The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Awards recognize and celebrate the "best of the best" in preservation projects across the country—projects that highlight cutting-edge preservation approaches or technologies. This is the highest national recognition bestowed upon a preservation project by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Key Dates for 2025

• October 28, 2024: Nominations open.
• January 10, 2025: Nomination deadline.
• June 2025: Nominators and award recipients notified. The nominator will be notified for those not selected.
• September 16-18, 2025: The award ceremony will take place at PastForward 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Eligibility

• Nominated projects must have been completed within three years of the submission deadline.
• Nominations submitted in previous years that were not selected to receive an award may be updated and resubmitted.
• Nominations may be made without the knowledge of the nominee.
• Self-nominations will be accepted.
• Properties owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation will not be considered, nor will individuals or groups of individuals for their work relative to National Trust properties.

Award Criteria

Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award nominees are judged for the success they have achieved in the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and interpretation of our architectural and cultural heritage. Winning projects demonstrate the immediate and long-term benefits of historic preservation by engaging any number of preservation tools in the furtherance of inclusive, healthy, and sustainable communities. These coveted awards represent the "best of the best" in preservation.

The general evaluation criteria include the following:

• Impact of the nominee’s project or effort on the community, including economic impact
• Quality and degree of difficulty of the nominee’s project or effort
• Degree to which the nominee’s project or effort is unusual or pioneering, or serves as an example that influences others
• Projects of all sizes and scale will be considered. Special consideration will be given to projects that use creative or innovative techniques to solve preservation problems and can serve as a replicable model for other projects.

Award Benefits

Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award recipients will receive a physical award.

Expectations

• Each awarded project must have at least one representative appear at the awards ceremony during the PastForward conference, as determined by the National Trust.
• Award recipients are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and registration fees to PastForward.
• Recipients will be available to provide quotes and background information for press releases and other media surrounding the award and the award presentation.
• Recipients may be asked to give brief remarks during the awards ceremony.
• Recipients may be asked to write a story for the National Trust website and/or contribute to a National Trust publication.
• Recipients may be asked to serve as panel members for educational sessions at PastForward.
• Recipients will be asked to publicize their award through their social media channels, if applicable.

Nomination Process and Procedures

Nominators must complete one nomination form (requirements listed below) and submit it by the deadline in order for the nominee to be considered for a Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award. All nominations must be submitted using our online form in Submittable. Paper or email submissions will not be accepted.

Nominations must conform to the procedures outlined on this page to be considered for an award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A link to the nomination form can be found at the bottom of this page. Please be sure to read all guidelines and eligibility information before starting your nomination.

Nomination Requirements

Please include in your nomination form:

• A concise narrative (7,500 characters or less including spaces) that describes the project and addresses the award’s specific criteria (listed above)
• Up to 5 brochures or news clippings
• Up to 3 letters of recommendation
• Up to 10 photos. We strongly recommend including the following: one historic exterior photo, one current exterior photo, and photos showing the site pre- and post-renovation.
• Up to 2 video files related to the project. Examples: footage of the site before and after, community testimonials, news cuts, etc.

Nomination Form

Click here to access the National Preservation Awards submission form. To begin your nomination, you will need to sign up for a Submittable account or sign in to an existing Submittable account if applicable. Once you have signed into Submittable, the submission form will become available. Answer the first question according to the award category to which you are submitting a nomination. If you wish to be considered for multiple categories, you will need to submit multiple nominations that are adjusted for the criteria of the different awards. Once you begin your nomination, you will be able to save your progress and return to the site to continue working on the form by clicking "Save Draft" at the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions, please contact us at awards@savingplaces.org.