Only organizations with an approved partnership pledge submitted to and on file with FFNHA and located within its’ designated 41 counties are eligible to be awarded grant funds. No entity is automatically a partner of FFNHA, even when within the boundaries of eligibility comprising the heritage area.

A completed application must be received by the end of the deadline date of that cycle to be considered.

To find out how to become a partner, please read more about the Partner Pledge at the bottom of our partner page or contact our office through Kate Sutter at [email protected]. Partnership under our Congressional authorization is open to museums/archives, organizations, non-profit 501c3’s, and/or historically significant sites with connection to one or more of our assigned themes and also located within the forty-one (41) counties of western Missouri and eastern Kansas authorized to make up the heritage area.

Your application will be completed online (the link is provided below).

Reach out to Kate Sutter, Director of Programming if you have questions or technical difficulties.

• Requests should result in greater accessibility to content related to one or more of FFNHA’s 3 themes.
• A UEI number attributed to the partner is required. Applications with DUNS will not be accepted for consideration. Begin this process only at www.sam.gov and do not pay any charges, as it is free.
• The proposal must not require a Section 106 review through your state’s State Historic Preservation Office.
• NO components in the specific application’s scope can begin until after an award is granted. This is a non-negotiable federal restriction. The entirety of the project or component thereof and any receipts submitted, from beginning to end, must after the grant agreement is signed by both parties or risk forfeiture. Back-dating receipts is also not allowed. Obtaining quotes/pricing for this application should not be disqualifying.
• Projects must be completed by the stated deadline. If your project is larger or part of a long-term campaign, you should apply for a more specific component or item(s) that can be obtained or completed, and receipts provided, within this time constraint.
• Any need for extensions (unforeseen delays, etc) must be approved by FFNHA prior to the deadline.
• Partners should have only one open grant from FFNHA at any time. No further funding may be granted until the first project is completed and closed out as communicated by the application.

The online application can only be completed in one sitting. You may wish to type out your answers on a doc to copy/paste into the webform. A more detailed outline, to prepare your draft, is provided at the end of this document. An overview of the questions include:

1. Abstract of the project 100 words or less summarizing the project and its goal(s).
2. Official Contact information Names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, and/or website addresses for the partner, the Authorizing Official of the partner to receive funds (executive director, president, etc), the project director (if different) and any co-sponsoring organizations.
3. The DUNS number is no longer accepted, and applications for entities without their own applicable UEI will not be reviewed.
4. Project overview:
   1. A Project Title
   2. How many people do you anticipate reaching through this project? Estimate the likely breakdown of residents, visiting tourists, and/or web participants.
5. FFNHA relationships:
   1. When was the last time (month and year) this partner received funding from FFNHA and for how much? If you’ve received funding recently, include a brief statement of what the funds were used for, if the project was completed on time, and the lasting impact it has had.
   2. How will this project help advance FFNHA’s goals of driving visitors to the partner(s) and communicating content about one or more of our themes to locals, tourists, and/or the digital community?
   3. If applicable, how will this project increase understanding of various perspectives and/or viewpoints regarding its topic, particularly regarding the struggle for freedom, by people within the heritage area? Is an untold or underrepresented story being communicated better? Or, will it invite a larger or more diverse audience than previously?
6. Financials:
   1. What is the level of urgency for this project to be completed at this time? Are there any extenuating circumstances or deadlines for other funding that should be considered?
   2. What is the total project estimate being requested from FFHNA? Will that amount fully fund the project’s total completion or will further funding or phases toward completion be necessary? How much funding is available, anticipated, and/or applied for elsewhere?
   3. How much, if any, of the funding would be paid outside* of the heritage area? (Includes hired labor and contractors, speaker and presenters, materials and supplies, etc). Please explain these as they apply to this project. *This information will not exclude the applicant from consideration – but we strive to have the greatest economic impact inside the heritage area whenever possible. We realize this is not always possible for all projects.
   4. Include the anticipated budget breakdown of all requested project components, including quotes, good faith estimates, and copies of or weblinks to fees, products and/or services to be purchased, whenever possible.
   5. If partial funding is granted toward the project, can a component or a full piece of it be completed? Please note the most and least essential component(s) required to move the project forward, or highest priority item(s) to obtain.
7. Project timeline and qualifications
   1. What is the proposed timeline for all stages/phases of the project and the final anticipated completion date? Remember, this application must be for items, phases, or components that can be completed within a short timeframe but may be part of a larger initiative. Please narrow the scope of your request accordingly.
   2. Briefly describe the qualifications of key personnel for the project. Please provide weblinks or list resume/CV material, particularly for services being proposed for purchase.
      1. Additionally, if specific speakers, contractors, sellers, goods, or services are being requested, briefly explain how and why those selections were made within your application.
8. Official signature. Submitting the web form will be used as your signature acknowledging and accepting the requirements of the grant program. Submission is no guarantee of funding.

• Interpretive projects such as indoor or outdoor exhibits; digital/video/audio/static media; brochures or signage; tour and tour media development; public programs or living history; creative or performing arts programs, etc.
• Publicity and promotional efforts related to the project or the supplies that will be consumed/distributed.
• Increasing accessibility to the partner’s content, event, or site.
• Purchase or rental of equipment necessary to complete the project.
• Exhibit or archival supplies.
• Repair of or towards the preservation or restoration of applicable documents, exhibits, or artifacts. Small building repairs or infrastructure projects may be requested but if the project requires a Section 106 review, it is not eligible for this grant program.
• Reasonable salary, stipends, honorariums and/or travel reimbursements directly related to the project for staff, consultants, or others hired to carry out project activities that would not otherwise be possible, excluding prohibited expenditures on items such as food or per diems.
• Professional development.

• Projects that would be subject to a Section 106 Review, which is required before federal dollars can be applied to projects that physically impact site(s) that are on or are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
• Food or per diems, by law. These can be shown as removed or subtracted from any requests if included in bids or quotes.
• Lobbying or activities, including but not limited to, political activism or persuasion.
• Projects, events, or supplies that are to be used as a fundraiser, or primarily for raising funds.
• Individual scholarships, fellowships, or personal research costs, including courses for academic credit, etc.
• Any projects, components, or expenses started or incurred prior to the grant agreement being signed. This could forfeit any announced awards. Obtaining quotes or bids in preparation for your application is not disqualifying.
• Projects that discriminate based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, physical abilities, or civil rights of any nature.
• Projects or programs for which the members of organizations with exclusive memberships, political objectives, or religious congregations are the primary beneficiaries.
• Partners who currently have FFNHA grant funding which has not been fully Closed-Out.
• Anything that might jeopardize FFNHA’s ability to obtain future funding, conflict with any guidelines and restrictions upon FFNHA, or violate federal law(s).

NOTE: If you think that something deemed ineligible, including item(s) listed above, is essential to your project, contact FFNHA staff. We may be able to assist you with ideas to increase your eligibility or for other sources of funding.

• Applications will be reviewed, and any funding approved, based on the following criteria:
• Prior FFNHA funding rates how recently or significantly the partner has received aid from FFNHA. Priority will be given to partners that have not received FFNHA support in recent grant cycle(s) or fiscal year(s). This does not necessarily exclude any applications. Partners who have not fully closed out any previous grant funding from FFNHA are not eligible until a grant-cycle deadline after the Close-Out is finalized.
• Significance of project rates the project’s impact in the community, including the estimated number of visitors/tourists and the visibility it may draw to the partner and heritage area, regarding the promotion of at least one of FFNHA’s 3 assigned themes. We exist to promote and improve the experience of heritage-based visitors, so projects attracting larger audiences, particularly in-person, may have priority in this category.
• Level of Need rates the urgency of the project for the applying partner(s) at this particular time, and/or if an opportunity would be lost without funding now.
• Budget rates the project’s budget as described by the applicant. The budget should be reasonable and fiscally responsible with any essential vs nonessential costs clearly delineated. Heritage area-based resources should be utilized whenever possible to maximize the local economic impact. The ability to move forward with components of the project’s goal if the partner is awarded partial funding should be noted. Components, particularly if requesting a particular contractor (person, business, group, etc), should be reasonably justified by brief explanation, the submission of bids or quotes, and/or other documentation. These details may be required by FFNHA to complete the application if not provided.
• Objectives, tasks, and time schedule rates how thoroughly the applicant has planned and organized the project. The project’s steps, stages, or phases should seem reasonably achievable prior to the final deadline. Unforeseen hurdles can be discussed with FFNHA when/if they arise. Make sure that what you are applying for can be completed within the time constraints. Otherwise, narrow the scope of your request to a more appropriate aspect, phase, or component of the project’s completion.
• Qualifications rate the ability of the project’s key personnel and hired or volunteer assistance to carry out the proposed project. CVs or website links for such information, especially for specific paid outside participants like speakers or service providers, can be provided when applicable.
• Letter One that rates the positive impact that stakeholders believe the project will have for the partner, heritage area, and/or number of visitors as a result of funding, as well as confidence in the applicant’s overall plan for completion. Extra letters beyond the one submitted do not increase scoring.

Grant awards may vary and be limited by funding to which FFNHA has access at a particular time. Any project not receiving funding during an application review cycle may consult with FFNHA staff or peers and colleagues, refocus the project or application to better meet the criteria, and then resubmit an application during a later review cycle.

General information regarding scoring decisions for a project may be requested by its applicant but decisions for the cycle are final. FFNHA stakeholders and any reviewing participants have the right of and/or responsibility to maintain confidentiality surrounding partner(s)’ submitted materials including finances, discussion regarding applications and awards, and any information that has not been made by public announcement. The applicant receives no guarantee of or to any funds by submitting a Project Grant application.