Foundational Planning Assistance is designed to be an accessible process intended for organizations that need to invest in resource development and capacity building. The overarching goal of Foundational Planning Assistance is to strengthen an organization’s capacity and lay the groundwork for strong collections care and management policies and procedures. The final plan will provide the organization with a set of goals and priorities for the next 1-2 years, with an emphasis on strengthening the organizational components needed for optimal levels of collections stewardship. Areas of focus will include preservation concerns, collections management, resource development, and access and outreach.

Application materials for Foundation Planning Assistance are accepted year round and reviewed on a monthly basis. 

Application Instructions
The application requires you to provide general information about your institution, answer a few brief narrative sections, and provide proof of nonprofit status. Responses to the General Information and Narrative questions require you to check off all applicable answers to each question and/or can be entered in the appropriate text box.

The only required attachment is Proof of Tax Exempt Status. This can be in the form of a letter or certificate from the Internal Revenue Service or New York Department of Taxation and Finance.

Please use the 'Save Draft' button at the bottom of the form to save your progress as you complete the application. Users can exit and return to the saved application before submitting.

Through Strategic Planning, organizations create a roadmap for effective decision making. Working with an outside facilitator, board and staff members conduct an assessment of the organization’s current status—its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats—and then unify around a set of common goals. The final document establishes a common vision, an outline of strategic goals and objectives, recommendations for the effective allocation of resources, and an organizational structure that will support the work of implementation. DHPSNY has worked closely with the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) to develop a curriculum geared specifically toward assisting small- to medium-sized institutions in strategic planning in a thoughtful way.  

 Application materials for Strategic Planning Assistance, as well as all of DHPSNY's Planning & Assessment Services, are accepted year-round and reviewed three times a year. The next 2024 Application Review Deadline is Friday, November 22. Applicants will be notified of their application status in January 2025 and should be prepared to start the strategic planning process by Spring 2025. Please contact Amanda Murray, DHPSNY Program Manager, with questions about eligibility or additional information at (215) 545-0613 ext. 337 or amurray@dhpsny.org

Application Instructions
 The application requires you to complete a narrative section, provide general information about your institution, and upload several attachments. If you are a department, division, or section of a larger organization (e.g., an archives department in a larger museum, a university archive or library), please answer questions about staff and budget related to your department, division, or section rather than the institution as a whole.  Responses to the Narrative and General Information questions require you to check off all applicable answers to each question and/or can be entered in the appropriate text box.  The following Attachments are required at the time of submission:

 

• Commitment Letter from Director or Board Chair: The commitment letter should show that the institution as a whole is committed to seeing through the service for which you are applying. The letter should express support from the board and/or staff for the strategic planning process and committing to the three-year plan that will result. In addition, the letter should identify the contact person who will be responsible for coordinating with DHPSNY. Overall, the letter should show that the board is aware of what the service is providing and has made a commitment to working with DHPSNY and their staff to see it through. Depending on your organization, this letter should be signed by the highest ranking board and/or staff member.
• Proof of Tax Exempt Status: A letter or certificate from the Internal Revenue Service or New York Department of Taxation and Finance.
• Most Recent Annual Financial Statements: If your most recent financial statements are not available, a copy of Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax) is also acceptable. Please do not attach bank statements. If you are unsure of what financial documents to provide, contact Program Manager Amanda Murray at amurray@dhpsny.org.
• List of all Board Members and Key Staff Participating in Strategic Planning: This list should include the entirety of the Board and any staff members that will be taking part in the strategic planning process. If you are a department, division, or section of a larger organization utilizing a working group for strategic planning, please also identify all members of the working group.
• Any Relevant Background Information: This can include brochures, rack cards, newsletters, etc. If you have received a survey or assessment previously, include a copy of the executive summary or full report.

Please use the 'Save Draft' button at the bottom of the form to save your progress as you complete the application. Users can exit and return to the saved application before submitting.

An Archival Needs Assessment will thoroughly examine your program, identifying and addressing specific organizational needs, operational efficiencies, storage concerns, and collection management issues. The assessment will pinpoint problems, recommend solutions, set priorities, and guide the development of your archival program. Our assessments are conducted by an experienced archivist with needs assessment expertise.   
 

Application materials for Archival Needs Assessments, as well as all of DHPSNY's Planning & Assessment Services, are accepted year-round and reviewed three times a year. The next 2024 Application Review Deadline is Friday, November 22. Applicants will be notified of their application status in January 2025 and should be prepared to start the assessment process by Spring 2025. 

Please contact Amanda Murray, DHPSNY Program Manager, for assistance, questions about eligibility, or additional information at (215) 545-0613 ext. 337 or amurray@dhpsny.org.

Application Instructions
The application requires you to complete a narrative section, provide general information about your institution, and upload several attachments. If you are a department, division, or section of a larger organization (e.g., an archives department in a larger museum, a university archive or library), please answer questions about staff and budget related to your department, division, or section rather than the institution as a whole.  Responses to the Narrative and General Information questions require you to check off all applicable answers to each question and/or can be entered in the appropriate text box.  The following Attachments are required at the time of submission:

 

• Commitment Letter from Director or Board Chair: The commitment letter should show that the institution as a whole is committed to seeing through the service for which you are applying. The letter should express support from the board and/or staff to undertake the service and to implement recommendations to the best of their ability. In addition, the letter should identify a contact person who will be responsible for coordinating with DHPSNY as well as implementing any recommendations that come from the report. Overall, the letter should show that the board is aware of what the service is providing and has made a commitment to working with DHPSNY and their staff to see it through. Depending on your organization, this letter should be signed by the highest ranking board and/or staff member.
• Proof of Tax Exempt Status: A letter or certificate from the Internal Revenue Service or New York Department of Taxation and Finance.
• Most Recent Annual Financial Statements: If your most recent financial statements are not available, a copy of Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax) is also acceptable. Please do not attach bank statements. If you are unsure of what financial documents to provide, contact Program Manager Amanda Murray at amurray@dhpsny.org.
• List of Board Members
• List of Staff Members and/or Volunteers
• Written Policy Statements: Attach any written policy statements your institution has in place. These include, but are not limited to: Mission Statement, Collection Management Policy, Collection Development Policy, Exhibition Policy, Loan Policies, Access Policies, Handling Policies, and Emergency Preparedness and Response Procedures. Please be sure to label all attachments accurately.
• Any Relevant Background Information: This can include brochures, rack cards, newsletters, etc. If you indicate that you have received a survey or assessment previously in Question (C1), include a copy of the executive summary or full report.

Please use the 'Save Draft' button at the bottom of the form to save your progress as you complete the application. Users can exit and return to the saved application before submitting.

A Preservation Survey is an important early step in establishing and maintaining a preservation program for your institution. Preservation Surveys focus on preventive care and mitigating deterioration and damage by analyzing the physical environment of archives and library materials. In addition to pinpointing areas of concern and recommendations for improvement, a preservation survey is a valuable tool in fundraising for collections care and often a prerequisite for grants and other funding opportunities.   

   Application materials for Preservation Surveys, as well as all of DHPSNY's Planning & Assessment Services, are accepted year-round and reviewed three times a year. The next 2024 Application Review Deadline is Friday, November 22. Applicants will be notified of their application status in January 2025 and should be prepared to start the survey process by Spring 2025. Please contact Amanda Murray, DHPSNY Program Manager for assistance, questions about eligibility, or additional information at (215) 545-0613 ext. 337 or amurray@dhpsny.org   

Application Instructions
The application requires you to complete a narrative section, provide general information about your institution, and upload several attachments. If you are a department, division, or section of a larger organization (e.g., an archives department in a larger museum, a university archive or library), please answer questions about staff and budget related to your department, division, or section rather than the institution as a whole.  Responses to the Narrative and General Information questions require you to check off all applicable answers to each question and/or can be entered in the appropriate text box.  The following Attachments are required at the time of submission:

 

• Commitment Letter from Director or Board Chair: The commitment letter should show that the institution as a whole is committed to seeing through the service for which you are applying. The letter should express support from the board and/or staff to undertake the service and to implement recommendations to the best of their ability. In addition, the letter should identify a contact person who will be responsible for coordinating with DHPSNY as well as implementing any recommendations that come from the report. Overall, the letter should show that the board is aware of what the service is providing and has made a commitment to working with DHPSNY and their staff to see it through. Depending on your organization, this letter should be signed by the highest ranking board and/or staff member.
• Proof of Tax Exempt Status: A letter or certificate from the Internal Revenue Service or New York Department of Taxation and Finance.
• Most Recent Annual Financial Statements: If your most recent financial statements are not available, a copy of Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax) is also acceptable. Please do not attach bank statements. If you are unsure of what financial documents to provide, contact Program Manager Amanda Murray at amurray@dhpsny.org.
• List of Board Members
• List of Staff Members and/or Volunteers
• Written Policy Statements: Attach any written policy statements your institution has in place. These include, but are not limited to: Mission Statement, Collection Management Policy, Collection Development Policy, Exhibition Policy, Loan Policies, Handling Policies, and Emergency Preparedness and Response Procedures. Please be sure to label all attachments accurately.
• Any Relevant Background Information: This can include brochures, rack cards, newsletters, etc. If you indicate that you have received a survey or assessment previously in Question (C1), include a copy of the executive summary or full report.

Please use the 'Save Draft' button at the bottom of the form to save your progress as you complete the application. Users can exit and return to the saved application before submitting.

A Condition Survey is a valuable tool for institutions that have previously undergone a Preservation Survey (through DHPSNY or another program) and are now interested in evaluating the conditions of collection materials on a more granular level. Since a Condition Survey is designed to evaluate the materials in a discrete collection, this service will be offered only after an overall Preservation Survey (or equivalent assessment) has been conducted, and the major environmental and policy recommendations have been addressed by the institution.

Application materials for Condition Surveys, as well as all of DHPSNY's Planning & Assessment Services, are accepted year-round and reviewed three times a year. The next 2024 Application Review Deadline is Friday, November 22. Applicants will be notified of their application status January 2025 and should be prepared to start the survey process by Spring 2025.

Please contact Amanda Murray, DHPSNY Program Manager, for assistance or additional information at (215) 545-0613 ext, 337 or amurray@dhpsny.org.

Application Instructions

The application requires you to complete a narrative section, provide general information about your institution, and upload several attachments. If you are a department, division, or section of a larger organization (e.g., an archives department in a larger museum, a university archive or library), please answer questions about staff and budget related to your department, division, or section rather than the institution as a whole.

 Responses to the Narrative and General Information questions require you to check off all applicable answers to each question and/or can be entered in the appropriate text box. The following Attachments are required at the time of submission:
 

• Commitment Letter from Director or Board Chair: The commitment letter should show that the institution as a whole is committed to seeing through the service for which you are applying. The letter should express support from the board and/or staff to undertake the service and to implement recommendations to the best of their ability. In addition, the letter should identify a contact person who will be responsible for coordinating with DHPSNY as well as implementing any recommendations that come from the report. Overall, the letter should show that the board is aware of what the service is providing and has made a commitment to working with DHPSNY and their staff to see it through. Depending on your organization, this letter should be signed by the highest ranking board and/or staff member.
• Collection Description for the Selected Collection (if available)
• Preservation Survey (Or Equivalent Assessment) Executive Summary or Full Report
• Proof of Tax Exempt Status: A letter or certificate from the Internal Revenue Service or New York Department of Taxation and Finance. 
• Most Recent Annual Financial Statements: If your most recent financial statements are not available, a copy of Form 990 (Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax) is also acceptable. Please do not attach bank statements.
• List of Board Members
• List of Staff Members and/or Volunteers
• Written Policy Statements: Attach any written policy statements your institution has in place. These include, but are not limited to: Mission Statement, Collection Management Policy, Collection Development Policy, Exhibition Policy, Loan Policies, Access Policies, Handling Policies, and Emergency Preparedness and Response Procedures. Please be sure to label all attachments accurately. 
• Any Relevant Background Information: This can include brochures, rack cards, newsletters, etc.
   

Please use the 'Save Draft' button at the bottom of the form to save your progress as you complete the application. Users can exit and return to the saved application before submitting.