History of Equal Rights Grant Program (HER) – United States

HER grants are funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by the NPS, and will fund a broad range of preservation projects for historic sites including: architectural services, historic structure reports, preservation plans, and physical preservation to structures. The program funds preservation projects using the NPS report, Civil Rights in America, A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites, as a guide in determining the appropriateness of proposed projects and properties. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal match.

Goals 

• Perform direct physical or pre-preservation of historic resources with direct significance to the history of the struggle for equal rights.

Funding Information

• Estimated Total Funding
  • $5,000,000
• Maximum Award
  • $750,000
• Minimum Award
  • $15,000
• Preservation projects must range from $75,000 to $750,000 in federal share, of which no more than 20% of the total budget may go toward pre-preservation costs such as architectural or engineering services.
• Grant applications that solely involve pre-preservation work must range from $15,000 to $75,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • State governments
  • County governments
  • City or township governments
  • 04 – Special district governments
  • Independent school districts
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Private institutions of higher education
• Additional Information on Eligibility
  • Eligible applicants are State governments, local governments, nonprofits, educational institutions, and Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiian  Organizations as defined by 54 USC 300300. Grants are not available for sites or collections owned or leased by the NPS, or in which the NPS holds a property interest.

Ineligible

• Construction of new buildings;
• Acquisition of collections or historic sites;
• Conservation of collections;
• Long-term maintenance or curatorial work beyond the grant period;
• Reconstructing historic properties (recreating all or a significant portion that no longer exists);
• Moving historic properties or work on moved historic properties that are no longer eligible for listing in the National Register;
• Cash reserves, endowments, revolving funds, or fund-raising costs;
• Work performed prior to receipt of grant funding;
• Sites or collections owned or leased by the NPS, or in which the NPS holds a property interest, are not eligible grant funding;
• Lobbying or advocacy activities;
• Costs for work already completed or funded through other programs;
• Administrative costs plus indirect costs beyond 25% of the total project budget;
• Miscellaneous costs, contingencies, reserves, and overhead.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.