2020-21 Stories: YES Award from Museum on Main Street

The EAST Initiative, in collaboration with Museum on Main Street at the Smithsonian, is pleased to be able to offer a grant opportunity for all EAST programs through the Stories: YES initiative.  Any  EAST Program in good standing is eligible to apply for the Stories: YES Award. Museum on Main Street (MoMS) is a project of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service with the mission of engaging with and promoting the revitalization of small rural communities. MoMS partners with small towns to bring national educational resources and programs to their local museums. MoMS partnered with the EAST Initiative to award chosen program applicants up to $1,000 for projects that meet the requirements.

Grant Timeline:

Proposal Required Items:

• Contact information
• Project summary
• Project description
• Budget
• Acknowledgment of commitment
• Letter of support from the school
• Letter of support from the local museum
• Partner Museum’s W9

Submission Process:

• Download the Request for Proposal (RFP) using the link found below.
• Rename it by putting your school name at the front of the file name.
• Open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. (a free download)
• Fill in all of the spaces that allow input on your computer.
  • DO NOT edit this form other than to fill in the requested information.
  • DO NOT print the RFP to fill in manually.
  • DO NOT try to insert signatures.
• Save the completed RFP.
• Upload the completed RFP through the 2020-21 Stories: YES Award from Museum on Main Street submission link found below.
• Upload letters of support and partner W9 in PDF format through the 2020-21 Stories: YES Award from Museum on Main Street submission link found below. These may be uploaded separately and do not need to be connected to the RFP. Please identify all documents with your school name.
• Uploaded RFPs will be processed through DocuSign and emailed to the facilitator and School administrator named on the RFP for signatures.
• The application is not complete until all signatures are returned via DocuSign.
• For more information please contact Sara@EASTstaff.org.

Download Request for Proposal

2020-21 Stories: YES Award from Museum on Main Street Submission Link

Please note: RFPs and supporting documents MUST be submitted digitally through the 2020-21 Stories: YES Award from Museum on Main Street link found on the EAST website. Faxes, emails, and/or physically mailed packets and incomplete applications will NOT be accepted.

Electronic Signatures: The parties acknowledge and agree that this Agreement may be executed by electronic signature, which shall be considered as an original signature for all purposes and shall have the same force and effect as an original signature.

Counterparts: This Agreement may be executed in multiple separate counterparts which when compiled will constitute one document.

FAQ

1. What is a cultural community partner?
A cultural community partner is anyone who has the stake in the vitality of your community. Excellent community partners in the past have been museums and libraries, as well as nonprofits working on local issues.

2. What is considered a small town?
For the purposes of the project, a small town is a town that is not a major metropolitan city.

3. Can we participate in the Stories:Yes project virtually?
Yes, it is possible to do this project entirely virtual. With advancements in conference technology systems like Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc. you can meet with your community partner virtually. In addition, many EAST programs in the past created exhibits that exist virtually. Check out Rison High School EAST’s project and Buffalo Island Central High School EAST’s project.

4. What is the difference between a project summary and description?
The project summary will be used by EAST headquarters for public relations purposes. The project description will be used by EAST headquarters and the MoMS coordinator to determine if your project fits the parameters of the grant.

5. How do I fill out the budget?
Fill out the budget portion to the best of your ability. The supplies and materials portion is meant to show all the in-kind resources, like technology, that will be used for the purposes of the project. If you do not know the price or value of a piece of equipment, you can look it up online. In the next boxes, estimate the number of student, facilitator, and community partner volunteers you have as well as the number of hours they will volunteer. Multiply the number of volunteer hours by the volunteer monetary rate of $25.43.

6. How do I collect signatures?
Once the RFP is uploaded through the EAST website, EAST staff will prepare the RFP to receive DocuSign signatures. The signature requests will be sent to the facilitator and administrator listed on the RFP. You might want to alert the administrator to expect the request.

7. What is a W9 and why do I need one from my community partner?
A W9 is a tax form and is required from community partners so we can transfer grant funds to them.