The Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council (GHRAC) seeks to enrich the culture and protect the rights of Georgians by fostering activities that identify, preserve, and provide access to the State’s documentary heritage. Using funds awarded to the University of Georgia Libraries by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), GHRAC is offering grants of $2,500 to $5,000 to local historical repositories in Georgia to develop and/or implement projects to identify, preserve, and provide access to historical records.

Any size local historical repository with permanently valuable archival materials may apply. A historical repository is defined as a non-profit or government organization/institution that houses, preserves, and provides access to historical documents on a regularly scheduled basis. This may be a local government, historical society, library, museum, or similar organization. The archival collections of the applying institution must be available, without charge, to the public on a regularly scheduled basis. Recipients of grant awards must provide a minimum one-to-ten ($1 for $10) match of grant funds requested. The match may be met through cash and/or in-kind contributions. Greater than one-to-ten matches are encouraged, but not required.

♦ If the applicant is a local government, it must provide proof of compliance with OCGA § 50-18-99 by supplying a records management resolution/ordinance and the name of the records management officer. If the organization does not have a records management resolution, development and passage of this resolution must be included in the project’s description and completed by the end of the grant period.
♦ If a non-profit organization, it must be in compliance with O.C.G.A § 43-17-1 through 43-17-23.

Grants of $2,500 to $5,000 each are available to local governments in Georgia to develop and/or implement projects to identify, preserve, and provide access to historical records. There is a total of $35,000 available for these grants.

Direct questions about the grant application process or project administration to Christopher M. Davidson, J.D., State Archivist/Assistant Vice Chancellor at [email protected].

Eligible projects must identify, organize, and/or improve access to historical records. Eligible expenditures include shelving; archival file folders and/or boxes; dehumidifiers; humidifiers; hygrothermographs; photo sleeves; HEPA vacuum cleaners; hiring consultants to identify needs and priorities for improving the organization, description, preservation and access to collections; contracting services such as reproduction services; etc. Eligible activities include rehousing collections, adding collections to an online catalog, scanning collections, or creating an online database or website designed to support access to researchers (e.g., online catalogs, finding aids, and digitized collections, rather than curated web exhibits), etc.


Funds will not be provided for any projects to undertake the following activities:

to construct, renovate, furnish, or purchase a building or land;
to purchase manuscripts or other historical records;
to exhibit or conserve archaeological artifacts, museum objects, or works of art;
to undertake historical research apart from the editing of documentary publications;
to undertake an oral history project unrelated to Native Americans;
to catalog, acquire, or preserve newspapers, books, periodicals, or other library materials;
to acquire, preserve, or describe art objects, sheet music, or other works primarily of value as works of art or entertainment;
to undertake a documentary editing project to publish the papers of someone who has been deceased for fewer than ten years;
to undertake an archival project centered on the papers of an appointed or elected public official who remains in major office, or is politically active, or the majority of whose papers have not yet been accessioned in a repository;
to undertake an arrangement, description, or preservation project in which the pertinent documents are privately owned or deposited in an institution subject to withdrawal upon demand for reasons other than requirements of law;
to undertake arrangement, description, or preservation projects involving Federal government records.

For projects that propose to digitize yearbooks, contact [email protected] prior to applying. If a project intends to have digitization done by the Digital Library of Georgia (DLG), include a cost estimate from DLG, as well as a letter documenting that the intended project can be completed by the DLG within the regrant period. Projects that involve arrangement and description of collections should include a sample finding aid as an example of the quality of finding aids the institution is capable of providing.

Grant applications must be received by Georgia Archives by June 30, 2023. Applicants will be notified of GHRAC’s decision by November 1, 2023.

Application guidelines can be found at https://www.georgiaarchives.org/ghrac.

Grants will be selected on a competitive basis by GHRAC, which will give preference to underserved communities. Grant proposals may be fully funded, partially funded, or rejected by GHRAC. In determining whether an applicant shall receive a grant, some of the criteria that GHRAC will consider are the following: Does the project identify, preserve and/or make accessible records significant to Georgia’s history? Does the project utilize sound archival practices? Are the proposed activities and expenditures appropriate and cost effective? Does the proposal adhere to grant project application requirements, and does it contain sufficient information for GHRAC decision-making? Is the financial information submitted realistic and accurate? In general, is the application meeting the mission, goals, and objectives of GHRAC?

All grants are contingent on funding by NHPRC.