a cultural center into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
HVAC and plumbing renovations in a historic building
Restoring a public mural
Creating programming and paying Native American tribal members to present to elementary school students, their families, and the public
Creating virtual reality experiences in a museum
Replacing a fire suppression system in a historic building
Curating an exhibit, transcribing oral histories, publishing exhibition catalog, and creating a podcast
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.