Vital Records Preservation Grants
for City and Town Clerks
 

July 20, 2006
 

In FY 07, New Hampshire city and town clerks will receive grants for up to $10,000 from the Vital Records Improvement Fund (VRIF) for assessments and local vital records preservation projects.  Approximately $1,000,000 will be distributed statewide in state FY 07 (July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007).

These vital records preservation grants are available for:
         (1) assessment and planning;
         (2) improvements to the records storage environment, records security, and
               related equipment;
         (3) rehousing, reformatting and conservation of records, including microfilming; and
         (4) special requests that fall outside the three other categories.

Every municipality must have a completed assessment of their vital records before they can apply for assistance to categories two or three above.  The grant program will pay for these assessments under category one.

The actual amount granted to each community will be based upon need, as described in the application and supported in the vital records assessment.  It is anticipated that every municipality that applies will receive some level of funding support.

As it is likely that less funding will be available in FY 08, city and town clerks are strongly encouraged to take full advantage of this opportunity as soon as possible, but no later than January 15, 2007.  Proposals will be evaluated on an ongoing basis as they are received.

The availability of matching funds and the extent to which the proposed activity will leverage additional support should be documented in the application, but there is no requirement for matching funds.

For complete details on the grant program, please see the seven-page grant program description on the Secretary of State web site or contact Dr. Douglass Teschner at  douglass.teschner@sos.nh.gov or (603) 271-2236.

Please submit your application request on the one-page form (which is available on the SOS website as an electronic template) with any attachments.  Submit an electronic copy of your proposal to:  douglass.teschner@sos.nh.gov and five paper copies to:

Dr. Douglass Teschner
Vital Records Preservation Grant Program
Department of State
Division of Archives and Records Management
71 South Fruit St.
Concord  NH  03301