The Rhode Island Genealogical Society welcomes applications for small amounts of funding in support of purchases, digitization, or preservation of records to those researching Rhode Island ancestors. Public or non-profit libraries within Rhode Island or non-profit organizations serving as repositories are welcome to apply for funding. Awards typically range from $300-$2000. All awards will require a final report within twelve months.
Please copy the following questions into an email and answer each one. Email should be sent to Outreach@rigensoc.org. Applications will be due on April 1, 2027 and awards will be announced at our Annual Meeting in May; letters of award/decline will follow.
- Name of your library, repository or organization.
- Classification of the organization: government-run OR non-profit organization registered in Rhode Island.
- Web URL of the organization.
- Name and organizational title of the person completing this application.
- Email and phone number of the person completing the application.
- Mailing address for all correspondence and mailing address for check, if different.
- Category of the requested funding (choose one) (1) purchase of printed genealogical materials OR (2) processing of genealogically significant materials for public use.
- Total funds requested.
- Fully describe the planned genealogical purchases or activities to be covered by this award, and the details of the costs.
- Describe the benefits/outcomes of the proposed project and its impact on those tracing Rhode Island ancestors.
- Provide details of public access to the planned materials.
- Explain any other sources of funding already dedicated to this project.
- What is the promotional plan, and in what way will RIGS name and logo be used in its presentation?
- For the president, executive director or Authorized Institutional Representative at the applying organization who approves this application, provide the following (required): name, title, and email.
Awardees will be required to provide a final report within 12 months of receipt of funds.
Past RIGS Preservation Grant Recipients
- The 2026 grant recipients are the East Providence Public Library to digitize genealogically significant materials for the city such as photos and documents including local yearbooks, maps, historic houses, buildings, businesses and people. And the Pascoag Public Library to digitize 12 reels of microfilm from several local newspapers from 1893-1895 and 1900-1918.
- In 2025, the George Hail Free Library of Warren, RI received a RIGS Preservation grant to digitize school annual reports. They contain descriptions of staff, activities in the school, and critical moments in the school system of Warren. These date from 1856 to the mid 1900s. These are now available on the Advantage Archive platform which also includes the local Warren newspaper from the 1860s to 1993, as well as all the Warren High School Yearbooks. The archive is keyword searchable and is free to use.
- In 2024, RIGS awarded grants to the Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library’s Burrillville Newspaper Digital Archive and to the Middletown Public Library for an initial phase of their digital yearbook project.