Funding Resources - Updated March 2019

This list is provided as a service, and is published with the understanding that the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia does not in any manner recommend, endorse or assume responsibility for the quality of work of any individual or firm on this list.  This list is not inclusive. ​

Tax Credits

Commercial Rehabilitation Tax Credit - A 20% federal income tax credit and a 25% state income tax credit are available for the rehabilitation of historic, income-producing buildings that are determined by the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service, to be “certified historic structures.” Properties must be individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places or listed as a contributing building within a historic district.

​Residential Rehabilitation Tax Credit - A 20% state income tax credit, which is based on qualified expenditures undertaken as part of the rehabilitation to a historic private residence. The credit is applied directly against taxes owed by the owner. This credit is available to private homeowners for approved rehabilitation work on their own residence. The building must be either individually listed or a contributing building in an historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Download the Historic Tax Credit Tool Kit

Bricks & Mortar Preservation Grants

Cultural Facilities and Capital Resources Grant - ​Used for acquisition of real property, renovation or construction, or equipment purchase. Priority is given to projects that increase or assure public access to the arts, involve collaborations and partnerships that leverage additional public and private investment. Funds are awarded in five levels ranging from $2,500 - $500,000.

DAR Special Projects Grant - The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Special Projects Grants Program provides local community grant funding to support projects exemplifying the organization's mission areas of Historic Preservation, Education and Patriotism. The program is open to public charity 501(c)(3) entities only. Grants of $1,000 - $2,000 are encouraged, with a maximum amount of $10,000. Applicants are required to match the grant award 1:1 in order to allow for broader distribution of funds. Matching funds are not required to originate with the organization applying for the grant, but may originate with multiple donors or completed fundraising. Projects must be completed within one year of initial grant funding (official grant year is July 1 - June 30).

Development Grants - Used for the rehabilitation of properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places or as contributing structures in a historic district or archaeological site. Doesn’t fund anything less than $1,000 and only supports 50% of the project costs. A 50% cash match is required. Grant applications are generally due in March.

Governor’s Community Participation Grant Program - Provides state funds for community and economic development projects. Eligible activities include community centers, libraries, construction and renovation of public spaces, preservation and beautification, and land and property acquisition. Funds are provided to units of local government.

Land and Water Conservation Fund - Available to local government, park boards, commissions, districts, and state government for renovation of outdoor facilities such as support facilities (bathrooms), visitor information centers, or interpretative centers.

Small Cities Block Grant - Provides funds to local governments or for non-profits that have a sub-grant agreement with the unit of local government for activities such as community centers, economic development, acquisition, preservation and beautification, and community facilities restoration.

Transportation Alternatives Program - Funds 1) pedestrian and bicycle facilities; 2) safe routes for non-drivers; 3) conversion of abandoned railway corridors to trails; 4) scenic turnouts and overlooks; 5) outdoor advertising management; 6) historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities; 7) vegetation management; 8) archaeological activities; 9) storm water mitigation; 10) wildlife management. Project sponsors include local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, school districts, local education agencies, school, tribal government, and regional governmental entities responsible for oversight of transportation or recreational trails. Fund requests must be at least $50,000. Intent-to-Apply is due November 15 each year. Application is due January 15 each year. Learn more at the Transportation Alternatives Data Exchange.

Lowe’s Community Partners Grant - Lowe’s Community Partners grant program helps build better communities by providing monetary assistance to nonprofit organizations and municipalities looking for support of high-need projects such as: building renovations/upgrades, grounds improvements, technology upgrades as well as safety improvements. Grants range from $2,001 to $100,000. Grants can only be applied for during the cycle dates.  For more information, view Lowe’s Giving Guidelines or read their FAQ’s. The review process takes 90 days from the cycle close date and applicants will receive a status e-mail after review is completed. The Community Partners cycle dates are: Spring Cycle: March 20–May 12 and Fall Cycle: July 3–August 25.

​Home Depot Community Impact Grant - The Home Depot Foundation Community Impact Grant Program assist nonprofit organizations with funding for community improvement projects such as renovation, refurbishment, retrofitting, accessibility modifications, and/or weatherization of existing homes, centers, schools and other similar facilities.  Grant range up to $5,000 and are given in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials, or services.  This is a rolling application process. You will receive a decision on your application within six weeks of submission. The last day to submit applications in 2017 is December 31st.

Survey & Planning Grants

National Trust Preservation Fund - Only National Trust for Historic Preservation Forum or Main Street level members of the National Trust are eligible to apply for funding. Used for preservation planning and educational uses such as obtaining professional expertise or preservation education activities. Grant awards from $2,500 - $5,000.  Application deadlines are February 1, June 1 and October 1.  If the first of the month falls on a weekend, applications will be due the following Monday.

Survey & Planning Grants - Used for conducting archaeological/architectural surveys, National Register nominations, pre-development plans, and heritage education projects. Doesn’t fund anything less than $1,000. Grant awards fund up to 70% of the project costs. A 30% match is required. Applications are generally due in October.

​Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections - Used to plan and implement interdisciplinary approaches to preventive preservation strategies for such projects as risk assessments, planning sessions, thermal imaging of buildings, preliminary designs for implementation projects, HVAC installation, security improvements, and other conservation measures. There are two types of grants: planning (grant awards up to $40,000) and implementation (grant awards up to $350,000).

Emergency Preservation Grants

Endangered Properties Fund - Provides emergency assistance for preservation of threatened and endangered historic and prehistoric structures and sites through stabilization, protection, or data recovery. Properties must be listed in the National Register of Historic Places or be a contributing building in a National Register historic district. Funds are awarded for properties recently impacted by a disaster.  For more information see page 24 of the State Historic Preservation Office Grants Program Manual.

​Emergency/Intervention Fund - Awarded in emergency situations when immediate and unanticipated work is needed to save a historic structure, such as when a fire or other natural disaster strikes. Funding is restricted to nonprofit organizations and public agencies. Emergency grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000, but unlike the majority of grant funding, a cash match is not required for intervention projects.​

Travel Scholarships

Peter H. Brink Leadership Fund - Only National Trust for Historic Preservation Forum or Main Street level members of the National Trust are eligible to apply for funding. A reimbursable grant that supports travel costs and mentor honoraria with a maximum reimbursement of $2,500.

​Travel Assistance Program Grants - Funds educational travel for individuals associated with West Virginia museums, historical societies, institutions of higher and secondary education, and other nonprofit groups. Grant awards will fund conference registration fees, transportation, lodging, and food at professional meetings and conferences. Maximum award is $500, and applications must be postmarked 60 days prior to travel.

Grants for Public Programming in the Humanities

America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations Planning Grants - Used for public programming development in the humanities including research travel, text creation, and preliminary design. Public programming includes exhibitions, site interpretation, book/film discussion programs, living history presentations, and interpretive websites. Grant awards range from $40,000-$75,000 depending on the complexity of the project.

America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations Implementation Grants – Used for final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for the public. Allowable projects include exhibitions, site interpretation, book/film discussion programs, living history presentations, and interpretive websites. Awards typically do not exceed $400,000. 

Matching Advertising Partnership Program  - A reimbursable partnership program that provides matching funds for innovative and effective direct advertising projects that increase visitation and travel expenditures in WV. Funds up to $5,000 for fairs/festivals or up to $7,500 small orgs and both cover cost of printing publications.

West Virginia Humanities Council Grants - Fund brochures and booklets, exhibit development and implementation, archival projects, or media projects. Mini Grants $1,500 or less (February 1, April 1, June 1, and October 1 deadline). Major grants $20,000 or less (February 1 and September 1 deadline). Media and Publication Grants are both $20,000 or less (September 1 deadline). 

The Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation ArtsCONNECT Program - The Foundation’s ArtsCONNECT program supports collaborations among presenters across the Mid-Atlantic region to facilitate tours of artists involving all performing arts disciplines, including dance, music, theater, and folk/traditional arts. The program is dedicated to bringing artists of the highest quality to underserved audiences throughout the region and encouraging engagements that feature meaningful exchanges between artists, audiences, and their communities. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $10,000. Visit the Foundation’s website to download the ArtsCONNECT application guidelines.

​ArtPlace America: National Creative Placemaking Fund - ArtPlace America is a collaboration of leading national and regional foundations that is working to position art and culture as a core sector of community planning and development. ArtPlace’s National Creative Placemaking Fund has $9.5 million available for projects that work with artists and arts organizations to build stronger, healthier communities anywhere in the United States. The Fund gives some emphasis to applications from selected localities; however, applications are welcome from all rural and urban regions all across the country, including the U.S. Territories. Nonprofit organizations, local governing bodies, individual artists/designers, and for-profit organizations are eligible to apply.

Museums/Collections Management Grants

National Endowment for the Humanities Grants - ​The National Endowment for the Humanities offers a wide variety of grant programs. If you would like some advice about which grant program would be appropriate, ​contact ​an NEH program officer. To start the process, pick the division or office that you’d think would be most appropriate for your project and make an inquiry. ​https://www.neh.gov/grants/match-your-project  
​Browse different grant opportunities and deadlines at ​https://www.neh.gov/grants​.

Conservation Assessment Program - Provides a general conservation assessment of your museum’s collection, environmental conditions, and site. If you have a historic structure, you may also qualify for a historic structure assessment. Professionals spend two days on-site and three days writing a report, which can be used to improve collections care, long-range planning, and fundraising.

Museums for America - Used for new and on-going museum activities and programs including planning, managing and conserving collections, improving public access, training, conducting programmatic research, school and public programming, producing exhibitions, and integrating new or upgraded technologies into your operations. Grant awards from $5,000-$500,000 and are given for a period of three years.

Preservation Assistance Grants - Used to help small and mid-sized institutions improve their ability to preserve and care for humanities collections with projects including long-range collection management and stewardship planning, storage improvement, purchase of storage or preservation supplies, and training in conservation, disaster preparedness, and other topics. Grants of up to $6,000 are awarded.

​Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives Program - This program is an initiative of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) intended to help digitize and provide access to non-digital collections of rare or unique content in cultural heritage institutions. Through this program, CLIR aims to enhance the emerging global digital research environment in ways that support new kinds of scholarship for the long term and to ensure that the full wealth of resources held by memory institutions becomes integrated with the open Web. Grants, ranging from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of $250,000 in the case of a single-institution project or $500,000 for a collaborative project, will be provided to colleges and universities, research centers, museums, libraries, historical societies, cultural associations, etc. To promote broad access, careful preservation, standardization, and usability, approaches to digitization should be coordinated across institutions when feasible.  Visit the CLIR website to review the program guidelines and application process.

Regional Grant Funds

Appalachian Regional Commission Project Grants - Used for job creation and retention, special technical assistance and training, rural health programs, physical infrastructure improvement, leadership development, and civic capacity building. Additional information is available from the WV Department of Commerce.

Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation - No limits given on funding amount or deadline for application. Funds projects in WV that deal with community development.

McDonough Foundation - Provides funds to cultural organizations dedicated to preservation, production, and education in arts, history, theater, and music and civic and community enterprises of municipalities and organizations whose projects enhance the economic growth and general welfare of the community.

Community Action Grant – Available for organizations in Brooke, Marshall, Ohio, Tyler and Wetzel Counties. Organizations must be working for betterment of community and funds could be used for such things as seed money for new programs, grants that will generate additional funding, and grants for capital and equipment needs.

Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation – Available for organizations in Boone, Clay, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Putnam Counties. Awards are unrestricted with field of interest grants in the program areas of arts, economic development, education, health, human services, land use and public recreation. 

National Railway Heritage Grants – Matching grants for projects which preserve, research, educate, or publish railway history. Maximum award is $5,000 per year per project. 
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​Google Grants – Available to all non-profit organizations, which are awarded an in-kind advertising account that could be used for general outreach, fundraising activities, or recruitment of volunteers.

National Trust for Historic Preservation Grants

Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation - Only Forum or Main Street level members of the National Trust are eligible to apply for funding. Funds for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Awards range from $2,500-$10,000 for projects that contribute to the preservation or recapture of an authentic sense of place. 

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors - Only Forum or Main Street level members of the National Trust are eligible to apply for funding. Funds projects to preserve, restore, and interpret historic interiors. Awards range from $2,500 - $15,000. 

Henry A. Jordan, M.D. Preservation Fund - Only Forum or Main Street level members of the National Trust are eligible to apply for funding. Provides funding to deserving organizations demonstrating commitment to the protection of natural and cultural resources in the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes West Virginia. Individual awards typically range from $1,000 to $2,000, but applicants can apply for up to $5,000. 

Hart Family Fund for Small Towns - Only Forum or Main Street level members of the National Trust are eligible to apply for funding. Funds preservation at the local level by providing seed money for preservation projects in small towns with a population of less than 5,000 people. Awards generally range from $2,500 - $15,000.

Battlefield Grants

Battlefield Planning Grants  - Awarded annually to groups, institutions, organizations, or governments sponsoring preservation projects at historic battlefields. Any battlefield on American soil is eligible for this grant. ​

Battlefield Preservation Fund - Only National Trust for Historic Forum or Main Street level members of the National Trust are eligible to apply for funding. Typical uses of grants from the fund include legal and research fees to mitigate development threats, fund-raising and media plans, feasibility studies for endangered buildings and sites, archeological studies, landscape research and planning, viewshed protection, easement planning, and interpretation and heritage education activities. Grants require a 1 to 1 match.

​Civil War Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants - Awarded to state and local governments seeking fee simple acquisition of eligible Civil War battlefield land, or for the acquisition of permanent, protective interests (easements) in Civil War battlefield land.

Research/Technological Development Grants

National Center for Preservation Technology and Training - Funds projects that develop new technologies or adapt existing technologies to preserve cultural resources including laboratory/field research, training activities, or manuscript/website development.

Technical Assistance

CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance - For communities that participate in the Brownfields Project Marketplace and want additional assistance for their brownfields efforts, a team comprised of CDFA staff and technical assistance partners will conduct site visits to a limited number of communities each year. During each visit, the Project Response Team will meet with stakeholders, tour the redevelopment site, and provide financing recommendations. Upon completion of the Project Response Team visit, each community receives a report summarizing actionable financing recommendations specific to the redevelopment of the project.