ISHA supports its members by offering grants in two different categories each year. Established by the Board of Directors and supported by the ISHA Founders Fund, the Special Projects Grant and the Conference Grant are open to applications from ISHA regular (not-for-profit) member institutions. Applications are posted to this page when available.
Grants
Special Projects Grant
The Special Projects Grant offers financial assistance of up to $2,000 to support museum activities within ISHA member institutions. This grant aims to address the following priorities:
Special Projects Grant Eligibility
The grant is open to all regular (not-for-profit) institutional members of ISHA. Preference will be given to those in the most financial need. This grant is envisioned to support projects between $500 and $2,000. However, projects with larger budgets where the ISHA grant of $2,000 would provide significant support will be considered. Necessary equipment is an eligible expense. Funds may not be used for deficits, debt retirement, purchase of artifacts, or ongoing operations. Applicants may receive a maximum of one (1) Special Project Grant within a five (5) year period. A grant will be awarded only once for any specific topic within an organization.
The deadline for 2025-26 applications is March 31, 2026
Conference Grant
The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) offers an Annual Conference Grant program, supported through its Founders Fund, to provide financial assistance to member institutions to attend the annual ISHA conference.
For 2024, ISHA will potentially award four grants of up to $1,000 each to assist representatives from a regular member institution(s) to attend the ISHA Conference in Boston, MA. Additionally, two (2) $2,000 international travel grant for members living outside Canada and the United States are available.
Conference Grant Eligibility
The grant is open to paid employees working in an ISHA Member organization, either full or part-time. It is also available to volunteers of an ISHA Member organization who consistently contribute their time and service. Either the applicant or the sponsoring organization must hold a valid ISHA membership. Applicants may receive a maximum of one ISHA Annual Conference Grant within a five-year period. Applicants living outside the host country will need a passport.
The deadline for applications in 2025 is July 7, 2025
The monies will be released upon submission of original receipts as proof of attendance and a final report within 30 days of the conference. The report should include a 250-word summary for publication in the ISHA Newsletter and on the ISHA web site.
Past Grant Recipients
Sponsored by the Founders Fund, ISHA annually awards grants to help members attend the ISHA conference and assist members with special projects for their institution. Listed below are past grant recipients.
2024 Special Projects Grant
The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame
Newport, Rhode Island
The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame
Organization: The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame
Location: Newport, Rhode Island
For the purchase of two boat stand adjustable boat dollies.
2024 Conference Grant
Ashley Meeks
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
Ashley Meeks
Organization: Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
The conference covered a range of valuable insights that could greatly benefit the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (WBHOF). In Session 1, the Sports Museum’s Young Leaders Council showcased how younger professionals can be mobilized to fundraise and engage with nonprofit organizations. The WBHOF could implement a similar initiative, targeting younger generations of basketball enthusiasts to support community outreach programs, potentially raising funds for scholarships or youth basketball clinics.
Session 2, which focused on using sports to connect with individuals living with memory impairments, could inspire WBHOF to develop specialized programming for Alzheimer’s patients or seniors, using basketball’s rich history to create meaningful experiences. Bob Ryan as the luncheon speaker was great. I loved hearing his stories and the rich history he had tied to sports.
Session 3 on reshaping traditional sports history emphasized the importance of highlighting underrepresented groups, specifically women, in sports narratives. The WBHOF can use this framework to deepen its storytelling, focusing on how women have shaped the history of basketball, and challenging outdated gender norms. The collections workshop was also very informative. As a nonprofit, we are always looking for ways to sustain history in an affordable way and this encapsulation process could be utilized greatly at the WBHOF.
The tools from Session 5 on succession planning would help the WBHOF ensure smooth transitions for key roles, preserving institutional knowledge and leadership continuity, which is vital for long-term sustainability. Lastly, hearing on how different museums go about their enshrinement processes was very interesting. It brings a unique perspective on what would bring the most awareness, sponsorships and revenue – keeping it local to your Hall of Fame or taking it on the road.
All in all, the conference was a great experience for me as a young professional. Not only in making new connections and learning from the different organizations but also from touring the different attractions within Boston’s Sports History and learning new ways to display and tell the story of our great athletes.
Sadie Couroux
Bobby Orr Hall of Fame
Sadie Couroux
Organization: Bobby Orr Hall of Fame
Location: Parry Sound, Ontario
In September, I was lucky enough to receive a travel grant to attend the 2024 ISHA Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. This was my first time attending an ISHA conference and my first time visiting Boston, so this trip provided me with a multitude of new experiences, both personally and professionally.
Over the course of the conference, we learned about Boston’s rich sports history and heard from industry professionals on a variety of topics across the sports heritage field. The first day of the conference provided opportunities to learn about topics such as programming, fundraising, and social responsibility efforts at other museums. Each of these sessions supplied useful information to consider when returning to our institution.
The second conference day included sessions that were extremely applicable to our facility, beginning with a session on succession planning. As a smaller institution that is operated by a few staff who have a great deal of individual responsibility, succession planning is incredibly important. We left this session with some useful tools to implement in the future, including some best practices to begin our succession planning.
The sessions that took us to TD Garden and Fenway Park provided an immersive way to see how organizations can utilize unconventional spaces to display their artifacts. These tours gave us some inspiration regarding ways to expand our exhibit spaces outside of our designated museum space.
Attending this conference gave me the opportunity to learn from well-established peers within the sports heritage field as a younger person in the workforce which is something I am extremely grateful for and will carry with me throughout my career.
Bailey Blomquist
ProRodeo Hall of Fame
Bailey Blomquist
Organization: ProRodeo Hall of Fame
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
The ISHA conference held in Boston was a really great experience. There were so many aspects of it that I enjoyed and found beneficial.
The sessions were very informative. I was able to take in a lot of information and ideas that would benefit our Hall of Fame. Session 2 was the session that stuck out for me the most. Major League Memories was such a great way of reaching out in the community and helping raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. I feel the ProRodeo Hall of Fame could also follow this program, using artifacts, photos, and videos of previous rodeos and contestants to help bring memories back.
Session 1 with the Sport’s Museum Young Leaders Council was also another session that gave me great ideas for us here at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. We are looking into ways to build our membership program locally and bring great ideas in by others. And I feel building an outside council other than our board members would help us come up with ideas to better our museum and bring in more revenue.
Overall, just the networking and being able to be with other sports museums, seeing how they run and their dynamics. Being able to bounce ideas off each other was just a great experience and very beneficial for me. I really appreciate the opportunity I was given to be able to attend this conference. This is my first time working within a museum, and being able to attend something like this is such a great learning experience for me.
2023 Conference Grant
Katie Tanner
Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame
Katie Tanner
Organization: Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame
Location: Halifax, Ontario
I was very happy to be able to use a Founders Fund travel grant to attend the 2023 ISHA Conference in Daytona Beach. My organization, the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame, is going through a huge period of change– undertaking a full facility renovation, programming redesign, and new avenues for fundraising and partnership. The conference had several sessions, such as those on sensory accessibility, social emotional learning, and donor support and storytelling, that were very relevant to our current major projects. As usual, the ISHA conference was a great venue to connect with others in the heritage sector who have experienced and overcome similar challenges. This was apparent by the amount of informative and encouraging conversations I had with other members after co-presenting a session on rebuilding and rebranding. The conference is always great for learning what other heritage organizations across North America are doing, and this was highlighted by visits to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and the Museum of Arts & Sciences, where I was able to take inspiration from these two incredible facilities. In addition to being able to share my conference experience with other staff members at my organization, I also have many takeaways to share with other heritage umbrella organizations for which I serve on boards. ISHA exemplifies the innovation of the sport heritage community, and the 2023 conference was educational, energizing, and all-around a great time!
2022 Conference Grant
Ashley Affleck-Johnson
ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum
Ashley Affleck-Johnson
Organization: ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
“I am grateful to have received a grant from ISHA to attend the 2022 conference. It was an opportunity that held a great deal of value for my growth as a museum professional and began building my foundation of other museum professionals to reach out to.”
2019 Conference Grant
Kyle Moore
ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum
Kyle Moore
Organization: ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum
Organization Role: Assistant Program Coordinator
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Alan Penner
Oklahoma Sports Museum
Alan Penner
Organization: Oklahoma Sports Museum
Organization Role: Vice President of the Board
Location: Guthrie, Oklahoma
Danny Lamoureux
Canadian Curling Association
Danny Lamoureux
Organization: Canadian Curling Association
Organization Role: Director of the Curling Club Development
Location: Orleans, Ontario
2019 Special Projects Grant
ProRodeo Hall of Fame
Colorado Springs, Colorado
ProRodeo Hall of Fame
Organization: ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
For a project that will rehouse the Hafley-Shelton Collection of artifacts related to the California Frank Wild West Show and Rodeo.
2018 Conference Grant
Katie Wooler Tanner
Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame
Katie Wooler Tanner
Organization: Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame
Organization Role: Museum and Communications Coordinator
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Jessica Smyth
Tennessee Hall of Fame
Jessica Smyth
Organization: Tennessee Hall of Fame
Organization Role: Part-time Employee and Former Intern
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Jack Taney
Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame
Jack Taney
Organization: Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame
Organization Role:President
Location:Saginaw, Michigan
2018 Special Projects Grant
Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
Regina, Saskatchewa
Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
Organization: Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
For an archival renovation project
2017 Conference Grant
Greg Hunter
Melbourne Cricket Club
Greg Hunter
Organization: Melbourne Cricket Club
Organization Role: Collections Registrar
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Saman Amarasinghe
National Sports Museum
Saman Amarasinghe
Organization: National Sports Museum
Organization Role: Chairman/CEO
Location: Ministry of Sports, Sri Lanka
Cathy Zaorski
Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum
Cathy Zaorski
Organization: Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum
Organization Role: Marketing & Special Events
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
2016 Special Project Grant
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame
Fredericton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame
Organization: New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick