Plan your visit
Heritage Support Grants
The Indiana Historical Society is pleased to support Indiana’s local, county and regional historical societies, museums and sites in their important work through Heritage Support Grants, made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.
Grants are for projects that will help Indiana’s local history organizations meet high-priority needs in areas of Collections Stewardship, Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion, Sustainability, and Planning. In addition to the grant awards, IHS also offers fundraising education workshops, ongoing coaching for grant applicants and opportunities to serve on grant award selection committees.
Heritage Support Grants are provided by the Indiana Historical Society and made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.
The objective of the Heritage Support Grants program is to advance the care of and access to history in Indiana, while increasing the capacity of organizations that carry out this work.
In order to apply for a project or mini grant, organizations must meet all the following criteria:
- Be incorporated in the State of Indiana as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation*
- Reflect history as a significant component of its mission and/or propose a project that is clearly history focused.** Priority will be given to Indiana history projects.
- Have an annual budget of less than $300,000
* A Friends group organization that operates under an agreement with a larger affiliate or parent organization may apply for Heritage Support Grant funding if:
- The Friends group meets all of the eligibility criteria listed above;
- A representative of the Friends group will lead the project or serve on the grant project team;
- And any funds granted by Heritage Support Grants will be held and managed by the Friends group.
Friends group applications for Heritage Support Grants must include a letter from the affiliate/parent organization confirming their support of the project and grant application, and agreeing to the above stipulations for Friends group applications.
**A history-focused project should interpret, present or otherwise disseminate a historical narrative or information. Structures and landscapes will only be considered if they are primarily used to facilitate historical interpretation or house significant historical collections.
- Collections stewardship – Projects address the storage, management, and care for collections and associated documentation that are entrusted to the organization’s care. This includes historic objects, structures and landscapes as part of collections care. (NOTE: Structures and landscapes will only be considered if they are primarily used to facilitate historical interpretation or house significant historical collections.)
- Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion – Projects focus on efforts to ensure that diverse individuals fully participate in all aspects of organizational work, broaden organizations beyond public accommodations, and work to achieve genuine inclusion.
- Sustainability – These projects focus on identifying and accessing internal and external resources the organization needs to achieve goals for greater capacity and to take important next steps. Sustainability projects meet the needs of the present and help set the organization up for future success.
- Planning -Projects identify organizational objectives and assess organizational capacity.
Funding is awarded through Project Grants and Mini Grants.
Project Grant ($5,000 to $50,000)
Grant period: Aug. 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026
- Summary of Proposal due April 30, 2025
- Full Proposal (upon approval of Summary of Proposal) due May 30, 2025
Mini Grant ($500 to $4,999)
Grant period: June 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026
- Application due March 28, 2025
To start an application, see the complete guidelines and then apply through the online grant portal.
Please note: all applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the date due. Late applications will not be accepted.
For inquiries regarding Heritage Support Grants contact us at grants@indianahistory.org or (317) 234-0170.
Heritage Support Grants
Drop us a line
Let's talk
Full Staff DirectoryOur Hours
ExhibitsOpen 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through SaturdayOpen 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. SundayWilliam H. Smith Memorial LibraryOpen 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. SundayHistory MarketOpen 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. SundayStardust Terrace Café HoursOpen 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
Open 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday