The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF), a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, launched the Conserving Black Modernism initiative in 2022 in partnership with the Getty Foundation’s Keeping it Modern initiative. Conserving Black Modernism empowers and equips preservationists and stewards with funding, technical support, and training to preserve the material heritage, innovation, and legacy of modern architectural sites designed by Black architects.

Since its launch, the initiative has supported sixteen non-profits and municipalities in stewarding sixteen historic assets of modern architecture through funding, technical assistance, public awareness, and education. These AACHAF grants support eligible project planning activities and seek to develop future-looking plans that model and strengthen stewardship, interpretation, and asset management at these sites. By awarding CBM grants, the AACHAF aims to increase historical recognition of Black architects, and their artistic expressions, and diversify 20th century American architectural history.

In January 2025, the AACHAF and Getty Foundation invite proposals from a broad pool of applicants who steward these places for public benefit and access. Grants total $150,000 each. Funding is flexible and can support planning activities and limited indirect costs. For example, a $150,000 project planning grant with a 10% indirect cost rate ($15,000) can be allocated to advance a full-scale building assessment and preservation planning. The informative and critical planning documents will inform how property owners conserve, manage, and interpret their historic landmarks. The grant period for this type of project is 12 months.

Additional CBM grantee support includes technical assistance, promotion, and conservation management training at the Getty Institute in Los Angeles.

Historic Asset Example Archetypes

While this is not an exhaustive list, we are particularly interested in the following 20th-century property archetypes:

• Buildings Located on HBCU Campuses
• Civic and Institutional Buildings
• Community and Cultural Centers
• Green Book Sites
• Houses and Residences
• Libraries
• Schools
• Sites associated with LGBTQ+ History
• Sites associated with Women’s History
• Spaces Associated with Sports & Recreation

Criteria

In partnership with the Getty Foundation’s Keeping It Modern initiative, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund staff and a team of external reviewers will select grant recipients by considering, among other points, the following criteria:

• The historic significance of the property to be assisted and its association with African American cultural heritage, 20th-century Black architects and builders, and modern design and engineering.
• Architecture that demonstrates an approach to Modernism and expresses a connection to social, cultural, and contemporary architectural values.
• The national implications of and the ability for the project to be a replicable model for the field of preservation practice.
• The extent to which the requested assistance will make a difference in preserving, restoring, and interpreting the historic asset and the design contribution of the architect.
• The potential for the project to serve as a model to benefit other historic properties, neighborhoods, or communities.
• The adequacy of plans and resources for future maintenance of the property or the continuation of activity for which grant support is requested.
• The ability and willingness of the applicant to carry out the proposed plans or activity within the project’s timeframe, if awarded.
• The amount of additional resources being brought to the project, either through cash investments or donated materials and services.
• The commitment of selected grantees to work with the AAACHAF and Getty staff on project scoping and consultation and to participate in grantee program convenings and trainings with other award recipients.

Eligible Activities and Expenses

Planning grants are available for preservation planning projects for significant 20th-century buildings that involve practitioners from multiple disciplines and may include

• Research on historical documentation, change over time, and architectural and cultural significance;
• Research on the historic fabric of the building, ADA accessibility recommendations, and energy retrofitting and resiliency;
• Physical analysis and testing of original materials used in construction, such as their properties and performance under specific conditions;
• The development and testing of technical solutions;
• Preparation of technical drawings, budget estimates, and schedules of work.

Planning projects may also include the creation of comprehensive management plans for developing cyclical maintenance and long-term care policies.

Up to 10% of the grant funds awarded may be used for organizational overhead and indirect administration costs.

Examples of eligible projects include obtaining the services of consultants to develop the following plans/services for implementation by the applicant organization:

• Conservation Management Plans
• Material Analyses
• Archival research, as part of a broader planning document
• Structural Engineering Reports
• Feasibility Studies (real estate development/reuse planning)
• Historic Structures Reports with Cost Estimates
• Engineering and Environmental Studies
• Preservation & Interpretation Plans

Eligibility

Grant-funded projects must focus on Modern architectural assets and buildings designed by Black Architects/Designers. Architects and designers are not required to have been formally licensed during their careers. Each grant award will total $150,000. Requests below this amount will not be reviewed. Only one grant will be awarded per organization in any grant round. Grant recipients from previous African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund grant rounds are eligible to apply. Historic assets must be at least 50 years old, but unique exceptions to this general rule will be considered.

Eligible applicants include:

• Public agencies: State or local agencies including boards, commissions, departments, accredited public colleges or universities, offices, agencies, public bodies, or political subdivisions of the state or of a county or municipality. Examples include state historic preservation offices, city and county preservation offices and planning departments, state and local commissions focused on different aspects of heritage, and publicly owned historic sites, cultural centers, libraries, and museums.
• 501(c)(3), and other (federally designated) nonprofit organizations: A broad range of 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply, including state and local preservation organizations, churches, accredited private colleges or universities, historic sites, museums, historical societies, and genealogical associations.

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund grants for Conserving Black Modernism may be used to fund up to 100% of the proposed project. While matching funds are not required, projects that leverage additional investments are strongly preferred.

Ineligible Activities and Expenses

• Catering, entertainment, food, and beverage costs.
• Costs associated with planning for or constructing new buildings or structures, including the creation of monuments and statues.
• Costs associated with the creation or maintenance of archival collections (books, documents, ephemera, etc.)
• Expenses incurred prior to the grant award date.
• Proposals that are capital project (Brick-and-mortar) focused without a project planning emphasis.

Application

Applications must be submitted through the online grants portal by Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:59 PM Pacific time. All applicants will be notified of their status via email by July 2025.

• Opening: January 10, 2025
• Deadline:  March 14, 2025

You will be taken to the National Trust grants application system where you will need to create a user profile for your organization. If your organization has applied for a grant previously, you will sign into your existing organization profile.

Please direct questions to actionfundgrants@savingplaces.org.

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