Heritage Fund Grants

Preservation Funding

Preservation Maryland administers several grant programs that provide a unique stable source of funding for preservation, planning, public history, and other innovative revitalization and conversation projects across the state.

Heritage Fund Grants

The Heritage Fund, a cooperative effort of Preservation Maryland and the Maryland Historical Trust, provides direct assistance for the protection of historical and cultural resources and promotes innovative demonstration projects that can be successfully replicated to meet Maryland’s historic preservation needs. The Fund is intended to serve the needs of tangible cultural resources in Maryland. Historic sites, buildings, districts, objects, and archaeological resources are all eligible for funding.

The Heritage Fund provides direct assistance for the protection of endangered cultural resources and promotes innovative education projects that can inform best practices across the state. Non-profit organizations and local jurisdictions are eligible to apply. Eligible projects fall into three general categories: education and research, planning and feasibility, and repair and rehabilitation.

Projects Eligible For Funding

  • Projects must be located in the state of Maryland
  • Non-profit organizations and local jurisdictions are eligible to apply.
  • Stabilization or acquisition of endangered historic properties
  • Feasibility studies, architectural plans, structural assessments, and historic structure reports
  • Projects benefiting archaeological resources including curatorial services
  • Repair and restoration of historic materials
  • Educational, research, and planning efforts related to resource preservation
  • Organizational development for local preservation organizations – including but not limited to:
    • Board and volunteer development
    • Establishing strategic planning goals
    • Membership development
    • Marketing plans
    • Fundraising activities
    • Media relations
    • Collaborative projects are encouraged
  • Legal services engaged to protect endangered historic resources – including structures, sites, archaeological resources, or the creation or strengthening of a local preservation ordinance

SPECIFICATIONS

The minimum grant is $1,000 and the maximum grant is $10,000.

CRITERIA FOR GRANT AWARDS

The following criteria will be used by the selection committee to evaluate and select projects for funding, on a competitive basis, that meet the purposes and priorities of the Heritage Fund:

  • Relative historical and cultural significance of the resource(s)
  • Urgency of the need for financial assistance
  • Provision for long-term resource preservation
  • Administrative capability of the applicant
  • Extent to which the project stimulates or promotes other preservation activities
  • Educational value of the project
  • Demonstrative and innovative value of the project
  • Extent to which the project leverages other sources of financial assistance
  • Readiness of the applicant to initiate and complete the project
  • Extent to which the project contributes to the equitable geographic distribution of Heritage Fund money across the state

TERMS

  • Funds will be disbursed on a reimbursable basis.
  • When relevant, all work must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
  • A cash or in-kind match of at least 10% is required.
  • Any materials or publicity produced in relation to the project must include the following citation: “Funding for this project was provided in part by Preservation Maryland and the Maryland Historical Trust.” Copies of the materials should be submitted to Preservation Maryland.
  • Grant award recipients may apply for the same project or site one year after the award date.
  • Projects must be completed within one year of grant approval.
  • Award recipients must submit a brief recap of their project and at least two photos of completed bricks and mortar projects or alternate forms of documentation for other projects.

How to Apply

FY24 APPLICATIONS WILL OPEN FALL 2023

Interested parties should contact Preservation Maryland to discuss the proposed project before submitting an application. Open the online application and review the questions on the application form. We encourage you to craft your long-form answers into a separate document before beginning and copy and paste them into the form. Gather all required supplementary materials in a digital format. Individual files may not exceed 10 MB. Please resize your attachments to accommodate this limit. Complete the online application and attach supplementary material.

Required supplementary materials include:

    • Organization’s latest financial statement or audit
    • IRS determination letter of tax-exempt status
    • Project budget including all project expenses and in-hand or pledged funding
    • Relevant guiding documents, plans, estimates, and proposals from contractors or consultants
    • Minimum of one letter of support or endorsement from a local elected official
    • Minimum of two representative photographs of the project
    • If the nominator and property owner are different, a letter of support from the property owner

Upon receipt of a completed application, staff will conduct a review and determine if any additional information is needed. Applicants will be notified about grant decisions 8-10 weeks after the grant deadline.