Grants from the National Grant Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF) are designed to advance historic preservation projects at sites related to Black history in the United States. Since its inception in 2017, the National Grant Program has awarded over 300 projects nationally. Read more about previous National Grant Program awardees.

Project Themes

All projects concerning sites and themes related to African American cultural heritage are eligible. We are particularly interested in projects related to the following themes:

• Activism and Protest Movements
• Achievement and Innovation (Education, Science, Business, Politics, etc.)
• Architecture Designed by Black Architects
• Sites of Enslavement
• Washington-Rosenwald Schools
• Women’s History
• LGBTQ+ History
• Arts, Culture, and Creative Expression
• Intersectional History (Afro-Puerto Rican, Afro-Indigenous)
• Cemeteries and African Burial Grounds
• Historically Black Colleges & Universities
• Descendant and Family-led Projects

Have a Question?

In addition to the guidelines and eligibility requirements below, please watch our applicant webinar and review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). For more specific requests, please reach out to the AACHAF Grants team via the email address at the bottom of this page.

• Application Opens: January 10, 2025
• Application Deadline: February 14, 2025
• Grant recipients will be announced in Summer 2025.

Funding Availability

Grant awards from the AACHAF’s National Grant Program range from $50,000 to $150,000. The maximum award amount will depend on the project type: Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, or Programming and Interpretation. However, please note that requests below $50,000 will not be reviewed (see “Eligible Activities and Expenses” below). Organizations are eligible to receive one grant in any grant round. Applicants that have previously received any National Trust grants are eligible to apply for a 2025 AACHAF’s National Grant Program award provided that all previous grant requirements have been fulfilled and all open grants have been closed. Organizations that received a grant from the AACHAF's National Grant Program in previous grant rounds are eligible to apply again under an alternative project type.

Grants from the AACHAF’s National Grant Program may be used to fund up to 100% of the proposed project. While matching funds are not required for this program, projects that leverage additional investments (funding or in-kind services) are strongly preferred.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants must own the historic property that is the subject of the grant application (if a historic site is involved) or have documented permission from the owner to proceed with the application. Eligible applicants must also be able to act as the fiscal agent for the grant or have one identified that can expend and receive funds on the project’s behalf. If a fiscal agent has been approved for the project, a copy of the agreement between the applicant and the fiscal agent must be submitted with the application. The following list of eligible applicant types includes:

• Public agencies such as:
  • State or local agencies including boards, commissions, and departments
• Accredited public colleges or universities, or public bodies or political subdivisions of the state or of a county or municipality such as:
  • State or city historic preservation offices, county historic preservation commissions, and planning departments
  • State and local commissions
  • Publicly owned historic sites and museums
• 501(c)(3), and other (federally designated) nonprofit organizations such as:
  • State and local preservation organizations
  • Churches
  • Accredited private colleges or universities
  • Historic sites or museums
  • Historical societies and genealogical associations

Eligible Project Types and Expenses

Projects must focus on African American cultural heritage sites. Grant awards are made across four project types: Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, and Programming and Interpretation. Please note that multiple project types cannot be combined into a single application.

Capital Projects

• Restoration, rehabilitation, stabilization, and preservation of historic assets and buildings, including brick-and-mortar construction and limited planning costs.
• Projects must conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
• Applicants can request up to $150,000. Projects must be completed within 18 months of the initial grant execution date. Up to 15% of awarded grant funds may support construction planning and documents such as architectural and engineering services, code review, drawings, specifications, and geotechnical services. Please note that competitive Capital Project applications will demonstrate prior completion of project planning activities that inform the proposed construction project. Consultation by a qualified contractor or consultant is recommended to determine the construction budget.

Organizational Capacity Building

Please note that grants of this type may only be used to hire or increase staff at a historic site.

• The organization must have a primary mission centered in stewarding historic African American cultural heritage or have demonstrated a commitment to this work to apply for funds under this type.
• Hiring new senior/director-level or leadership staff to increase the organization’s preservation stewardship and management capacity such as a Preservation Manager or Executive/Deputy Director (funds can be used to support salaries and benefits for grant-supported staff.) The work of the position(s) must focus on the preservation and interpretation of historic properties associated with African American cultural heritage.
  • Applicants can request up to $150,000 total for a two-year period.
• Increasing current part-time staff positions to full-time staff positions to advance preservation priorities.
  • Applicants can request up to $100,000 total for a two-year period.

Project Planning

Project planning activities should address strategies to ensure the future viability of the historic place or structure. While not an exhaustive list, the following are examples of eligible planning activities:

• Business development and organizational leadership plans for non-profit preservation stewards and succession plans
• Plans to address legal issues
• Fundraising and financial sustainability plans
• Pre-development planning activities
• Feasibility and reuse studies for market-driven revitalization projects
• Architectural preservation plans
• Energy efficiency and climate adaptation strategies
• Engineering and environmental studies
• Property condition assessment reports with cost analyses
• Historic structures reports and conservation management plans
• Landscape conservation plans
• ADA accessibility studies

Recommendations provided in project planning documents/deliverables must conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Applicants can request up to $75,000 and can direct up to 10% of awarded grant funds to indirect support/overhead costs. Projects must be completed within one year of the initial grant execution date.

Programming and Interpretation

• Designing and implementing innovative preservation education, documentation, mapping, and interpretive programs centered on African American cultural heritage
• Collaborating with artists, creatives, and scholars to re-imagine interpretation and programming, while advancing new approaches to storytelling and public education at historic properties
• Designing, producing, and marketing printed materials or other media communications
• Designating historic sites at the local, state, and/or national levels

Applicants can request $50,000 and can direct up to 10% of the grant funds awarded to indirect support/overhead costs. Projects must be completed within one year of the initial grant execution date.

Ineligible Activities and Expenses

• Costs associated with planning for or constructing new buildings or structures
• Renovation projects for non-historic buildings
• Furniture and appliance purchases
• Audiovisual (A/V) technology/equipment
• Capital projects at cemeteries and burial grounds
• Costs associated with the construction of monuments and statues
• Costs associated with the creation or maintenance of archival or museum collections, including display cases
• Catering, entertainment, food, and beverage costs
• Expenses incurred prior to the grant award date

Evaluation Criteria

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, in consultation with the AACHAF National Advisory Council and external reviewers, will select grant recipients by considering, among other points, the following criteria:

• Historic Significance: The site is more than 50 years old and is important for its ties to African American cultural heritage.
• Impact of Assistance: The requested support will significantly aid in preserving, restoring, interpreting, or managing the historic site.
• Project Readiness: Evaluates the quality of project plans and organizational capacity for future maintenance and continuation of activities.
• Innovation and Preservation Potential: Assesses the uniqueness of the proposed solution to the identified preservation issues.

Application Process

Applicants must submit a complete application to be considered for a National Grant Program award from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Applications must be submitted through the online grants portal by Friday, February 14, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific time. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Please read the grant program guidelines in their entirety prior to starting the application. For more information, and advice on completing a competitive application, review our applicant webinar and FAQ.

• Application Opening: January 10, 2025
• Application Deadline:  February 14, 2025
• All applicants will be notified of their status via email by July 2025.

Applicants will be taken to the National Trust grants application system where they will need to create a user profile for their organization. If the organization has previously applied for a National Trust grant, including AACHAF grants, applicants will sign in using their existing organization profile.

Please direct questions to actionfundgrants@savingplaces.org.

Please add administrator@grantinterface.com to your address book to ensure you receive email communications sent from our grants application system about your application.