Battlefield Preservation Fund Grant

The Battlefield Preservation Fund Grant aims to support initiatives that preserve battlefields and related historic sites. This funding encourages planning and educational efforts, particularly those that engage new audiences in preservation activities. Eligible applicants include public agencies and nonprofits in specified states. Grants can be used for staff support, consultant fees, and educational materials. Applicants must provide a one-to-one match for funding, ensuring strong community involvement in preservation efforts.

Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities.
Eligible Activities
National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.
Planning
Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:
Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.
Education and Outreach
Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Eligibility

For the February 3, 2025 grant round, the National Trust Preservation Funds grant program has dedicated funding to award in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland (Annapolis), Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Washington, D.C.Applicants must be either a public agency, 501(c) (3), or other nonprofit organization to be considered eligible. Applicants that have received previous National Trust financial assistance are eligible provided that all grant requirements are current.No more than three grants will be awarded in any two-year period to a single grantee. Only one grant will be awarded per organization in any grant round. Only one grant will be awarded for a particular project phase.Only Organizational Level Preservation Leadership Forum Members, Main Street America Community Members, and Main Street America General Members are eligible to receive funding from the National Trust Preservation Fund.Organizations do not need to have an active membership to apply for a grant, but selected grantees will be required to become members prior to the release of funds.Applicants must be capable of matching the grant amount on a one-to-one basis. Both cash and in-kind donations count toward the one-to-one required match.The required match can come from private or public sources, from income earned from registration fees or sales, or from fundraising activities. In-kind donations of labor, materials or services will also be considered eligible for meeting the matching requirement. Matching funds must be used to fund eligible expenses listed below.Eligible ExpensesNonprofit applicants may include staff salaries for staff members directly working on the funded project
Fees for consultant services
Speaker fees/faculty costs for educational programs and conference sessions
Mailing costs for distribution of materials
The development of materials for education and outreach campaigns
Materials and services such as printing, photographs, telephone, and supplies. With the exception of publications projects, these costs may not exceed 10 percent of the project budget.
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Only Organizational Level Forum members or Main Street America members of the National Trust are eligible to receive funding from the National Trust Preservation Fund. Organizations do not need to have an active Forum membership to apply for a grant, but selected grantees will be required to become members prior to the release of funds.

Ineligibility

Other funding from the National Trust may not be used to match an NTPF grant.Ineligible Activities:Building or other construction activities
Acquisition of real property or objects
General support for conferencesIneligible Expenses:Organizational overhead costs