National Trust for Historic Preservation: Return to home page

The 100,000+ historic houses of worship across America play a crucial role in shaping the character of our communities. They are valuable parts of communities, and many are works of art whose beauty and history make them irreplaceable elements of our national cultural heritage. Yet though the structures are considered icons of stability, today congregations of every faith face challenges in stewarding their historic houses of worship.

The National Fund for Sacred Places was established in 2016 to provide technical and financial support for congregations, building their capacity and increasing the stability of these critical yet disappearing historic community centers. A program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Fund is supported by $64 million from the Indiana-based Lilly Endowment Inc.

This collaboration builds on decades of work by Partners for Sacred Places helping congregations use their facilities to strengthen, serve, and celebrate their communities for the common good. As the nation’s leading preservation organization, the National Trust lends 75 years of advocacy and grant-making experience to preserve America’s diverse history.

Through the National Fund, Partners for Sacred Places provides planning grants, technical assistance, and capacity-building support, while the National Trust provides preservation expertise and capital grants up to $500,000 to help congregations restore and preserve historic places of worship.

Since its inception, the National Fund has awarded or pledged over $26 million to 138 community-serving congregations representing 26 different faith traditions or denominations in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. So far, this grantmaking has resulted in over $3 leveraged for every grant dollar invested in participating congregations.

Historic houses of worship, from prairie churches to urban synagogues, are the bedrocks that continue to sustain us as a people, uniting us in service and celebration. Together, we can protect them for generations to come. Apply for funding or learn more about the program and the historic sacred places we’ve supported so far at the National Fund for Sacred Places website.

Please note: The term “congregation” is used to refer to the worshipping body or faith community of any religion including those that do not identify with this term (such as mosques/masjid). The National Fund accepts applications from any faith tradition and seeks to provide inclusive programming and resources across religions.