What’s happening: As we near the halfway point to 2026, organizations throughout the country are busy preparing their planned celebrations for what will then be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Museums and history organizations throughout Michigan are, of course, doing their part, and nearly $1 million in grants recently awarded as part of the America250MI History Grant Program stand to bolster those patriotic projects planned.
What it is: The America250MI History Grant Program is a key component of the state’s planned celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, funding statewide history projects that help tell Michigan’s story. Michigan has reserved $2 million for the grant program, which has been appropriated to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and is administered by the Historical Society of Michigan and the Michigan History Center.
Why it’s important: “This funding will empower these communities to elevate and share their local stories, which is vital to the understanding and preservation of our state’s rich history,” says Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan History Center.
Rural focus: The first round of grantees was announced earlier this month, a cohort of more than 50 local museums and history organizations that will receive a share of almost $1 million to fund their storytelling projects. A great number of those projects are found in the small towns and rural counties that blanket Michigan.
Among the highlights include the Frontier to Freedom project by the Michigan Society Sons of the American Revolution in
Allegan County, which receives $50,000 for research and a documentary on the early history of Michigan; the History of Shipping and Shipwrecks in Michigan exhibit at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum in
Traverse City, which receives $25,000; and the Tecumseh Area Historical Society and Museum, which receives $4,987.99 for their Mobile Oral History Project in
Lenawee County.
A complete list of winning projects
is available online. The next round of grant applications opens on Nov. 1, 2025, more information of which is found via the
America250MI website.
What they’re saying: “The volume of applications demonstrates the necessity of this funding,” says Larry J. Wagenaar, executive director and CEO of the Historical Society of Michigan. “Local organizations are essential to preserving and promoting Michigan history, and we are proud to support their efforts in the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence."
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