President's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Announced

On February 5, 2007, President George W. Bush delivered to Congress his $2.9 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2008.  Despite an overall call for spending restraint, the federal budget contained very good news for museums: a proposed 25 percent increase or $8 million for funding grants to museums in the budget for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  The total budget request for IMLS is $271.2 million, which reflects a 9.8 percent increase over the FY 2006 enacted level.  

Highlights of the IMLS budget include a request of $3.8 million for Conservation Project Support, $22.2 million for Museums for America grants, and $2.1 million for 21st Century Museum Professionals.  The agency also requested $4 million to conduct research and statistics program called for in the 2003 reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act.  If funds are appropriated by Congress, the agency plans use a portion of the funds to pilot the collection of statistical data from the nation's museums.

The request for the National Science Foundation (NSF) proposes to increase the FY 2008 budget to $6.3 billion, which is a 6.8 percent increase over the FY 2007 budget request.  In the agency's budget request, NSF seeks funding for the President's American Competitiveness Initiative which calls for "expanded federal investment to drive innovation and sharpen the Nation's competitive edge.  Within the budget, the agency requested $66 million for the Informal Science Education program.

The NationalEndowment for the Arts requests an additional $4 million over the FY 2006 enacted level.  Highlighted in the request were the NEA's American Masterpieces and the Big Read programs which "provide Americans with the opportunity to know and experience the best of our Nation's artistic achievements."

The National Endowment for the Humanities asked for a modest $400,000 increase over the FY 2006 enacted level.  The agency's budget announcement featured the We the People program and their recently launched Digital Humanities Initiative with IMLS.

The FY 2008 President's Budget Chartincludes detailed information on the IMLS budget and compares the FY 2008 proposal with previous year's appropriations.

Return to Federal Funding for Museums