MHS Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Large Grants

MHS Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Large Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Minnesota Historical Society
Amount: More than US $20,000
Last Updated: July 28, 2025

Summary

The MHS Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Large Grants program, funded by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, supports projects that preserve Minnesota's history and culture. This competitive grant program, initiated in 2009, aims to enhance access to cultural resources and promote enduring historical projects. Eligible initiatives include history documentation, preservation planning, and education programs, contributing to the state's rich heritage while fostering public engagement and awareness.

Overview

Background The Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program —also known as Legacy Grants — is a competitive process created to provide financial support for projects focused on preserving Minnesota’s history and culture. This state-funded program is made possible by the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, created through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. Program Goals To preserve and enhance access to Minnesota's cultural and historical resources and to support projects of enduring value for the cause of history and historic preservation across the state. Where the Money Came From When Minnesota voters passed the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008, the state legislature created the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (H.F. 1231), a portion of which was appropriated to the Minnesota Historical Society for history-related projects around the state. One of those new initiatives was the Statewide Historical and Cultural Grants program, seeded by a pool of $6.75 million to be awarded in the 2010-11 biennium for "projects of enduring value for the cause of history and historic preservation." The then-new grants program took shape over the summer of 2009. At meetings held across the state, more than 150 representatives of county and local historical organizations offered their input on how to use the special legislative funding most effectively. Among the most popular aspects of the proposed grant guidelines: a range of grant sizes and the potential for partnerships. "This grant program will be a benchmark in its potential to reshape the future for local history and historic preservation in Minnesota," said Britta Bloomberg, past head of the Minnesota History Society Historic Preservation Department. "What we do in the first biennium will set the stage for ongoing funding of an initiative that has a 25-year span." What Can Be Funded Eligible projects fall into three project categories: history projects, historic preservation projects, and structured grants. Keep in mind that these are guidelines, not a catalog of all possible projects. In addition, some projects might appear to fit under more than one category. If your planned project does not appear to fit into one of these categories, or if you are unsure which category should be applied to your project, call, e-mail, or write the Grants Office before submitting an application. Final product(s) must be held by a Minnesota-based organization or institution with access to the public. See full details here. HISTORY PROJECTS Oral HistoryResearch and WritingInterpretive Programs and Public EducationPublicationsCollections Care and ManagementGeneral Conservation Assessment and Long-Range Preservation PlanHistorical Organization Self-Assessment Using StEPsMuseum and Archives EnvironmentsEvaluation of Building Mechanical (HVAC) SystemsPlanning For Redesign of Museum LightingDevelop a Disaster PlanDigital Conversion and ReproductionAcquire Primary Resources on MicrofilmAcquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/ScannersMinnesota BookshelfScholarship to National Conference Hosted in MinnesotaArchaeological Collections AssessmentMuseum Security Survey HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECTS National Register Property EvaluationNational Register and Local DesignationHistoric Preservation PlanningHistoric Preservation Survey, Identification, and EvaluationHistoric Properties

Eligibility

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