Information page for the Costume Society of America's grant program supporting costume and textile collections in small museums, historical societies, and historic sites.
Small museum, historical society, historic house or site, or similar institution; Must have a collection of tangible costume objects; Annual operating budget of $300,000 or less; Staff of five or fewer individuals directly supporting the costume collection; Utilize volunteers to perform key staff functions; Non-profit organization recognized under IRS Section 501
Requirements
Must be or become a CSA Library or Museum & Association Member, or have a staff member who is or becomes an Individual CSA Member; Must publicly acknowledge CSA in all lectures, publications, and publicity pertaining to the award; Must submit a brief report of activities (1 page) with before and after images upon project completion
Application materials
Cover page with contact information; Project Proposal (1000 words); Electronic copy of institution's most recent IRS Form 990/990-EZ; Budget and narrative; 3 to 5 images of project goals; Letter of intent from consultant/specialist (if applicable)
How to apply
Upload a complete application as one PDF document under 100MB using the online form provided on the website
Important dates
Application deadline: November 1, 2026; Notification date: February 15, 2027; Project completion deadline: June 30, 2028
Contact
Nora Carleson, Vice President for Grants and Projects; national.office@costumesocietyamerica.com; (800) CSA-9447
Recent changes on this page
Plain-English summaries of meaningful source-page updates.
