Museum Operations | W912EE 24 FOA 0001

Opportunity Information: Apply for W912EE 24 FOA 0001

The Museum Operations grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W912EE 24 FOA 0001) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center under CFDA 12.010 (Community Development). It is intended to support the day-to-day staffing and operational needs of the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum in Vicksburg, Mississippi, located at 910 Washington Street, Vicksburg, MS 39180. The program is structured to fund one award, with an award ceiling of $387,635, and the original application closing date listed as 2024-05-10.

At its core, the opportunity is for an organization to serve as the on-site operational partner responsible for keeping the museum open and running smoothly during its normal, posted public hours year-round, excluding holiday closures. The museum schedule is specified as Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The recipient is expected to provide the personnel necessary to cover these hours, including staffing to open and close the facility in alignment with those posted times.

The grant places clear emphasis on staffing levels and visitor-facing services. The recipient must provide one full-time general maintenance position and three part-time operations personnel. In addition to simply having staff present, the recipient is expected to deliver a range of museum services such as interpretive support for visitors, greeting and signing in guests, answering questions, and providing readily available public information. Operational staff will also coordinate event scheduling and assist with running special events, meaning the role goes beyond routine front-desk coverage and extends into program and event support.

Volunteer coordination is another major component of the work. The recipient will assist with scheduling volunteers for front desk operations and providing museum tours, and they are also expected to help recruit and train new volunteers. In practice, this means the organization should be prepared to maintain a functioning volunteer pipeline, ensure volunteers are placed where needed, and provide enough training so volunteers can reliably support visitor services and tours.

Facility upkeep and basic maintenance responsibilities are specifically called out. The recipient must provide general minor facility maintenance and ensure the museum maintains a clean, neat, and presentable appearance for the public at all times. The scope includes minor maintenance for both interior and exterior areas, and it explicitly references maintaining not only the building but also a motor vessel and a river model. The recipient is also expected to coordinate ongoing maintenance and repairs, which suggests a need for routine monitoring, timely reporting, and arranging or supporting corrective actions when issues arise.

Operational accountability and risk management requirements are included. The recipient is responsible for the security of any keys issued and must maintain communication with the District regarding any accidents or incidents occurring on museum property. The recipient must also maintain daily visitation logs, which indicates a recordkeeping expectation tied to reporting, oversight, or performance monitoring.

The opportunity also notes basic physical requirements that could influence staffing and position descriptions. Staff may occasionally need to lift up to 15 pounds and must be able to climb stairs and boat ladders daily, reflecting the physical layout and the inclusion of a vessel as part of the museum environment.

Eligibility for applicants is listed as unrestricted, but the announcement also mentions non-Federal public and nonprofit entities, indicating those entity types are expected or commonly targeted even though the eligibility field is broad. Cost sharing is required in the form of in-kind services provided by the recipient, so applicants should anticipate contributing non-cash resources such as staff time, volunteer labor, donated services, supplies, or other support that directly advances museum operations.

Overall, this grant is best understood as an operations-and-stewardship agreement for a public museum site, funding the staffing, visitor services, volunteer management, basic maintenance coordination, and daily administrative routines needed to keep the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum consistently open, welcoming, safe, and well-maintained in compliance with applicable wage and hour rules, equal employment opportunity requirements, civil rights obligations, and child labor laws.

• The Engineer Research and Development Center in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Museum Operations" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.010.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $387,635.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for W912EE 24 FOA 0001

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