Application Information that Makes a Museum CMS Project Attractive

Grant applications often require in-depth project information in order for funders to review and adjudicate your request.

When it comes to considering funding applications that involve the museum Collections Management System (CMS) there are specific pieces of information that should be included in order for the application to be successful. This post differs from our previous post as it moves beyond the obvious things funders look for and delves into the information funders don’t know they need unless it’s missing.

If you’re still searching for a CMS project idea, please refer to my previous post: How to Identify Museum CMS Projects for Funding. If you’d like insight into what funders look for, please see last week’s post: What Funders Look for in Museum CMS Projects.

Information to Include

Funders rarely specifically ask for the information areas outlined below, and yet each is crucial. Missing any one of these areas can sink a good application, so be sure address each one thoughtfully in every application you create. The crucial, non-obvious information pieces are:

• The “Give a Damn” Reason
• The Problem to be Solved
• A Clear Solution
• Eligibility and Suitability
• Scoring Criteria
• Why You

The “Give a Damn” Reason

Funders need a reason to fund you. It’s not enough for you to present a project and ask for money. You need a reason why your project should be chosen over others to receive funding. In other words: Why should they “give a damn”? This is where we need a compelling narrative, a reason for “why?”, and something that sets your application apart from all the others.

The Problem to be Solved

It’s not enough for your project to be a project. It needs to address or solve a challenge. This can be one of the hardest areas for collection stewards to conceptualize because we already know this is critical work. Instead, reconsider the framing that it’s “just” for digitization and record creation. That seems like every day work—and the funder cannot differentiate why it is important to do this work over other work. Instead, consider what problem the digitization and record creation could solve—better collections management and increased user access! Of course it does. But we need to spell it out.

A Clear Solution

Just as we need to articulate a problem, we also need to articulate a solution. To continue our example from the previous section: Yes. The project results in digital surrogates and object data. We need to make the case for how those two things solve the problem we laid out. Again, this may seem obvious. But it still needs to be spelled out in the application.

Scoring Criteria

Many funders will provide a scoring rubric to help guide applicants on the information they should provide. It’s important to identify and directly address each scoring element. Reviewers will read dozens and dozens of applications so it’s important to very clearly call out and address each element they’re scoring you on.

Why You

This is a niche area of grant awards. As you apply, your project can appear exactly the same as other applicants. Not only, do you need to offer a “give a damn” reason, you also need to make the case for why your application—yes, yours specifically and your museum’s collection—should be the one to receive funding. This is where you should speak to your credentials and the unique aspects of the collection you intend to work on.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve covered what funders look for as well as the information to provide for a successful application, it’s time to review what we should look for when evaluating funding. Not all funding is good funding or appropriate funding, especially with museum CMS projects. Please join us next week to close the series with a look how to determine the best funding match for your CMS project.

Additional Grant Funding Resources

• A Survivor’s Guide to Museum Grant Writing: https://lucidea.com/grant-writing-ebook/
• Webinar Suite: https://lucidea.com/project_category/rachael-woody-webinars/
• Lucidea Grants Directory: https://lucidea.com/grants-directory/
• Lucidea Grants Workbook & Templates: https://lucidea.com/grants-directory/grants-workbook-and-templates/

Additional Reading

• 8 Tips to a Bulletproof Grant Proposal
• How to Construct a Fundable Museum Digital Project
• How to Win Museum Grant Funding for “Boring” Projects
• Museum Grant Pitfalls—Know & Avoid Them