National Cultural Heritage Conference Unveils $25 Million Grant Program for Community-Led Preservation Initiatives
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 15, 2025 – The National Cultural Heritage Conference, the premier annual gathering of preservation leaders, today announced the launch of a groundbreaking $25 million grant program dedicated exclusively to community-led cultural heritage projects. The initiative, unveiled at this year’s conference opening session, will provide direct funding to local organizations preserving histories of marginalized communities across the United States and its territories.
The Community Heritage Empowerment Grants program will award individual grants ranging from $25,000 to $150,000 for projects spanning two-year periods. Funding priorities include operational support for community-based archives, collections care, digital preservation efforts, and public programming that amplifies underrepresented voices. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) organizations, federally recognized tribal entities, and community groups with established archiving initiatives operating for a minimum of two years on annual budgets between $12,500 and $1 million.
This initiative directly responds to mounting evidence that community-based archives serve as critical counterpoints to traditional institutional narratives. According to recent foundation research, these archives not only preserve collective histories but also combat systemic misinformation and provide trusted environments for perpetuating endangered traditions, art forms, and languages. The Mellon Foundation recently committed $5 million to community-based archives through its 2025 funding cycle, recognizing these organizations as essential to creating a more inclusive American story . Grant periods will begin August 1, 2025, with applications due by June 30, 2025, and award notifications scheduled for mid-July.
The launch reflects a broader national trend toward decentralized heritage funding. The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission has awarded nearly $26 million through its Cultural and Historical Support Grants program since 2012, with the current application window open through August 22, 2025 [^2]. Similarly, the Minnesota Humanities Center is administering $6.299 million in Community Identity & Heritage grants for fiscal years 2025-2027, with individual awards reaching $300,000 [^8]. Major municipal programs are scaling up concurrently—San Francisco’s Human Rights Commission recently announced a Request for Proposals offering up to $19 million annually for arts and cultural heritage initiatives beginning July 1, 2025 [^11]. These combined public and private investments signal unprecedented recognition of heritage preservation as economic and social infrastructure.
“Community organizations have always been the true guardians of our nation’s diverse histories,” said Dr. Andrea Lowery, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission and keynote speaker at the conference. “This new grant program acknowledges that professional expertise resides within communities themselves, not just traditional institutions. We’re investing in the frontline workers of cultural preservation—tribal archivists, neighborhood historians, and grassroots organizers—who ensure our collective memory remains authentic and complete.”
Applications will be evaluated on four core criteria: community involvement in project development (25 points), cultural preservation impact (25 points), project management capacity (30 points), and long-term sustainability planning (20 points). Special consideration will be given to organizations serving Indigenous communities, African American heritage sites, immigrant and refugee populations, and LGBTQ+ historical initiatives. The conference will host technical assistance workshops April 15-20, 2025, and applicants can request staff feedback on proposals through May 1. Grantees will participate in a national cohort program, with in-person convenings scheduled for fall 2025 and spring 2026 to facilitate peer learning and collaborative problem-solving.
About the National Cultural Heritage Conference
The National Cultural Heritage Conference, organized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Mellon Foundation, and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, represents the largest annual assembly of heritage professionals in North America. The 2025 conference, held March 15-18 in Washington, D.C., gathers over 2,500 practitioners, scholars, and community leaders to advance innovative approaches to preservation, conservation, and cultural memory work. The Community Heritage Empowerment Grants program is administered through the Trust’s Office of Community Partnerships, which has distributed more than $40 million in preservation funding since 2020.
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