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Washington Digital Heritage Grants: Applications

Information on applying for and managing Washington Digital Heritage grants.

Washington Digital Heritage 2024 Grants, administered by the Washington State Library, Office of the Secretary of State, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Sample Forms

Application Information

  1. Application guidelines, forms, samples, and other materials are available on this site. Please contact wslgrants@sos.wa.gov if you need help. Please review the grant cycle materials closely before submitting an application.
  2. Anyone interested in applying is encouraged to submit a Letter of Interest to receive feedback on proposed projects. Letters of Interest will be accepted 5/1/2024-5/31/2024.

  1. WSL will announce this grant cycle via social media and various email lists including WSL Updates and Washington Library Association.
  2. The grant cycle opens on 5/15/2024. The grant closes for applications at 11:59 pm Monday 7/1/2024. To apply, complete and email the application and required attachments to wslgrants@sos.wa.gov.
  3. An application should include the following (all available at left):
    • A completed application form for the 2024-25 Washington Digital Heritage grant.
    • A work plan
    • A budget
  4. Only fully completed applications received during the application period will be considered. If you are applying for multiple grants for different projects, complete each separately. This will ensure that there is no confusion during the review process and we can give each application due consideration.
  5. When WSL receives your complete application, copies of all your application materials will be sent to your Contracting Authority for confirmation before your application is moved on to the review step.
  6. A review committee selected by WSL will review the applications for eligibility and assign scores according to the rubric. Award recommendations will be forwarded to the State Librarian and the Secretary of State for final consideration and approval. WSL may contact the applicant for clarification of information.
  7. Award decisions will be made as quickly as possible. Please allow until the end of August to hear whether your proposal was chosen. WSL will email all decisions to your Contracting Authority, so be sure you are in contact with them. The Washington Secretary of State will make contracts with libraries receiving awards. 

The following sample timeline provides information about this grant cycle and will assist applicants in designing appropriate projects and applications.

Tentative Dates

5/1-5/31/2024

Acceptance of Letters of Interest
Coaching for interested applicants

5/15/2024

Applications open

7/1/2024

Application deadline

7/2/2024

Application review by committee begins.

Awards subject to approval by State Librarian and Secretary of State

8/31/2024

Anticipated time when awardees are notified

Contracts developed

9/30/2024

Anticipated date that all contracts are fully executed (signed by both parties to the agreement)

10/1/2024-8/31/2025

Project Period

Time when all grant work takes place.
Contract must be executed to begin work
Nothing outside this period is reimbursable

9/30/2025

Final Narrative Report and final reimbursement claim are due
  1. Libraries are sometimes granted funds contingent upon fulfilling one or more requirements prior to project implementation. Libraries must meet those contingencies prior to contract execution.
  2. Libraries must expend local money first and then claim reimbursement. WSL will not distribute funds in advance of activities and purchases taking place. WSL only reimburses eligible and allowable expenses as specified in our contract and fully documented by your library. See Grant Management for an overview of allowable expenses.
  1. Funds requested for the proposed project must not take the place of previously budgeted local funding.
  1. The purchase of any single piece of equipment that costs over $5,000, made in whole or in part with grant funding, requires prior written approval from WSL. Such purchases made in advance of receiving written approval are not reimbursable.
  1. Grant recipients must maintain documentation for items included under “Other Funding” and used as match or in-kind contributions and make that documentation available to WSL upon request.
  1. Applicants must commit to compliance with grant administration requirements. The applicant library must also act as fiscal agent for awarded contracts.
  1. Awardees must submit regularly scheduled Progress Reports and a Final Report providing a complete summary of the project and of all grant activities to WSL according to the schedule provided in the contract.
  1. Awardees must send reimbursement claims on forms provided by WSL according to the schedule provided in the contract document. Awardees must provide documentation of expenses billed and paid.
  1. Awardees must acknowledge WSL and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as providing LSTA funding to support the project in all project-related public events, press releases, printed materials, and Web sites. Wording and images are available for your use.

All projects and activities must be completed and funds expended by 8/31/2025. WSL cannot consider applicants proposing projects that would use the LSTA grant funding beyond 8/31/2025 for this grant cycle.

All activity pursuant to a Grant Agreement will be in accordance with all applicable, current, or future federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations. Specifically, this includes laws, rules, and regulations such as:

  1. 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1168, New Restrictions on Lobbying;
  2. 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1180.44, Nondiscrimination;
  3. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

Title 2 → Subtitle A → Chapter I →

      Government Wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants) (Part 182).

Government Wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement), (Part 180).

Trafficking in Persons (Part 175).

Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR Part 200

This new guidance can be inspected by accessing the following URLs:  

2 CFR Part 200

In particular, see:

Subpart A—ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS

Subpart D—POST FEDERAL AWARD REQUIREMENTS establishes standards for Federal awards carried out through grants, cost reimbursement contracts, and other agreements. 

Subpart E—COST PRINCIPLES establishes principles for determining costs applicable to grants, contracts, and other agreements.

Subpart F—AUDIT REQUIREMENTS / 200.501 Audit requirements: sets forth standards for obtaining consistency and uniformity among federal agencies for the audit of states, local governments, and non-profit organizations expending federal awards.

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

The CFRs can be inspected by accessing the following URL for the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: https://ecfr.federalregister.gov.

The Code of Federal Regulations 45 CFR Part 1185 provides that an individual, corporation, unit of government or other entity that is debarred or suspended shall be excluded from Federal financial or non-financial assistance and benefits under Federal programs and activities.

 Washington Digital Heritage grants are funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services.