Plan your visit
Indiana Historical Society Announces Recipients of Heritage Support Grants to be Awarded in 2021
The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) Heritage Support Grants (HSG) program will award Project Grant funds ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 in the first half of 2021 to local historical societies and organizations from around the Hoosier state.
HSG funds serve Indiana’s local, county and regional historical societies, museums and sites, and recognizes the critical role these organizations play in upholding the state’s heritage.
“Since 2016, organizations have used HSG funds to increase responsiveness to community needs, effectively manage community treasures and tell their community’s unique stories,” said IHS President and CEO Jody Blankenship. “The HSG program exists to advance the care of and access to history in Indiana, while increasing the capacity of organizations that carry out this work.”
HSG prioritizes projects that focus on:
- Collections Stewardship – Addressing the storage, management and care for collections and associated documentation entrusted to the organization’s care
- Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion – Focusing on efforts to ensure diverse individuals fully participate in all aspects of organizational work, broaden organizations beyond public accommodations and work to achieve genuine inclusion
- Sustainability – Focusing on identifying and accessing internal and external resources the organization needs to achieve goals and set the organization up for greater capacity to take important next steps
- Planning – Identifying organizational objectives and assessing organizational capacity
In order to be eligible for a HSG, organizations must be incorporated in the State of Indiana as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, reflect history as a significant component of its organizational mission and/or propose a history-focused project and have an annual budget under $300,000.
The most recent recipients include:
Heritage Support Grants – Mini Grant, Cycle B Award Summaries
Bartholomew County Historical Society, Bartholomew County
The Bartholomew County Historical Society received $4,999 to sand, feather, paint and glaze windows and paint doors of a National Register of Historic Places site, the McEwen-Samuels-Marr House. These restorations will help to ensure the building and collections housed within are protected.
Carmel Clay Historical Society, Hamilton County
The Carmel Clay Historical Society received $3,800 to refabricate and relocate a model train display; print informational panels and marketing materials; and purchase Monon Railroad-related items and a protective covering for an outdoor train display. These items will be used to create a permanent exhibit in an authentic 1883 Monon station, as the future Monon Depot Museum.
Cedar Lake Historical Association, Lake County
The Cedar Lake Historical Association received $4,999 to construct a 150-foot-long pier and interpretive panels in front of the museum. The pier will be used for educational and other programming. The panel text will provide greater awareness of Lake County’s history and the museum.
Howard County Historical Society, Howard County
The Howard County Historical Society received $4,840 to fund salaries for a temporary project coordinator and transcriber, along with the purchase of transcription software to develop the museum’s Stories of Pandemic and Protest collecting initiative, which will focus on Howard County’s memories related to current events and preserve the information for future researchers.
Indiana Entertainment Foundation, Marion County
The Indiana Entertainment Foundation received $2,358 to purchase a laptop, camera, photo software and other equipment to help inventory statewide collections. This equipment will increase the foundation’s ability to identify objects held in collections and provide their audience wider access to them in the future.
Irvington Historical Society, Marion County
The Irvington Historical Society received $4,990 to replace a fire door, paint windows and purchase an exterior security key box and video doorbell for the Bona Thompson Center. Restoring and repairing the structure will help to ensure the museum collections are in a safe and secure environment.
Jackson County History Center, Jackson County
The Jackson County History Center received $4,999 to purchase materials and fund labor costs to update the electrical wiring in the C.T. Robertson Livery Barn. The new electrical system will provide a safer, enhanced viewing experience for staff and visitors throughout the museum and will allow for the installation of archival-safe lighting in the barn.
Levi Coffin House Association, Wayne County
The Levi Coffin House Association received $4,999 to develop the Teaching Freedom and Unfreedom program. The program will focus on Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad and the impact of slavery in Indiana, and it will provide valuable professional development for educators.
Morgan County History Partnership, Morgan County
The Morgan County History Partnership received $4,991.99 to purchase a computer system and collections care materials for the organization. The equipment and materials will improve collections stewardship and help ensure the museum collections are properly cared for.
Wabash County Historical Museum, Wabash County
The Wabash County Historical Museum received $4,326.10 to purchase equipment to create virtual programming, which will allow the museum to shift access and programs to a digital audience.
Organizations interested in applying for a Project Grant need to submit a Summary of Proposal by March 2, 2021. If invited, applicants can then submit a Full Proposal by April 29, 2021. Grants will be awarded in June 2021.
For more information, please visit www.indianahistory.org/grants or contact Tamara Hemmerlein at Themmerlein@indianahistory.org. Heritage Support Grants are provided by the Indiana Historical Society and made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.
