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Funding from the National Trust is awarded to nonprofit organizations and public agencies, and the majority of our funding is awarded for planning and education projects through our National Trust Preservation Funds grant program.

A grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation can be just the boost a project needs to ensure its success. National Trust grants are primarily for planning preservation projects, though some special programs focus on preservation planning in particular fields or geographic regions or allow for the funding of physical preservation (“bricks and mortar”) work.

National Trust Preservation Funds

National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are an umbrella group of grant funds intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. There are three deadlines per year in February, June, and October. Grants from this fund are generally between $2,500 and $5,000. Out-of-round funding can occur (when available) in the case of an emergency. Email the Grants Office for more information.

Several grants in the NTPF portfolio are limited to a specific type or geographic area but allow for larger grants. These funds use the NTPF application form and deadlines.

• Battlefield Preservation Fund
  Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities. Grants from this fund range from $2,500 to $10,000.
• The Linda and Jerry Bruckheimer Preservation Fund for Kentucky
  This grant fund supports the preservation of historic buildings, communities and landscapes in the state of Kentucky. Bricks and mortar projects are eligible for funding. Grants from the Linda and Jerry Bruckheimer Preservation Fund for Kentucky fund normally range from $2,500 to $10,000.
• Louis J. Appell, Jr., Preservation Fund for Central Pennsylvania
  Grants from this fund are designed to encourage preservation at the local level by providing money for the maintenance and preservation of historic places in Central Pennsylvania. Bricks and mortar projects are eligible for funding. Grants from the Louis J. Appell, Jr., Preservation Fund for Central Pennsylvania normally range from $2,500 to $10,000.
• Peter Grant Fund for Colorado
  Grants from this fund help preserve and enhance historic places in Colorado for future generations. Bricks and mortar projects are eligible for funding. Grants made from the Peter Grant Preservation Fund for Colorado will normally range from $1,000 to $10,000.
• Sam and Mary Cooke Preservation Fund for Hawai'i
  Grants from the Sam and Mary Cooke Preservation Fund help preserve and enhance historic places in Hawai'i for future generations. Bricks and mortar projects are eligible for funding. Grants from this fund normally range from $2,500 to $10,000.
• The Southwest Intervention Fund
  Grants from the National Trust’s Southwest Intervention Fund are intended to further preservation efforts of the traditional cultures of the Southwest region, exclusively in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, West Texas and Utah. This fund is not currently accepting applications.

Annual Grant Programs

We have several programs that only have one deadline per year and are restricted to a specific area or project type.

• Bartus Trew Providence Preservation Fund
  Grants from the Bartus Trew Providence Preservation Fund are designed to encourage preservation at the local level by providing money for the acquisition, maintenance, and preservation of historic landmarks and memorials on the Eastern Shore of Maryland used solely for public educational charitable purposes. Grant applications in the range of $5,000 - $25,000 will be accepted.
• The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors
  The purpose of the fund is to assist in the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of historic interiors. Grants from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors generally range from $2,500 to $15,000.
• Hart Family Fund for Small Towns
  Grants from the Hart Family Fund for Small Towns are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by providing seed money for preservation projects in small towns. Grants from the Hart Family Fund for Small Towns generally range from $2,500 to $15,000.
• Henry A. Jordan, M.D., Preservation Excellence Fund
  The Henry A. Jordan, M.D., Preservation Excellence Fund supports innovative projects and programs in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Individual awards typically range from $1,000 to $2,000, but applicants can apply for up to $5,000.
• Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation
  The Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation aims to save historic environments in order to foster an appreciation of our nation’s diverse cultural heritage and to preserve and revitalize the livability of the nation’s communities. Grants from the Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation generally range from $2,500 to $15,000.
• Moe Family Fund for Statewide and Local Partners
  The Moe Family Fund for Statewide and Local Partners fund provides funding to current dues-paying members of the National Preservation Partners Network (NPPN) with grants focused on priority issues for the preservation field. Applicants are encouraged to embark on projects and activities outside the existing scope of their work, but the Fund also will support initiatives that take existing programs to a new level.
• The Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund
  The purpose of the Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund is to support the leadership and effectiveness of staff and board members of preservation organizations to fulfill their mission and to create a stronger, more effective preservation movement. Grants from the Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund reimburse travel costs and provide an honorarium for the mentor up to a maximum total of $2,500. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

Grant Programs with Partners

• Backing Historic Small Restaurants
  A partnership with American Express, the Backing Historic Small Restaurants Grant Program help restaurants address critical needs amid ongoing economic challenges.
• National Fund for Sacred Places
  The National Fund for Sacred Places is a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and provides training, planning grants, and capital grants from $50,000 to $250,000 for congregations of all faiths. Visit FundforSacredPlaces.org for more details, including eligibility requirements, guidelines, and online application.

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund

• African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
  Grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund are designed to advance ongoing preservation activities for historic places such as sites, museums, and landscapes representing African American cultural heritage. Grants made from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund will range from $50,000 to $150,000.
• Conserving Black Modernism Grant Program
  Conserving Black Modernism, a part of the Action Fund's national grant program, is designed to empower and equip preservationists and stewards with funding and technical support to preserve the material heritage, innovation, and legacy of modern architectural sites designed by Black architects.
• HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative
  Grants from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative provide funding to HBCUs to develop Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plans to ensure they are equipped to preserve and maintain their historic campuses and historic assets. Grants made from the HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative will range from $60,000 to $150,000.
• Preserving Black Churches
  Annual grants from Preserving Black Churches are intended to preserve historic Black houses of worship—either with active congregations and nonactive congregations—and advance ongoing preservation activities while strengthening capacity for historic congregations, and preservation and community organizations to steward, manage, and better utilize their historic structures. Grants from Preserving Black Churches range from $50,000 to $200,000.

Share Your Story

We are always eager to hear about how a grant from the National Trust has helped your project beyond the initial monetary contribution. If you would like to share your story, send an email to grants@savingplaces.org with a short description of what's happened since the grant.