Cultural Heritage

Disaster Preparedness Project

Over $3 million in funding was granted for cultural heritage emergency preparedness projects in California in 2024-2025.

Funded by the state of California, through the California State Library, and in partnership with Myriad, the Groundwork Grants program distributed over 200 awards to institutions with collections in California to strengthen emergency preparedness. Awards were available to institutions with historically and culturally significant collections, prioritizing those that document underrepresented communities.

200+ awards

made in 2024 and 2025 to cultural heritage organizations across California. See how each organization used their award here.

Alpine County Library & Archives
American Bookbinders Museum
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
Arhoolie Foundation
Arts for Healing and Justice Network
Banning Library District
Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
Blanchard/Santa Paula Public Library District
Calabasas Library
California Botanic Garden
California Museum
California State University Dominguez Hills Gerth Archives & Special Collections
Chico History Museum
Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California
Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, San Diego
Colusi County Historical Society
Corita Art Center, Inc.
Corona Public Library
Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums
County of Santa Barbara Clerk-Recorder
Doris Foley Library for Historical Research
Folsom History
Freedom Archives
Fresno Art Museum
Fresno County Public Library - Auberry Branch Library
Friends of the Oakland Public Library
Ganna Walska Lotusland
GLBT Historical Society
Historic Patterson House Foundation
History San Jose
Holocaust Museum LA
Imperial County Historical Society Pioneers' Museum
Inyo County Free Library
Japanese American National Museum
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California
Joshua Tree Creative Laboratory / Parks Modern Archive
Kern River Valley Historical Society
La Historia Historical Society
La Peña Cultural Center
La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley
Letterform Archive
Little Manila Rising
Los Angeles Contemporary Archive (LACA)
Los Angeles Poverty Department
Los Gatos Museum Association
Mechanics' Institute
Mineral King Preservation Society
Mission Peak Heritage Foundation
Mission Viejo Library
Modesto Junior College Great Valley Museum
Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association (MDHCA)
Monterey History and Art Association
Morris Graves Museum of Art
Novato History Museum
Oakbrook Park Chumash Indian Corporation
Palos Verdes Library District
Pasadena Public Library
Petaluma History Room / Petaluma Regional Library
Placer County Museums Division
Riverside County ACR – Archives Program (Robert J. Fitch Archives)
Saint Mary's College of California
Salvation Mountain, Inc
San Bruno Public Library
San Diego Air & Space Museum
San Diego Archaeological Center
San Diego Historical Society
Santa Clara City Library
Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library
Sonoma County Wine Library
South Pasadena Historical Museum
Templeton Historical Museum Society
The Center for Social Justice & Civil Liberties
The Jenner Archive Project
The Regents of the University of California UCLA (World Music Center)
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Inc.
The Society of California Pioneers
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA Waystation)
The University of California, Merced (La Galería)
Torrance Historical Society
Tulare County Museum
Turtle Bay Exploration Park
Vacaville Museum
Writers Guild Foundation
Yolo County Archives and Historical Collection
Zoological Society of San Diego d/b/a San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA)

African American Heritage House, Inc.
Art & Revolution Project Library-Archive
Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association
California Historical Radio Society
California Institute of the Arts
California Museum
California State Parks Inland Empire District
California State Railroad Museum
California State University, Long Beach, Special Collections and University Archives
Carmel Public Library
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California
City of Monterey Museums and Cultural Arts Division
City of San Diego
City of South Pasadena
Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California
Corita Art Center
Corona Public Library
Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums
Ebell Friends
Echo Park Historical Society
Elk Valley Rancheria, California
Ella Strong Denison Library, Scripps College
Francophone Museum
Fresno Art Museum
Fresno City College Library
Friends of the Oakland Public Library
Gabrielino Tongva Springs Foundation
Ganna Walska Lotusland
GLBT Historical Society
Grupo de Teatro SINERGIA
Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake
Hercules Historical Society
Historic Patterson House Foundation
Historical Society of Long Beach
History San Jose
Imperial Valley Desert Museum
J. Paul Leonard Library, San Francisco State University
Japanese American Museum of San Jose
Japanese American National Museum
Jenner Archive
Jewish Family & Children's Services
Joshua Tree Creative Laboratory / Parks Modern
June L Mazer Lesbian Archives
Kern River Valley Historical Society
LA County Library
La Historia Historical Society
La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley
Lambda Archives of San Diego
Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation
Lemon Grove Historical Society
Little Manila Rising
Los Altos History Museum
Los Gatos Museum Association
Margaret Herrick Library
Mineral King Preservation Society
Mission Peak Heritage Foundation (Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum)
Modesto Junior College
Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association
Monterey County Free Libraries
National Japanese American Historical Society, Inc
Nevada County Library
Noah Purifoy Foundation
Oakland Museum of California
Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies
Riverside County ACR – Archives Program, Robert J. Fitch Archives
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose
Sacramento Valley Museum Association
Saint Mary's College of California
Salvation Mountain Inc
San Bruno Public Library
San Diego Archaeological Center
San Diego Historical Society
San Diego Museum of Us
San Diego Natural History Museum
San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians Gabrieleno/Tongva
San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society
Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library
Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society
Santa Rosa Junior College Multicultural Museum
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
Searls Historical Library, Nevada County Historical Society
Self Help Graphics & Art
Sonoma Valley Historical Society
Templeton Historical Museum
The Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco
The Gamble House Conservancy
The Regents of the University of California, Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Library
The Regents of the University of California, Merced
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Inc.
The Vacaville Museum
Torrance Historical Society
Treasure Island Museum
Tulare County Museum
UCORP at Monterey Bay
University of California Riverside Library
USC Pacific Asia Museum
Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation
Visual Communications Media
Western Nudist Research Library Corp.
Whittier Public Library
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, UCLA
Yosemite National Park

Arhoolie Foundation
California Botanic Garden
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical
Society
Rancho Los Cerritos Foundation
Japanese American National Museum
Sierra Historic Sites Association
Sunhouse Guild Association
Chinese Historical Society of Southern California

Our Partners

“Groundwork Grants has had a huge impact on our organization, we could not have properly rehoused our items, secured our digital assets, or prepared our organization for disasters without this funding. Additionally, the grant and the Ready or Not report was instrumental in getting greater board investment in disaster planning and collections stewardship.”
Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California
“The Groundwork Grant provided us with the ability to plan for our re-opening of the Japanese American History Archive (JAHA) which is now in the process of physical renovation for mold remediation. All of the files and boxes that were previously used to house our invaluable documents will now be safely and appropriately placed in the supplies we purchased from the Groundwork Grant.”
Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California
“The unexpected challenges this year, including heavy rainfall and unforeseen building maintenance, have had a profound impact on LACA. These events highlighted the importance of being prepared for the unexpected, underscoring the need for a more proactive and robust caretaking strategy […] We also recognized the interconnectedness of collection care and community health, reinforcing our commitment to both archiving and a social responsibility. The experience revealed gaps in staffing and resources. Ultimately, these challenges have made us focused on strengthening our relationships with neighbors and working towards trying to make LACA a more sustainable space for both our collections and the community we serve.”
Los Angeles Contemporary Archive (LACA)
“The Groundwork Grant has assisted our organization tremendously. As a small staff with small budgets we were thrilled to have assistance with emergency preparedness and response planning. Without the help of the Myriad consultant we would still be without documentation and procedures. Additionally, the financial assistance with upgrading the alarm system on the museum property has exponentially increased the safety of staff and the security of the Museum and Historical Collection. Staff at the Archives and Historical Collection are more prepared and better equipped to handle emergency situations as a result of this generous grant.”
Yolo County Archives and Historical Collection

Our Services

Supplies & Equipment

Two people discussing blueprints on a table, one holding a tablet, the other pointing at the plans.

Disaster Planning Consultations

Construction worker wearing a hard hat and safety vest working on a metal roof.

Repairs & Construction

Paramedics assisting an injured person on the ground next to an ambulance at night.

Trainings

Myriad Magpie Blog

2/17/2026

In 2024, The Morris Graves Museum of Art received an award in support of environmental monitoring equipment, disaster recovery kits, preservation supplies, and assistance with developing a disaster plan. Located in Eureka, the Museum was the first free public library in California and serves as an important cultural hub for the rural North Coast of California, preserving the rich history of North Coast arts. Read More

3/3/2026

The Corita Art Center preserves and promotes Corita Kent’s art, teaching, and passion for social justice. In 2024, the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires swept through Los Angeles, impacting thousands of homes and businesses in California. The fires forced the Center to put plans into practice and become “a steady point of connection,’ as Executive Director Nellie Scott explains, “linking arms with trusted partners to offer creativity, comfort, and hope when it was needed most.”
Read More

3/5/2026

Emily Rainwater is one of the seven mentors guiding 22 Groundwork Grants awardees through their projects. Her mentees include the Sonoma Valley Historical Society and the Francophone Museum. Issues covered included emergency responses and pocket plans, as well as developing collection management policies like integrated pest management, acquisition procedures, reviewing environmental monitoring data, and more.
Read More