Dubuque County Historical Society Receives Grant Support from City of Dubuque Arts and Cultural Affairs Department

The Dubuque County Historical Society (DCHS) was recently awarded two grants from the City of Dubuque's Arts and Cultural Affairs' grant programs. DCHS was awarded $4,500 from the City's new Capacity Building program to support donor development software that will help to improve donor relations. DCHS was also awarded $28,471 in Operating Support for fiscal year 2025. This funding will support DCHS's two museums, The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and the Mathias Ham Historic Site.

Created by the City Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission in 2024, the new Arts and Culture Capacity Building grant program provides funding to support organizational initiatives that will advance the effectiveness and financial sustainability of Dubuque's arts and cultural institutions. Since 2005, the City has awarded over $4.1 million in grant funding to support local arts and culture organizations that advance the work outlined in the City's Arts and Culture Master Plan, to create a vibrant community of choice.

The mission of DCHS is to inspire stewardship by creating educational opportunities where history and rivers come alive. As a steward of the region's history, the organization has become a key community partner for humanities-based programming and informal learning. Serving local, state and national audiences, DCHS's goal is to curate exhibits and programs that best capture regional stories that are tethered to the global perspective, engage diverse audiences in immersive educational learning, and provide an equitable and accessible atmosphere in which all visitors can fully engage.

DCHS's general operations, including exhibits and programming, are made possible, in part, through the City of Dubuque's Arts and Culture Operating Support grant program.