Grants Program FAQ

Who is eligible to apply for AMA Grants?

Grants are available to Alberta-based Individual and Institutional Members of the Alberta Museums Association. Institutional Members must be designated a Recognized Museum or a Candidate within the Recognized Museum Program.

Specific eligibility criteria and restrictions are listed in the Guidelines for each Grant Category.

What types of grants does the AMA offer?

The AMA offers grants in the following categories:

Institutional

Institutional Grants provide funding to eligible Institutional Members to complete projects in the following areas:  Museums and Society, Governance and Operations, Collections, and Programming. Partnership Grants are also available for projects involving two or more institutions. This grant encourages applicants to undertake projects that directly respond to needs identified by their communities and demonstrate leadership within the museum sector.

Professional Development

Professional Development Grants provide funding to eligible Individual and Institutional Members as they undertake professional and personal learning opportunities to increase the overall body of knowledge of the Alberta museum community.

Operational Staffing

Operational Staffing Grants provide funding to eligible Institutional Members to build their capacity by contributing to the wages of core museum staff. An application may support one or multiple positions. Up to three museums may partner on an application to share an employee.

How can I get help with my application?

The AMA offers Advisory Services to help applicants better understand the Grants Program. The Grants Program Lead is available to answer questions about eligibility for funding, changes to the application process, and provide clarification on the grants criteria.

Grant Writing Tools are available in the Members Only section. 

How do I submit my application?

Application forms can now be filled out and submitted directly on the AMA website. Progress in the online forms cannot be saved, and it is strongly recommended you complete your responses in a separate document and paste the responses into the application form. To aid in this process, the questions for each grant application are available in a separate PDF document. 

Application Forms and attachments must be before submitted by 4:30 p.m. on the grant deadline. After an application is submitted, a confirmation email acknowledging receipt of the application will be sent. If the deadline falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the next business day after the deadline. In fairness to other applicants, late submissions will not be accepted for any reason, but may be eligible for review in a subsequent Grant Run.

Each question in the application form has set character limits. Jurors review upwards of fifty to sixty applications each grant run and applicants need to be clear and concise in their answers. Answers to questions in the narrative submitted as supplementary attachments will not be considered for review by the Jury.

Can I submit my Grant Application by fax / mail?

No. This is an online application process only; emails, faxes, and hardcopy applications will not be accepted.

How can I check the status of my grant application?

To check the status of your grant application, log in to the Members Only Section of the AMA website and click the Grant Information button at the bottom of your Dashboard. Please note, all grant information is secure and can only be viewed by individuals in possession of the member applicant's login credentials.

For more details on how to access this information, please see:

How to Access your Individualized Grant Information Online

How long until I know the outcome of my application?

The complete application process, from application deadline to notification of grant status, may take up to ten weeks. The AMA aims to process applications in a timely and efficient manner that adheres to our accountability requirements.

How are the grants assessed?

Applications are adjudicated by a peer jury, selected from Individual Members of the AMA.

How is the jury selected?

Prior to grant deadlines for the year, the Grants Program Lead puts out a Call for Jurors. From the pool of potential jurors, the Grants Program Lead chooses Individual Members of the AMA who represent a diversity of skill, education level, geographic location, museum size, and experience to form a Jury. Individual Members can participate as jurors once every three years.

If you are interested in participating in a Jury, please contact the Grants Program Lead at grants@museums.ab.ca or 780.424.2626.

How is an application assessed?

The jury will review and assess each grant application based on the AMA's ranking system. All sections of the application narrative are allocated points that the jury uses to score each submission. The jury must reach a consensus when scoring each application. AMA Staff facilitate the jury process but are not involved in decision-making.

Still have questions? Please contact the Grants Program Lead at grants@museums.ab.ca or 780.424.2626.