Eligibility

Eligible applicants for a Preserving Black Churches grant include historically Black churches with active and non-active congregations; 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations stewarding a historically Black church building with or without an active congregation; and public agencies.

What is a historically Black church?

Historic sites are typically at least 50 years old and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Historic religious buildings built and erected by Black congregations and continuously occupied by active congregations.
• Historic religious buildings designed and/or constructed by Black architects/builders and occupied by an active congregation or repurposed for public programming.
• Historic religious buildings or sites that were not originally built by or for a historically Black congregation but demonstrate documented historical, cultural, or social significance related to African American heritage.

Sites less than 50 years old may be considered if they demonstrate exceptional historical, architectural, and/or cultural significance.

What is an active congregation?

Active congregations are those which hold regular worship services and/or conduct public programming from a historically Black church building (defined above).

Active historically Black congregations that are a part of historic religious denominations include, but are not limited to: African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AMEZ), the Baptist Church, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (CME), Church of God in Christ (COGIC), Episcopal Church, Lutheran Church, United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church, Catholic Church, and Non-denominational.

Does my church need to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as a local landmark to apply for a Preserving Black Churches grant?

While it is not required for properties to be formally listed or designated as historic to apply for a grant, special emphasis will be placed on sites that have had a prominent physical and/or historical place in their communities. If you would like to know if your church is listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, please contact your State Historic Preservation Office.

Are historic church cemeteries eligible for funding?

Historic cemetery projects are eligible for Project Planning grants only. Cemetery projects are not eligible for Capital Project grants.

Is Preserving Black Churches open to applicants of all faith traditions?

Applications from non-Christian faiths will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For more information, contact actionfundgrants@savingplaces.org.

Is a match required for Preserving Black Churches grants?

Matching funds are required for Endowment and Financial Sustainability grants in order for any grant funds to be disbursed. For all other project types (Capital Projects, Project Planning, Programming and Interpretation, and Organizational Capacity), a portion of the award is disbursed upon receipt of an executed grant agreement and other documentation necessary to register your organization in the National Trust finance system. After this initial payment, the award is a reimbursement grant. All other requests for funds must be accompanied by receipts showing proof of payment.

My organization received funding from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund National Grant Program in the past. Can we still apply for a Preserving Black Churches grant?

Yes, organizations that have received past funding from any National Trust grant program are eligible to apply for a Preserving Black Churches grant provided that all previous grant requirements have been fulfilled. If the organization is requesting funding to support the same project for which they previously received funding, then the application must be for a different project type than previously awarded. Example: Organization Y received funding for a Capital Project through the AACHAF National Grant Program in 2022. Organization Y is not eligible to apply for a Preserving Black Churches Capital Project grant, but is eligible to apply for a different project type such as Project Planning, etc.

Organizations may apply for the same project type as previous applications if the focus of the application is a different site.

Can we apply for Preserving Black Churches and the National Fund for Sacred Places?

Yes. Eligible applicants can apply to both the National Fund for Sacred Places and Preserving Black Churches grant opportunities. Please note: National Trust grants, including grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, cannot be used as matching funds for other National Trust grant opportunities. Matching funds must come from an external source.

Projects

What types of projects are eligible for funding?

Eligible applicants can submit applications for the following project types: Capital Projects, Project Planning, Programming and Interpretation, Organizational Capacity, and Endowment and Financial Sustainability. Eligibility under each project type depends on the applicant and proposed activities. For details on project types, view the Preserving Black Churches grant guidelines.

Can my church request funding for work that has already taken place?

No. Work that has been completed prior to receiving a grant award and an executed grant agreement is not eligible for funding.

Can grant funds be used for staffing needs?

Preserving Black Churches provides funding to support organizational capacity and operations. Grants are intended to support the creation of new staff positions to implement and manage preservation plans and projects. Funding cannot be used to support clergy or religious staff. Additionally, funding cannot be used to support janitorial, maintenance, or groundskeeping positions.

Can grant funds be used for AV and technological improvements?

Grant funds may be used to support AV and technological improvements associated with eligible Programming and Interpretation projects. Please email actionfundgrants@savingplaces.org for guidance.

Can grant funds be used for worship-related building elements?

Preserving Black Churches accepts proposals for the restoration, rehabilitation, and preservation of interior sanctuary features such as historic church pews, pulpits, altars, baptismal fonts and baptismal pools.

Are ADA accessibility projects eligible for Preserving Black Churches?

Preserving Black Churches accepts proposals for projects designed to improve the accessibility of church buildings. Applications submitted for Capital Projects should demonstrate completion of all necessary ADA assessment and planning (engineering and architectural) by the application submission date. If planning work is not yet complete, it is recommended that applicants apply for a project planning grant to support development of an ADA assessment and plan.

Are mechanical projects eligible for Preserving Black Churches?

Yes. Mechanical projects, including electrical and HVAC, are eligible under the Capital Projects and Project Planning project types.

Are stained-glass window repair projects eligible for Preserving Black Churches?

Yes. Projects focused on repairing original architectural features are eligible under the Capital Projects and Project Planning project types.

Can grant funds be used to repair our historic pipe organ?

Projects focused on elements created to enhance the worship space or worship experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please email actionfundgrants@savingplaces.org for guidance prior to submitting an application.

Are parsonages, annexes, and education buildings eligible for Preserving Black Churches funding?

Auxiliary buildings must be located on the same lot and within the property line of the church and must also meet the historic building requirements as well. Please email actionfundgrants@savingplaces.org for guidance prior to submitting an application.

Will you provide examples of eligible Endowment and Financial Sustainability projects?

Endowment and Financial Sustainability grants support active congregations in the development and growth of endowments for historic church buildings. Endowments are meant to support activities such as cyclical maintenance of the church building, insurance services, and other activities related to the perpetual stewardship of the structure. All funding must be invested in a preservation endowment managed by a reputable financial institution and cannot be used for fundraising, capital campaign planning, or project management. If awarded, funding will not be released for investment until proof of the 1:1 match is provided. An eligible match can include secured funding or pledged gifts received prior to the grant award, as long as it was received for the expressed purpose of endowment growth and has not been invested. Existing invested endowment principal is not eligible as match. For more information on the Endowment and Financial Sustainability project type, visit the Preserving Black Churches grant guidelines.

Application Process

How do we apply for a Preserving Black Churches grant?

Applicants must submit an application through the National Trust’s online grant system by the deadline listed above. Late submissions will not be accepted. Applications and/or additional information submitted by email, phone, or physical letters will NOT be considered.

Can we submit applications for multiple projects?

While organizations may submit more than one application across the grant project types, only one application per organization is eligible to receive funding. We recommend that applicants submit proposals for their highest priority project.

Can multiple people work on the same application?

Only one email address can be linked to an application, but you can use the “collaborate” feature in the application to invite others to review, edit, and/or submit the application. You can learn more about this feature via this tutorial.

Will you provide a copy of the grant application questions?

A copy of the application questions may be viewed here (PDF). Please note that application questions vary depending on the project type.

The application references the “historic resource.” What does this mean?

The historic resource is the historic church building. Please include the name and location of the building or site in the “Historic Resource Information” section of the application.

The application says that indirect costs are limited to 10% of the project award. What are indirect costs?

Grant funds can support indirect costs or overhead costs in all project categories except for Endowment and Financial Sustainability and Organizational Capacity. Indirect costs are ongoing expenses that are required for an organization to operate, but that do not directly relate to performing their mission or executing a preservation project. These expenses are all subject to the 10% indirect costs cap identified in each applicable project type.

Key characteristics of indirect costs:

• Indirect: They are not directly traceable to a specific product or service.
• Ongoing: They are recurring expenses that must be paid regularly.
• Operational: They are essential for the organization to function.
• Fixed, variable, or semi-variable: They can be classified based on how they change with the level of organization activity.

Examples of eligible indirect costs:

• Rent and utilities for office space
• Insurance (liability, property, etc.) for the organization
• Salaries of project administrative staff. The salaries of staff not directly overseeing or providing assistance to the execution of the project are ineligible.
• Advertising and marketing expenses

Can you provide examples of successful Preserving Black Churches applications?

We do not make successful applications public. Please see the list of 2025 grantees for examples of successfully awarded projects.

Do I need to upload a budget, church financial paperwork, or project planning documents with the application?

Yes. All required information is indicated in the application and must be included.

Will applicants or grantees be required to have a UEI or active SAM/CAGE registration?

No. The National Trust is a nonprofit organization, not a federal agency.

I can’t find my church’s IRS Letter of Determination. Can I still apply for a grant?

Yes, you can still apply. Please provide your church’s tax ID (EIN). You can find your church’s EIN on federal tax returns or other IRS forms, business bank account statements, or loan applications. You can also call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 1-800-829-4933 to request your EIN.

When I tried to set up an account in the grants system, it said the EIN I put in was already in the system. What do I do?

If you have previously submitted a grant application to the National Trust, your organization may have an existing account. If this is the case, contact actionfundgrants@savingplaces.org to reset the account. Also, some denominations share one tax ID (EIN) between several churches. If this is the case, close the message and set up a new account.