SSA-SAA Emergency Disaster Assistance Grant Fund Established

September 21, 2005—The Society of Southwest Archivists and the Society of American Archivists today announced the formation of an Emergency Disaster Assistance Grant Fund—a fund established to address the stabilization and recovery needs of archival repositories that have been directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. (As of October 19, 2005, the fund has been expanded to include repositories affected by Hurricane Rita.) Any repository that holds archival records or special collections and that is located in Hurricane Katrina- or Rita-affected areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas is eligible to apply for this grant. The repository need not be a member of SSA or SAA.

Grant monies may be used for the direct recovery of damaged or at-risk archival materials; such services as freeze drying, storage, transportation of materials, and rental facilities; supplies, including acid-free boxes and folders, storage cartons, cleaning materials, plastic milk crates, and protective gear; and to defray the costs for volunteers or other laborers who assist with the recovery.

IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ASSIST OUR COLLEAGUES BY DONATING TO THE FUND, PLEASE CLICK HERE. BOTH SAA AND SSA HAVE CONTRIBUTED $5,000 IN "SEED" MONEY TO ESTABLISH THE FUND.

IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE, CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT APPLYING FOR GRANT FUNDS.

How much funding is available? Initially grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded. Additional requests may be considered if funds remain available. Approved grant payments may be made directly to a service provider, upon the grantee's request, if an itemized invoice is presented. Recipients will be asked to provide a financial accounting of expenditures made using the award within 6 months of receiving the funding.

How will recipients be selected? A review panel comprising four SSA former presidents and the immediate past treasurer, along with one member of the SAA Council, will review applications and select the grant recipients. The committee will score proposals based on the application criteria.

The Society of American Archivists is responsible for financial administration of the fund.

National Disaster Recovery Fund for Archives

Working together, SSA and SAA have expanded the original scope of the SSA-SAA Emergency Disaster Assistance Grant Fund to provide grants that support the recovery of archival collections from major disasters, regardless of region or repository type.  In 2008, the National Disaster Recovery Fund for Archives was established. Read more here.