Tennessee State Museum 2024-25 Capital Maintenance and Improvements Grantees Announced

The Tennessee State Museum has announced the recipients of grants from the 2024-25 Capital Maintenance and Improvements program from the State of Tennessee, as administered through the Museum. The funding came from $5 million the Tennessee General Assembly made available in the 2024-2025 Appropriations Act, "for the sole purpose of providing grants to museums with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizatio or affiliated with a governmental entity for capital maintenance and improvements."

It was a highly competitive process. In total, the Tennessee State Museum received 157 applications, totaling $10.5 million in funding requests for the $5 million appropriation. As of this release, the Museum has made full or partial awards to 83 museums across the state, representing 46 counties. In the two years the Museum has administered the grant program, it has served 68 counties in the state.

Two Lewis County nonprofit organizations received the grant. The Elephant Sanctuary received $44,500, and The Lewis County Historical Society, Inc received $35,395. According to Ashley Dehnke with the Elephant Sanctuary, "We're thrilled to receive the grant from the Tennessee State Museum, which will significantly enhance our work at The Elephant Discovery Center .With this funding, we plan to make crucial capital improvement updates to the Elephant Discovery Center. Since it's opening in 2019, we've identified several areas that would benefit from enhancements to better serve our students and visitors alike. This grant not only helps us address these necessary improvements but also aligns perfectly with our upcoming 30th anniversary in 2025. We're excited about the opportunities this funding will create to elevate our mission and further our commitment to educating the public on elephants."

A representative from The Lewis County Historical Society said, "we are excited for an equally progressive opportunity to continue the upkeep and maintenance of the Lewis County Museum of Natural History and Discovery Center. As the building ages, necessary upkeep becomes more prevalent. We are proud to be able to provide improvements, thanks to the Tennessee State Museum's generosity."

"In our second year facilitating this funding, we continue to be inspired by the incredible work being done throughout the state by our strong network of Tennessee museums and historic sites," said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum Executive Director. "This grant is an extension of our mission to preserve of the history, art, and culture of Tennessee by supporting the efforts of local, regional, and state institutions. We again thank the Tennessee General Assembly for their support for Tennessee museums."

The Capital Maintenance and Improvements grant had a minimum request amount of $5,000 and a maximum request amount of $100,000. All projects must be completed by June 30, 2025.