Grant Opportunities
Strengthening Wyoming Libraries
McMurry Library Endowment
The Carol McMurry Library Endowment was established in 2000 within the Wyoming Community Foundation to provide support to Wyoming library staff and volunteers and to publicly accessible Wyoming libraries in three areas:
Education & Training (Library & Individual)
Library Resources
Library Foundation Development
Note: Library projects and individual awards are for future use. The Endowment does not reimburse for past projects, or current projects (i.e., projects already started or will be started prior to the award letter).
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines for library grants are:
- March 15 with notification by June 15 (spring cycle);
- September 15 with notification by December 15 (fall cycle).
Application deadlines for individual grants are:
January 31 | March 31 | May 31 | July 31 | September 30 | November 30
The Endowment encourages applications that are multi-institutional. This can include headquarters and branches, libraries of different types in a community, libraries in neighboring counties, or type of libraries.
Library Grants Information
Process for Library Awards
- Applications are only accepted by the stated deadlines;
- The Wyoming Community Foundation makes an award approximately 120 days after the deadlines. (Individual Grants are made within 30 days after the deadlines);
- The WCF issues a check, award letter, and conditions of the award;
- The library or foundations returns the signed agreement;
- The WCF sends a check in the amount of the award upon receipt of the signed agreement;
- The library prepares a news release on its award;
- The library initiates and completes the project;
- The library submits a financial and results report.
Types of Library Grants
These can be used for in-service workshops or multi-library continuing education events.
The application can include financial support to pay for substitute staff to keep a library open while staff attends the event or training.
Resource grants can be used to purchase library books, audio-visual materials, informational software and hardware, and databases. Applications can be submitted for children, youth or adult resources, both physical and electronic. The library is expected to provide a collection analysis to support its justification for a grant and information on the population to be served by the project.
Foundation grants can be used to retain outside technical assistance for foundation boards and library staff in their planning of an endowment or for a publication about the endowment. Grants for consulting in the area of bylaws, foundation roles and responsibilities, relationship to the library board can be made. Grants for fundraising support and for the local library endowment itself will not be awarded. Capital construction, furnishings,carpeting, and building repairs have a very low consideration due to the amount of funds available in the Endowment for library grants.
Individual Grants Information
Process for Individual Awards
- Applications are accepted by the stated deadlines;
- Individuals need 12 months employment or volunteer time at the current library to be considered for a grant. The 12 months must be completed at the time the application is submitted;
- The Wyoming Community Foundation makes an individual continuing education grant about 30 days after the deadlines;
- The WCF issues a check, award letter, and conditions of the award;
- The individual attends or participates in the education or training event;
- The individual submits a financial and results report to the Wyoming Community Foundation.
Libraries seeking continuing education grants for in-service workshops or group training must apply through the regular Carol McMurry Library Endowment application process.
To apply over the phone, or if you have questions about the process, contact Brian Greene at (307) 777-6339 or brian.greene@wyo.gov. Click here for the Individual Grant Final Report Instructions.
For questions concerning the online application:
Ben Kinion
BenK@wycf.org
(307) 223-3093
Individuals in publicly accessible libraries are eligible for competitive continuing education grants from the Carol McMurry Library Endowment.
- The educational event identified in the application must NOT begin or occur within 30 days immediately after the deadlines so the Foundation has adequate time to review applications, issue award or denial letters, and process payments prior to the start of the event.
- In descending order, continuing education priorities under this Endowment are:
– Courses that support certification or completion of a degree or certificate in the library related subject area;
– Conferences, workshops, seminars or training in the employee’s or volunteer’s library related subject area;
– General courses that may not be directly library related but allow a library employee or volunteer to do his/her job more effectively. - In descending order, preference in awards are given to employees in:
– Public libraries -Academic libraries
– Special libraries
– Public school libraries
– Public Archives - Individuals need 12 months employment or volunteer time at the current library to be considered for a grant. The 12 months must be completed at the time the application is submitted.
- Individuals may seek funding for a substitute worker as part of the grant, so library operations can continue during the absence.
- The grant is for an individual’s continuing education.
- The maximum award is $1,750 in a calendar year. A second application can be submitted in that calendar year provided the individual has submitted a final report on the initial award. Submission of a new application without closure of a current grant will be declined without advance notice.
- Individuals seeking Endowment support for national or regional conferences should note that the endowment will fund conference attendance once every three years, as determined by the date the conference begins. For example, a grant recipient receiving funds for a conference beginning Jan. 1, 2017 would be ineligible to reapply for any conference beginning before January 1, 2020. Grant funds may not be used for international conferences.
- Final report instructions are included with the letter of award and grant check. All final reports include a financial section wherein an individual is responsible for submitting evidence of expenditures in the form of receipts and invoices corresponding to the amount of the award. Any amount not verified through receipts and invoices must be reimbursed to the fund.
- Awards are made subject to the availability of grant funds.