The Joseph O’Neill Ott Fund Grants are administered by the Rhode Island Foundation. The Rhode Island Foundation is a philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting the needs and progress of Rhode Island communities through various grant programs. The Ott Fund was established in 1994 through a bequest from Joseph O’Neill Ott, a prominent figure in Rhode Island’s preservation and antiquities community. Ott’s endowment created a permanent fund intended to support the preservation of historical documents and records in the state’s smaller cities and towns.

The primary objective of the Joseph O’Neill Ott Fund is to fund projects that conserve and preserve original historical manuscripts, documents, and municipal records dating from the 19th century or earlier. The funding is specifically limited to smaller cities and towns within Rhode Island. Eligible documents can include paper-based records, photographs, and other two-dimensional historical materials, but artwork is excluded. Grants can be used for direct conservation efforts, document restoration, purchasing protective containers or housing for documents, or offsetting costs associated with acquiring documents of historical significance. Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate attention to long-term storage and preservation plans.

Grants from the Ott Fund typically range from $250 to $750. Historical and preservation societies from smaller cities and towns in Rhode Island are eligible to apply. A committee of conservation professionals will review applications and recommend documents suitable for preservation funding. Importantly, only documents created before 1900 will be considered for funding. This narrow focus reflects the fund’s goal of preserving the most at-risk and historically significant materials in Rhode Island’s smaller communities.

Applications for the 2025 funding cycle must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on May 12, 2025. The application process is fully online, and applicants must complete the Small Grant Programs application form available through the Rhode Island Foundation’s grant portal. Applications will be accessible six weeks prior to the deadline. Required components include a completed online application, a budget form, and a narrative describing the project and its goals. Applicants who have previously started an application can log into their account to complete it.

The Rhode Island Foundation encourages applicants to also review the requirements of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Historical Society Fund, which may offer complementary funding opportunities for document preservation projects. For assistance, applicants can contact Monica Benson, Scholarship and Special Funds Administrator, at (401) 427-4017. General inquiries can also be directed to the Rhode Island Foundation’s main office at (401) 274-4564 or via email at info@rifoundation.org. The Foundation’s address is One Union Station, Providence, RI 02903.