The Native Hawaiian Library Services (‘NH’) program is designed to assist Native Hawaiian serving organizations in sustaining and improving library services with their communities. As information needs change, Native Hawaiian organizations must be able to serve as knowledge and resource centers to benefit their users and the wellness of their communities. The NH program supports organizations across the islands and country to address their individual information needs and priorities.

FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity - Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants

Applications Due April 10, 2026

Funding Opportunity Number: NAG-HAWAIIAN-FY26 Assistance Listing Number: 45.311 OMB Control No.: 3137-0102 Expiration date: 1/31/2027

Table of Contents

• Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants ................................ ................................ ........................ 1
• Table of Contents ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 2
• Before You Begin ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 3
• Review the Opportunity ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 4
  • 1. Basic Information ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 5
  • 2. Eligibility ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 10
  • 3. Program Description ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 12
• Prepare and Submit Your Application ................................ ................................ ..................... 19
  • 4. Application Contents and Format ................................ ................................ ................. 20
  • 5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines ................................ ................................ ... 55
• Learn About Application Review ................................ ................................ .............................. 57
  • 6. Application Review Information ................................ ................................ .................... 58
  • 7. Award Notices ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 61
• Find Post-Award Information ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 62
  • 8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration ................................ ............................. 63
• Other Information ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 65
  • 9. Other Important Information ................................ ................................ ........................ 66

Before You Begin

Months to weeks before the deadline, you should:

• Prepare and confirm your required registrations.
  • Register in SAM.gov (registration can take several weeks). Your organization must have an active SAM.gov account and a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) before you apply.
  • Register in Grants.gov (registration can take several days). You must have an active Grants.gov registration. You’ll need an active SAM.gov account and a Login.gov account to register and access Grants.gov.
  • See Registration Requirements and Guidance for Required Registrations.
• Coordinate internally.
  • Your organization may require internal coordination between departments (e.g., library, human resources, finance, accounting, grants compliance, etc.). Consider this coordination early on, to ensure an on-time application proposal, thoughtful project design, and to ensure successful post-award administration and compliance.

After you’ve prepared your registrations and coordinated internally with your organization, be sure to:

• Submit your application in Grants.gov by the deadline:
  • Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on April 10, 2026.
• Bookmark these resources for important information:
  • eCFR: 2 CFR Part 200 -- Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
  • General Terms and Conditions for IMLS Discretionary Awards
  • Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants Program page (IMLS.gov)

This NOFO has internal links to help you quickly find what you need. In Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow (Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.

Review the Opportunity

1. Basic Information

Opportunity Overview

• Federal Awarding Agency: Institute of Museum and Library Services
• Funding Opportunity Title: Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants
• Announcement Type: Modification of FY25 Notice of Funding Opportunity
• Funding Opportunity Number: NAG-HAWAIIAN-FY26
• Assistance Listing Number: 45.311
• Type of assistance instrument: Grant
• Application Deadlines: Submit through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on April 10, 2026.

Award Overview

Key Dates

• Anticipated date of notification of award decisions: September 2026 (subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion)
• Anticipated start dates for new awards: Projects must begin on October 1, 2026.
• Anticipated period of performance: October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2028. Project activities may be carried out for one to two years.

Funding Details

• Total amount of funding IMLS expects to award through this announcement: $750,000
• Expected performance indicators, targets, baseline data, and data collection: See Performance Measures.
• Anticipated number of awards: 5
• Expected amount of individual awards: $50,000 - $150,000
• Average amount of funding per award experienced in previous years: $150,000

The funding in the above Award Overview is subject to the availability of funds and IMLS discretion. We are not bound by any estimates in this announcement. Contingent upon the availability of funds, the quality of applications, and IMLS discretion, we may make additional awards from the pool of unfunded applications from this competition.

Executive Summary

The Native Hawaiian Library Services (‘NH’) program is designed to assist Native Hawaiian serving organizations in sustaining and improving library services with their communities. As information needs change, Native Hawaiian organizations must be able to serve as knowledge and resource centers to benefit their users and the wellness of their communities. The NH program supports organizations across the islands and country to address their individual information needs and priorities.

Projects may involve, but are not limited to, activities such as:

• educational programming for all ages;
• oral history collection and documentation;
• digital media and technology enhancements;
• institutional planning and policy development;
• professional training, internships, and mentorships;
• supporting and engaging with cultural practitioners and scholars;
• research and development of language and cultural material and tools;
• digitization and digital preservation; and
• furnishing of library spaces for staff and public within existing constructed spaces (please note that IMLS funds are not allowed for construction).

The goal of the program is to develop, enhance, or disseminate practices, programs, models, tools, or library staff training to strengthen library and archival services for Native Hawaiian organizations through the following objectives:

• serving the learning needs and interests of the community;
• improving community well-being;
• providing access to and preservation of information and collections; or
• providing services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster.

The primary audience for this program is Native Hawaiian-serving institutions providing library and/or archival services, and the professionals engaged with such institutions per the eligibility restrictions below.

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are:

• a Nonprofit Organization that Primarily Serves and Represents Native Hawaiians.

Agency Contact Information

IMLS staff are available by phone and email to answer programmatic and administrative questions relating to this grant program. We also host and record on-demand webinars to introduce potential applicants to funding opportunities. For more information, see our list of webinars and instructions for accessing them.

2. Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

To be eligible for an award under the Native Hawaiian Library Services Notice of Funding Opportunity, your organization must be a nonprofit organization that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians, as the term “Native Hawaiians” is defined in 20 U.S.C. § 7517(2), and that offers library services to the community. Such services may include, but are not limited to providing free access to:

• Books, print and electronic media;
• research databases;
• job, employment, and career resources;
• reference desk services;
• space for reading, studying, and meeting; and
• free events and activities such as programs, classes, and cultural events for all ages.

When you apply, you must provide documentation showing that your organization meets this statutory eligibility criteria. See Proof of Eligibility for more information about documentation required of nonprofit organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians.

Cost Share Requirements

Cost share is allowed but not required for the NH program. The amount of cost share, if included in an application, is not part of the review process.

Calculate any cost share you include in your project budget carefully - you’ll be required to meet cost share commitments if you choose to include them.

Other Eligibility Information

• Application Limits
  • Applications for renewal of your currently active IMLS award(s) are not eligible to compete with applications for new awards.
  • Your organization may submit only one application under this announcement.
  • If eligible, you may submit multiple applications for support of separate and distinct projects through other IMLS grant programs.
• Partnerships and Collaborations
  • Applications involving partnerships or collaborations are welcome so long as the eligible nonprofit organization is the lead applicant.
  • If your eligible nonprofit collaborates with a partner, it must meet all eligibility requirements, serve as the lead applicant, and administer the award on behalf of the other(s).
  • If we fund the project, the eligible nonprofit will be programmatically, fiscally, and legally responsible for the award.
• Ineligible Applicants
  • We will not review or make awards to ineligible applicants. We will notify each applicant who is determined to be ineligible.
  • To receive an IMLS award, your organization must be eligible and in compliance with applicable IMLS, administrative, and national policy requirements.
• Application Completeness and Deadlines
  • You must submit all application components by the deadline indicated in the Opportunity Overview. We won’t consider late applications for funding under this notice.
  • The total funding request on the IMLS Budget Form must be between $50,000 - $150,000.
  • Your application must be complete, and your project and budget must adhere to the program’s funding restrictions and application instructions.

3. Program Description

Agency Mission, Goals, and Objectives

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)’s mission is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Three agency-level goals, with two objectives each, guide our grantmaking.

• Agency-Level Goal 1: Champion Lifelong Learning
  • Objective 1.1: Advance shared knowledge and learning opportunities for all.
  • Objective 1.2: Support the training and professional development of the museum and library workforce.
• Agency-Level Goal 2: Strengthen Community Engagement
  • Objective 2.1: Promote broad public engagement.
  • Objective 2.2: Support community collaboration and foster civic discourse.
• Agency-Level Goal 3: Advance Collections Stewardship and Access
  • Objective 3.1: Support collections care and management.
  • Objective 3.2: Promote access to museum and library collections.

The Native Hawaiian Library Services Grants Program (“NH”) supports the achievement of these agency-level goals and facilitates the delivery of significant results consistent with its Federal authorizing legislation (20 U.S.C. § 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9161 (Services for Native Americans)). Each award that we make through the NH Program will align with one agency-level goal and one associated objective and will contribute meaningfully to the achievement of both program and agency-level goals.

NH Program Goal and Objectives

The NH Program has one program goal and four objectives. Choose the objective that aligns best with your proposed project.

• NH Program Goal: Develop, enhance, or disseminate practices, programs, models, tools, or staff training to strengthen library and archival services with Native Hawaiian organizations.

• Objective 1: Serve the learning needs and interests of the community.

  • Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
    • Native Hawaiian language and culture education
    • informal STEM or other types of participatory learning;
    • early learning;
    • digital, information, health, financial, media, civic, and other types of literacies; and
    • educational programs, such as classes, events, teaching tools, and/or resources.

• Objective 2: Improve Native Hawaiian well-being.

  • Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
    • workforce and economic development;
    • community and civic dialogue;
    • social, public health, and civic services;
    • digital services
    • efforts that increase access; and
    • developing strategic partnerships within, across, and outside of Native Hawaiian communities.

• Objective 3: Provide access to and preservation of information and collections.

  • Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
    • enhancing information infrastructures;
    • privacy and security;
    • digital preservation strategies;
    • community memory;
    • web archiving;
    • collections stewardship; and
    • language and cultural preservation and perpetuation.

• Objective 4: Provide services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster.

  • Examples include, but aren’t limited to:
    • emergency and disaster mitigation and management plans; and
    • studying or addressing impacts of emergencies and disasters.

Performance Measures

We use three performance measures as a basis for understanding and evaluating how well the NH program is meeting its goal and how awardees are managing individual projects. We ask applicants to define and determine how they will measure the following aspects:

• Effectiveness: The extent to which proposed project activities contribute to achieving the NH program goal and objective you selected
• Quality: How well the project activities meet the requirements and expectations of the primary audience
• Timeliness: The extent to which each task/activity is completed within the timeframe proposed

As part of your application, you will need to provide a Performance Measurement Plan that describes how you will use these three measures to evaluate your performance in carrying out your project and meeting the NH program goal and the objective you selected.

In your final performance report, we’ll ask you to rate (on a scale of 1 to 5) how well you believe you completed the project in terms of effectiveness, quality, and timeliness.

Funding Restrictions

Allowable and Unallowable Costs

You may use IMLS funds and cost share only for allowable costs as found in IMLS and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) government-wide cost-principles rules.

Please consult 2 C.F.R. part 200 and 2 C.F.R. part 3187 (in particular, 2 C.F.R. § 3187.15(b)) for additional guidance on allowable costs.

The following lists include some examples of generally allowable and unallowable costs.

Allowable Costs

• personnel salaries, wages, and fringe benefits, including annual cost of living increases
• travel expenses for key project staff and consultants
• materials, supplies, software, and equipment related directly to project activities
• adaptive and/or assistive technologies and other resources and services to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities
• participant support costs, including temporary dependent care, if documented in written policies
• third-party costs
• design and publication costs
• program evaluation
• staff and volunteer training
• paid internships/fellowships
• stipends or honoraria for project advisors and active participants
• pre-award costs, at the discretion of and with prior written approval from the agency.

Unallowable Costs

• general fundraising costs, such as development office staff or other staff time devoted to general fundraising
• contributions to endowments
• general operating support costs
• general advertising or public relations costs designed solely for promotional activities other than those related to the specific project
• construction or renovation of facilities (generally, any activity involving the construction trades is not an allowable cost)
• social activities, receptions, or entertainment.

You must explain all proposed expenses in your Budget Justification. If you have questions about whether specific activities are allowable, contact us for guidance.

Costs for Third Parties

When a project requires the payment of Federal funds to third parties (such as partners, consultants, collaborators, vendors, and/or service providers), it is your responsibility to determine whether you should characterize a third party as a subrecipient or a contractor and include that determination in your agreement with them.

IMLS grant funds may not be provided to any Federal agency serving as a third party.

Indirect Costs

You can choose to:

• use a rate not to exceed your current indirect cost rate already negotiated with a Federal agency;
• use an indirect cost rate proposed to a Federal agency for negotiation, but not yet finalized, as long as it is finalized by the time of the award;
• use a rate not to exceed 15 percent of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) if your organization does not have a Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) and is not subject to other requirements; or
• not include any indirect costs.

Authorizing Statute and Regulations

• Statute: 20 U.S.C. § 9101 et seq.; in particular, § 9161 (Services for Native Americans).
• Regulations: 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI, 2 C.F.R. Chapter XXXI, and 2 C.F.R. Title 2
• Award recipients must follow the IMLS regulations and any applicable Executive Orders that are in effect at the time of the award.
• You can find the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance at 2 C.F.R. part 200.
• With certain IMLS-specific additions, IMLS regulations at 2 C.F.R. part 3187 have formally adopted the Uniform Guidance.

Equal Opportunity

IMLS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.

For further information, email ogc@imls.gov or write to the Office of the General Counsel, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 955 L’Enfant Plaza North, SW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC, 20024-2135.

Prepare and Submit Your Application

4. Application Contents and Format

Get Ready to Apply

Readiness Checklist

Applying for an award takes time. Registering with SAM.gov can take several weeks. There are a few important things you’ll need to do before you can apply.

Be sure to…

• Register in SAM.gov (or check your organization’s registration status and expiration date) as early as possible. Remember that a new SAM registration or troubleshooting issues can take several weeks.
  • To register, go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and click Get Started.
  • See the SAM.gov Entity Registration checklist for what you’ll need to register in SAM.
• Get a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. You’ll get your organization’s UEI when you register in SAM.gov.
• Register in Grants.gov.
• Carefully read through this NOFO to get a good understanding of how to craft your Narrative and what other documents we require.
• Review the eligibility requirements and confirm that your organization is eligible.
  1. Nonprofit organization that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians
  2. Offers library and/or archival services to the community
• Review the Funding Restrictions and keep them in mind as you develop your application and budget.
• Review the post-award requirements to make sure you can meet them.
• Find the application package. Go to Grants.gov and search for Funding Opportunity Number: NAG-HAWAIIAN-FY26 or Assistance Listing Number: 45.311.
• Get familiar with Grants.gov Workspace.
• Contact IMLS program staff to discuss your ideas, or if you have questions related to the application process.

Registration Requirements

Before you apply, your organization must have these three Federal registrations already in place:

• a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;
• a current and active System for Award Management (SAM) registration; and
• an active Grants.gov registration with an approved Authorized Organization Representative (AOR).

Check your materials and registrations now to ensure that they are accurate, current, and active.

We strongly recommend that you obtain a UEI number and complete registration with SAM and Grants.gov months to weeks before the application deadline.

Guidance for Required Registrations

• Getting a Unique Entity Identifier The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number is a non-proprietary alphanumeric identifier assigned to all entities (public and private companies, individuals, institutions, or organizations) who register to do business with the Federal Government. The UEI is requested in, and assigned by, the System for Award Management (SAM). Awardees must inform any subrecipients that the awardee may not make a subaward unless the subrecipient has also obtained a UEI. If your organization has an active SAM registration, you can find your assigned UEI in your SAM record. The organization’s UEI must be active at the time of application and award. If you don’t yet have an active SAM registration, you will receive a UEI when you register in SAM. Learn more about the UEI.

• Registering with SAM The System for Award Management (SAM) is a Federal repository that centralizes information about grant applicants and awardees. It is always free to all users. You must register with SAM before registering with Grants.gov. Learn how to check an organization’s registration status in SAM. If you’re registering with SAM for the first time, you must begin by creating a SAM user account through Login.gov. Click here to learn how to create a secure Login.gov account. Then proceed to the SAM registration process. We recommend that you allow several weeks to complete the SAM registration. You must always maintain an active SAM registration with current information while you have an active award or an application under consideration. We may not make an award to you until you have complied with all applicable UEI and SAM registration requirements. If you have not fully complied with the requirements by the time we’re ready to make a Federal award, we may make a Federal award to another applicant. You must renew your organization’s registration in SAM at least every 12 months or whenever your organization’s information changes. An expired registration will prevent you from submitting applications via Grants.gov and receiving awards or payments. Award payments will be made to the bank account that is associated with your organization’s SAM registration.

• Registering with Grants.gov Grants.gov is the centralized website for grant seekers to find and apply for Federal funding opportunities. Grants.gov is owned and operated by the Federal Government and is always free to all users. You must register with Grants.gov prior to applying. The multistep registration process cannot be completed in a single day. You should make sure your institution’s SAM registration is current and active before registering with Grants.gov. If your organization is not already registered, allow several weeks before the application deadline to complete this one-time process. Do not wait until the day of the application deadline to register. The Grants.gov user ID and password you obtain when you register are required to submit your application. After your organization registers with Grants.gov and creates an Organizational Applicant Profile, the request for the organization’s Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the eBiz POC. The eBiz POC will then log into Grants.gov and assign the appropriate roles to individuals within the organization. This will include the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) which will give permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization.

  TIP: Know who your organization’s Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is and coordinate their availability to approve your application submission in Grants.gov. Add additional AORs if you can. Designating more than one AOR when you register in Grants.gov will help you avoid missing the deadline if a single AOR is unavailable when you are ready to submit the application. It is also important to update the contact information and password in Grants.gov whenever an AOR changes. AOR changes can take over 24 hours to go into effect, so complete this well before the deadline. Visit Grants.gov/Support, email support@grants.gov, or call Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 for technical assistance. Grants.gov Applicant Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for Federal holidays.

Application Package

You must apply electronically through Grants.gov Workspace or a Grants.gov system-to-system solution.

Use one of the following identifiers to locate the application package in Grants.gov:

• Funding Opportunity Number: NAG-HAWAIIAN-FY26
• Assistance Listing Number: 45.311

To request an audio recording of this announcement, call 202-653-4744. To request a paper copy of this announcement, call 202-653-4744 or email imls-librarygrants@imls.gov.

Prepare Your Application

This section outlines the components, format, and content requirements to help you prepare a complete application.

You must apply by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on April 10, 2026. We make awards only to eligible applicants that submit applications through Grants.gov on or before this deadline.

If your application is missing any Required Documents from the list below, we will consider it to be incomplete, and may reject it from further consideration (see 2 C.F.R. § 3187.9.).

Application Components

Required Documents

You must include all required components for your application to be complete.

| Component | File Requirements