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Minnesota Historical Society outlines statewide history grants, partnerships and a biennial funding request
Summary
The Minnesota Historical Society presented legacy-funded programs—grants, statewide exhibits, archaeological surveys and the Minnesota Digital Library—and requested biennial appropriations totaling roughly $61.5 million in a stretch request tied to 33% of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Officials from the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) told the Senate Committee on Environment, Climate, and Legacy that legacy history funds support five program areas: historic and cultural grants, statewide history programs, history partnerships, a statewide survey of archaeological and historic sites, and the Minnesota Digital Library.
David Kelleher and Abhi Viswanathan of MNHS described the Society’s competitive grants program, administered with a Historic Resources Advisory Committee of volunteer experts. Kelleher said the committee has recommended more than 3,400 grants across all 87 counties since the legacy amendment began, and that the Society has administered approximately $83 million in grants under the program. MNHS divides grants into small awards (under $10,000) offered several times per year and large grants (over $10,000) offered annually, and requires reporting, monitoring, and in many cases site visits for larger awards.
The Society highlighted statewide programs that digitize historical newspapers (roughly 7 million pages digitized), oral-history collections, museum exhibits such as Then Now Wow and We Are Hmong, and interpretive work at Fort Snelling and other historic sites. MNHS described efforts to increase access, including participation in the national Museums for All program, additional free days at historic sites and free Thursday evenings at the Minnesota History Center.
MNHS noted a specific 2024 grant competition to commemorate 50 years of Southeast Asian communities in Minnesota. The program drew roughly $2 million in requests for $400,000 appropriated; the Society funded 11 grants and added approximately $100,000 in partnership support for other organizations that were not grant-ready.
As a biennial request for fiscal years 2026–27, MNHS sought $26 million for historic and cultural grants, $26 million for statewide history programs, $7.5 million for history partnerships, $1 million for a statewide archaeological and historic survey, and $1 million for the Minnesota Digital Library. MNHS described the request as a stretch goal tied to an estimate of 33% of Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund distributions; officials noted prior biennia funded lower shares and that final allocations depend on the economic forecast and legislative decisions.
Why it matters: MNHS administers legacy history funds used across Minnesota for preservation, exhibits, education and partnerships; its biennial request would substantially influence grants, statewide programming and digital resources available to schools, local governments and community organizations.
Committee members asked for detail on partnership commitments tied to the Southeast Asian commemoration grants and for clarification on the total request; MNHS said it had already committed approximately $175,000 in partnership funding to specific community organizations and reiterated the $61.5 million approximate biennial request as a stretch figure based on a 33% allocation.
