Grants and Awards
The Wisconsin Federation of Museums is pleased to offer grants and awards as part of our mission “to promote the general welfare of museums in the state of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin museum profession; to increase knowledge pertinent to the profession; and to encourage cooperation among Wisconsin museums.”
For questions regarding WFM’s grants and awards, please email grantsawards@wisconsinmuseums.org.
NEW IN 2025 - DEAI Internship Grant
The WFM internship is aimed at offering a more inclusive and diverse workforce within the professional museum field. This program is designed to support students and recent grads from underrepresented populations in their pursuit of valuable experiences and skills.
WFM will be awarding 2 internships per year, one for a summer internship and one for a fall internship. Each award will be for $5,000 for a 240 hour/ 12 week internship.
Applications Due: April 11 for summer and July 11 for fall
Mini Grants
The annual Mini Grant is intended to assist affiliate institutions in better preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting their collections; to improve the professional skills of staff; to enhance technological capabilities; and to better serve their communities. Institutional affiliates of WFM are eligible to apply for one of two $1,000 matching grants.
Applications Due August 1
Emerging Museum Professional Grant
The Emerging Museum Professional Grant assists individual WFM affiliates in the initial ten years of their career to attend the Wisconsin Museums Conference for the first time. In addition to complimentary registration, the EMP Grant provides a $200 stipend that can be used for travel, lodging, or other expenses associated with attending the conference.
Applications Due August 1
Awards of Excellence
WFM celebrates the best of Wisconsin museums through the the Advocacy Excellence Award, Ann Koski Professional Excellence Award, the Institutional Excellence Award, and the Volunteer Excellence Award. The Awards of Excellence acknowledge the outstanding contributions of the people and institutions of Wisconsin and encourage new and innovative approaches to the museum field.
Applications Due August 1
Student Poster Awards
In recognition of the importance of sharing knowledge, networking, and mentoring the next generation of leaders, WFM’s Student Poster Award is part of the Annual Museums Conference. Open to both undergraduate and graduate students, the poster session is a great way to share ideas, research, programming, and much more with the Wisconsin museum community.
Applications Due September 1
Current Recipients
Learn more about the most recent recipients of WFM grants and awards.
Past Recipients
See award and grant recipients from the past five years.