The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget Request (PDF) would eliminate nearly all funding for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), except for a limited allocation for preservation grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

If enacted, this proposal would dismantle the nation's core preservation infrastructure, which provides funding for State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and several hugely impactful competitive grant programs, placing historic places across the country and the communities they serve at serious risk. To learn more about this federal investment in historic preservation and the grant programs funded through the HPF, visit our Historic Preservation Fund page.

To illustrate the HPF's reach and effectiveness, the National Trust’s Government Relations team developed a new resource titled, “51 Projects for Preservation: The Historic Preservation Fund Across the United States.”

The piece highlights one preservation project from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. These examples reflect the wide-ranging benefits of HPF investments, including historic site rehabilitation, community revitalization, economic development, and the preservation of underrepresented histories.

The HPF remains a critical part of the nation’s preservation program, empowering communities to protect and activate historic places that matter.

As the President’s FY26 budget proposes to eliminate nearly all HPF funding, with the exception of support for HBCU preservation projects, this advocacy resource offers timely and compelling evidence of what is at stake.

We encourage advocates to share the projects featured in this piece, along with our annual report, “The Preservation Budget: Select Preservation Priorities for FY26 Appropriations,” with members of Congress and help us amplify the importance of continued federal investment for historic preservation.

These stories are a powerful reminder of how preservation helps tell a more complete American story, promotes economic activity, and provides lasting benefits for future generations.

Contact your elected officials now to urge them to support investment in our nation’s heritage ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026.