What Happens When the Grants Disappear
Like thousands of cultural workers, historians, librarians, and small business owners, you may be faced with an uncomfortable truth: Grants are temporary lifelines, not long-term scaffolding.
Grants make incredible things possible. They fund programs. Hire staff. Support crucial functions.
So does the operation shut down if they vanish?
Not so fast.
Know that you have not been completely abandoned. Your community is still here rooting for you and counting on you. Not just right now. You’re their superhero that helps them learn about themselves from the past and become ancestors to their future.
The work can’t end when grant funding runs out, it instead must adapt. Your team may need to look different and you might find yourself handling more tasks with much less support.
Like a tree changing with the seasons, your work must learn to expand and contract. During the bountiful times, projects can grow, teams develop, and possibilities seem limitless. As the weather dries, wood contracts…but it doesn’t break. The important part is that your core remains through the changing conditions.
Ok, but how?
1. Simplify Everything
If your workflow is complex and scattered, you are destined to burn out. Take the time now to set yourself up so that the logistical tasks you need to get done become so simple, you barely have to think about them. You may be forced into doing some of the tasks you previously delegated during this time. You want to make it overly simple to:
Find documents
Complete necessary paperwork on time
Answer emails
Communicate with stakeholders (emails, thank you’s, newsletters, etc.)
2. Listen
You are the expert. You know how transformative funds can be in archival preservation. But let’s be honest. What your community gets excited about is probably the programming and services you build for them. As you become more reliant on community fundraising, value the input you receive to really listen to what your people want. And then give it to them.
3. Document to Share
It is time to advocate. The impact of your work relies on the stories you tell. At this time, you are not only the archivist, but you are also the story teller. Immerse your community in the world of your collections as much as you can. Offer emotional connections that speak to them directly. Prioritize:
Saving photos, quotes, feedback, notes
Emphasizing human connections and impact of programs: What happened? How did the community grow? What did the conversations revolve around? How were your resources accessible?
Carrying a notebook. Write everything. Show you're listening.
4. Plant Seeds for Future Growth
Build systems so simple that when funding returns, scaling back up becomes effortless. Think about what you can do right now, so that later you are set up perfectly.
Grants come and go.
You keep the story going.
You’ve got this.