ARPA Awards for Southeastern Members 2021 - 2022: Archived -- Applications & Forms

Proposal Application Details - Archived

This tab contains all of the proposal application details that were provided for the Library / Museum Partnerships Sub-awards from Southeastern program during November 2021 - January 2022. Tab created 25 Jan 2022.

Guidelines, Overview & Eligibility Requirements

Guidelines

The State Library posted ARPA Library Sub-awards Guidelines, which outlines the requirements for Southeastern and all organizations that participate in the projects.

 

Overview

The Library & Museum Partnerships Project component of the ARPA award is intended to strengthen library / museum partnerships at the regional and/or local levels. Organizations are stronger when they work together with intention, to achieve a common goal or purpose. Southeastern is distributing its allocated funds for this component ($72,358) as sub-awards through a competitive review process through the program Library / Museum Partnership Sub-awards from Southeastern.  

Proposals to the program Library / Museum Partnership Sub-awards from Southeastern should show how both primary project partners - libraries and museums - will be engaged in the work and how communities will benefit from the project.

Funded projects will do one or more of the following: bridge and connect information; increase visual and material literacy; and, may include activities that address objects-based learning.

Collaborative projects to address local and/or regional needs are encouraged.

There is no limit on the number of applications that Southeastern will review. Per the Eligibility Requirements below, the lead partner may only submit one proposal to he program Library / Museum Partnership Sub-awards from Southeastern.

Sub-awards could be made up to $20,000 per project, to be allocated among project partners. Project budgets can range from $5,000 to $20,000.

Proposals are due by 5pm on Monday, November 29, 2021.

 

Eligibility Requirements for the program Library / Museum Partnership Sub-awards from Southeastern

1. The lead partner on the project must be either a public library system, school library system, public library (within the Mid-Hudson Library System or Ramapo Catskill Library System), school library (within these BOCES School Library Systems: Dutchess, Ulster, Orange-Ulster, Rockland, or Sullivan), academic library, or not-for-profit special library.
2. The lead partner must be a Southeastern member or affiliate of Southeastern. Individual public and school libraries that are members of a school or public library system (MHLS, RCLS, BOCES) are considered an affiliate.
3. At least one eligible museum must be identified as a primary project partner. Please review ARPA Library Sub-awards Guidelines, Appendix B for a definition of Eligible Museum Partner.
4. The lead partner may only submit one proposal for a Library / Museum Partnership Sub-award from Southeastern.

All eligibility requirements must be met in order to qualify for a Library / Museum Partnership Sub-award from Southeastern.

FAQs
Last Updated: November 24, 2021

Recent FAQs (Nov. 24)

Q: Should I PDF the budget spreadsheet? Or PDF only the worksheets that I used? 

A: No, do not PDF the budget spreadsheet or individual worksheets. Please submit the entire spreadsheet in its native Excel (.xls/.xlsx) format. 

Q: I just saw there was an updated budget worksheet, and the deadline is, like, now, and I already have my budget in an earlier version of the budget worksheet! What should I do? 

A: Submit the budget worksheet that you have prepared. You don't need to move all your numbers to a newer version of the spreadsheet. Also, see the Q above about not PDF-ing the spreadsheet. 

Q: Do I need to include a description in the budget justification only for large expenses? 

A: Everything in the budget needs to be justified. If there is a budget line with a dollar amount, the cost needs to be explained in the budget justification. 

Q: We are submitting a budget that falls within the allowable range($20,000), but our costs for the project will be more. For example, we are choosing not to include salaried staff time or benefits in the budget - but it's still a cost. Do we need to keep track of that somewhere? 

A: Yes. You could include a description of this in-kind contribution in the budget justification. However, in-kind contributions are not required for these projects and are not included in the review criteria. Having (or not having) in-kind contributions will not count for or against a proposal during the review process.  

Q: Our project has a lead library partner, a primary museum partner, and a secondary community partner. Does the community partner also need to submit a letter of support? 

A: Only the primary museum partner needs to submit a letter of support. Secondary partners do not need to submit a letter of support. 

Q: Can we submit our application before the deadline? 

A: Yes! Go get another slice of pie. 

Q: We're not quite finished. Can we submit our application on Tuesday morning (Nov 30)? 

A: Sorry, there are no deadline extensions. 

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Older FAQs

Q: I missed the information session. Is there a recording?

A: The session was not recorded. Please download the presentation slides; review all of the tabs in the Library / Museum page of this libguide; or, send questions to arpa@senylrc.org, and someone from Southeastern will respond.

Q: How many organizations can be involved in a proposal / project?

A: Each proposal must have a lead library partner and a museum project partner. These partners must meet eligibility requirements (see below). Otherwise, there is no limit on the number of organizations that can be involved.

Q: What are the eligibility requirements for lead library partners?

A: Please see the tab "Guidelines, Overview, Eligibility." Under Eligibility Requirements, items 1 and 2.

Q: What are the eligibility requirements for primary museum partners?

A: Please see the tab "Guidelines, Overview, Eligibility." Under Eligibility Requirements, item 3, and please review ARPA Library Sub-awards Guidelines, Appendix B. Still not sure, write to arpa@senylrc.org.
Hint for lead library partners: museums might know if they meet the eligibility requirements, so check with them as a first step!

Q: Your libguide says that "project budgets can range from $5,000 to $20,000. What if my project budget is less than $5,000? 

A: We encourage you to think big! But if you have a compelling reason to request less, please talk to us before submitting an application.

Q: If you get a lot of applications, will you consider partially funding proposals?

A: The review committee will evaluate eligible proposals on their own merit and submit their scores and funding recommendations to the Southeastern Executive Director, who will make the final decision about funding allocations. 

Q: Can a library work with a museum that is not in New York?

A: The primary purpose of the Library / Museum Partnerships Projects is to support libraries and museums in New York state. So the primary museum partner must be in New York. The lead partner library could have a secondary museum partner that is not in New York. For details on eligibility, please see the tab "Guidelines, Overview, Eligibility." Under Eligibility Requirements, items 1 and 2.

Q: Can someone from Southeastern review a draft of my proposal before I submit it? 

A: We are happy to talk through your ideas or questions at any stage of the proposal-writing process. We understand that things evolve during the writing process, and you may want to check-in. Please do write to arpa@senylrc.org. But, we don't have the bandwidth to read proposal drafts.

Proposal Details

Southeastern encourages eligible organizations to submit a proposal. Each part (see below) of the proposal must be saved in .PDF format. Attach all of the files in one email message, and send:

To: arpa@senylrc.org

Subject: [Lead Organization Name]: ARPA Library Museum Proposal

Deadline: 5 pm, Monday, November 29, 2021

Formatting: All proposals should have a one-inch margin, be single spaced, with numbered pages. Acceptable fonts: Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial with a font size no less than 12 point. Provide URLs in footnotes or references; do not embed URLs in text. Any graphics or tables should directly support the proposal.

All proposals should include the following elements.

Part A: Project Information (one page)

• Proposal for: Library/Museum Partnership Sub-awards from Southeastern
• Project Title
• Amount requested
• Submission Date
   

• Partner organization (library or library system)
• Project liaison: Name, Title, Email, Phone
• Director (or authorized organization lead if different from Project liaison): Name, Title, Email, Phone
• Organization mailing address; phone

 

• Primary Museum Partner
• Project liaison: Name, Title, Email, Phone
• Director (or authorized organization lead if different from Project liaison): Name, Title, Email, Phone
• Organization mailing address; phone

• Other Project Partners (if needed)

 

Part B: Project Details (up to five pages)

• Project Title
• Project Goals: Provide a description of the goals for this project.
• Target Audience(s) Briefly describe the target audience for this project.
• LSTA Goals: Which New York 2017-2022 LSTA Five-Year Plan Goal does your project meet?
• Project Description: Provide a short description of your project activities and outcomes. Include a description of how the library and museum will partner on the project. Include a description of potential barriers to completing the project and your plan to mitigate those barriers.
• Community Partnership: Describe how this project will impact your community at large and how it will provide the community with greater access to museum collections.
• Project Timeline: Outline the project’s proposed timeline. Anticipate a January 2022 start.
  Note: Southeastern cannot disburse sub-awards until they receive the funds from the state.
  By June 30, 2022, all project work must be completed, and a final invoice and final report are due to Southeastern.  
• Project Dissemination – 1) If not already included in the project description, describe how the project will conduct outreach to target audiences. 2) Describe how the outcomes and impacts of the project will be shared back with the communities directly involved in the project and the library and museum communities.
• Project Evaluation - Describe the methods that will be used to evaluate the results of the project. Explain how will you determine whether this project has met its goals and produced the desired outcomes. The project evaluation should include measurable:
  • Project Outputs: Provide examples of your project outputs. (Examples: training, lesson plans, traveling exhibits, outline exhibits, objects digitized, kits, bookmarks, videos.) 
  • Project Outcomes: Provide examples of your project outcomes, or how the project will impact people. (Examples: Students can locate resources to support their learning; digital equity is improved; knowledge is gained; information-seeking behavior is changed.)

Part C: Budget (up to two pages) and Budget Justification (up to two pages)

As part of your proposal, include expenditure amounts for the budget categories below. It is not necessary to have expenditures for each category. Please use the Library / Museum Budget Worksheet to prepare a budget. Submit an Excel (.xls / .xlsx) or .PDF of the spreadsheet as part of the application.

Provide a brief narrative Budget Justification for the expenses listed in your budget. Justifications can be up to two pages in length, must follow the formatting guidelines for the proposal, and must be in .PDF format when submitted as part of the application. Justifications should briefly list roles and responsibilities for personnel contributing to the project from the lead partner, the primary museum partner, and any other organization that is contributing a significant effort on the project.

Budget categories

• Professional Salaries
• Support Salaries
• Benefits
• Purchased Services
• Supplies & Materials
• Equipment
• Travel

More details on preparing a budget

•  Guidelines for the expenditure of funds, including eligible and ineligible expenses are described in the ARPA Library  Subawards Guidelines.
• Indirect costs are not eligible to be included in the budget spreadsheet.
• Lead partners may not in turn sub award funds to other entities.
• All project products and services must be procured directly by the lead partner.
• Expenditures of federal ARPA funds on equipment costing $5,000 or more (for an individual item) must be approved in advance by the NY State Library and IMLS. Individual items that collectively cost more than $5,000 are allowed, but one item, such as a piece of equipment, that costs more than $5,000 needs to be approved in advance.
• Project budgets can range from $5,000 to $20,000. Applications with budgets that exceed $20,000 will not be reviewed.
• Projects can elect to receive 90% of the sub-award amount at the beginning of the project.
• 10% of the award amount will be withheld until the final invoice and final report are submitted and approved.

Part D: Letter of Commitment (one page)

An authorized representative from the museum that is the primary project partner on the project should submit a signed letter of commitment on letterhead describing their contributions to the proposed project and how the project will benefit the communities served by the museum.

How to Submit a Proposal

Make one .PDF file for each part: A, B, C-2, and D.
Keep the budget spreadsheet in Excel.
There will be five files attached to the email.

Suggested filename format: [LeadOrganizationName]-Part[X].PDF (or .xls/.xlsx)

  ✓ Part A: Project Information (one page)

  ✓ Part B: Project Details (up to five pages)

  ✓ Part C-1: Budget Spreadsheet (Please submit the entire spreadsheet in its native Excel (.xls/.xlsx) format.) AND

  ✓ Part C-2: Budget Justification (up to two pages)

  ✓ Part D: Letter of Support (one page)

Attach all of the files to one email.
✓ To: arpa@senylrc.org
✓ Subject: [Lead Organization Name]: ARPA Library Museum Proposal

Timeline for Writing Proposals

OMG I’ve never written a proposal (or it’s been a long time) and this is a total pain and really unfair and why don’t you just give me the money because I have this fantastic idea that will mean so much to my community.

Here is a suggested timeline to manage the process and get a proposal out the door.

• Week 1 (Oct 25-29): Freak out. Breathe. Make some lists: ideas; partners; target audiences; project activities. Get excited. Read the libguide and the ARPA Guidelines. Get in touch with possible partners. Confirm eligibility. Form a small proposal-writing team. Share the work: partner-wrangler; numbers and staffing; editor; etc.

• Week 2 (Nov 1-5): Get something on paper (see the Proposal Details tab on the libguide). Write 1-2 sentences for each item of the Project Details (Part B). Make a draft timeline and budget. Re-read the libguide and ARPA Guidelines. Start getting vendor quotes (if needed). Bring questions to the online information session on Nov 5, 2021, 11-12.

• Week 3 (Nov 8-12): Confirm partners. Give a heads up to directors, bookkeepers, boards, etc. Complete the Project Information Sheet (Part A). Write a solid draft of the Project Details (Part B), especially the timeline. Write a solid draft of the budget (Part C). Give a heads up to the lucky party who will be writing the letter of commitment (Part D). Circle back with questions to arpa@senylrc.org
  Just now getting around to this? There’s still time to write a proposal.

• Week 4 (Nov 15-19): Finalize the details in the timeline and budget. (Do you really want to start in January? Do you really want all of the funds up front? It's ok if you don't. Be realistic.) Write the budget justification (Part C). Write a final draft of the Project Details. Remember to include the Dissemination and Evaluation components! Provide details needed for the letter of commitment. Freak out because it doesn’t feel like the pieces and ideas and partners are coming together. Go for a walk.

• Week 5 (Nov 22-26): Send drafts for a friendly internal review and reality check. Finalize all necessary approvals and agreements. Get the letter of commitment. Eat an extra piece of pie. In a quiet moment, re-read the libguide, especially the review criteria, and ARPA Guidelines one more time.

• Week 6 (Nov 29): Final edits. Assemble and PDF proposal parts. Send by 5 pm. (Don't wait until 4:59 pm!) Eat some leftover pie. You did it!

Selected Examples of Eligible Projects

Projects that consider the intersection of digital and physical programs and exhibits in a pandemic-aware manner, for example:

• Improved infrastructure: creating platforms, tools, or systems for museums and libraries to create, manage, distribute, transform, share, reuse, and access their content
• Learning through curation: work with an audience to build their own digital exhibits using library and museum resources

Projects that address audiences that were particularly impacted by COVID-19, for example:

• Supporting P-12 education: Collaborative library/museum education projects that engage directly with P-12 teachers and students, such as projects focusing on next generation science standards
• Career readiness: Career exploration opportunities for teens at libraries and museums, with a focus on STEAM
• Ensuring that all communities are represented: All programming should include a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access component

Projects that explore new modalities for existing programs, for example:

• Bring collections into communities: Make a circulating kit from a popular program or exhibit
• Creative outreach: Find ways to take museum and library work outside, including pop-up festivals in the community showcasing libraries and museums.

Proposal Review Criteria

Southeastern will assemble an objective team to review and evaluate the proposals using the criteria described here.

If Your Proposal is Funded

1. Payments

• The date of Southeastern’s award notice will determine when projects will receive sub-award payments. The Lead partner organization must complete forms and contracts before funds are disbursed.
• Projects can elect to receive 90% of the sub-award amount at the beginning of the project.
• 10% of the award amount will be withheld until the final invoice and final report are submitted and approved.

2. Requirements for Sub awardees

If a proposal is funded, the lead partner will be required to complete the following forms and reports. More details and templates will be supplied by Southeastern by December 2021.

a. Required Federal Assurances

If an application is approved for funding but before sub-award funds are disbursed, the director or authorized representative for the Lead partner organization must sign the following forms, which will be supplied by Southeastern:

• 2021 Program Assurances and Certification

• Internet Safety Certification Form

b. Required IMLS/NYSL Attribution

All programs or products that are created or supported totally or in part under a federal ARPA subaward from IMLS, should include the following acknowledgement:

“[Program name or product] is supported with [or “in part with”] federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated to the New York State Library by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).”

c. Interim Report

An interim report is required by Southeastern and must be submitted by March 18, 2022. The report template and guidelines will be supplied by Southeastern.

d. Final Report

A final report is required and must be submitted by June 30, 2022. The report template and guidelines will be supplied by Southeastern.