Frequently Asked Questions

The National Fund is designed to preserve historic sacred spaces as community assets; therefore, project components meant only to enhance worship are not eligible for funding (i.e. altars, organs, sound equipment, etc.). Please see the Guidelines and Eligibility section for more details on eligible and ineligible projects.

No. The National Fund does not require properties to be formally listed or designated as historic in order to apply, and we do not ask for any official documentation of historic or cultural significance. However, the National Fund prioritizes buildings that have historic, cultural, or architectural significance; particularly those that are significant at the national or regional level. Referring to the National Register criteria can help clarify the ways in which a historic house of worship is significant. If you are interested in learning whether your historic sacred place is listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, contact your State Historic Preservation Office.

Yes, we welcome applications from all faith traditions, and have funded projects representing 26 different faith traditions or denominations since the program’s inception in 2016. However, we currently have a limited ability to accept non-Christian faith groups into the National Fund program. We are working to broaden our funding sources to allow more non-Christian faith groups to participate in the program. For more information, please contact Rachel Hildebrandt at Partners for Sacred Places, rhildebrandt@sacredplaces.org

“Closely affiliated nonprofit organizations” are eligible to apply for National Fund grants on behalf of and in collaboration with a congregation that meets all the other eligibility criteria. We typically define a “closely affiliated nonprofit organization” as a separate nonprofit organization tasked with maintaining and managing the historic facility and/or serving as the fiscal agent to receive grants and other funds for building-related costs, such as a “Friends Group” or associated preservation trust. If you are closely affiliated in some other way, please explain that in your application, and be sure to work in collaboration with the congregation as you prepare the application.

We fund historic preservation projects addressing urgent repair needs related to structural components, walls, roof, and/or other elements of the building envelope that are integral to a building’s preservation and longevity. Projects that improve functionality or improve accessibility of the property in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are also eligible, as well as renovation projects that make vacant or underused space usable for community outreach, but applicants should demonstrate that urgent repair needs to the building envelope have already been identified by a building condition assessment and addressed before proposing ADA or interior rehabilitation projects. All projects must respect the property’s historic character and materials and adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

Qualifying projects might include, but would not be limited to: roof repairs; masonry repointing; exterior and interior painting; HVAC and electrical repairs/replacements; stained glass window repair; ADA improvements (restrooms, bathrooms, ramps); security and lighting upgrades; fire security and suppression systems; and bell tower or steeple stabilization. Ineligible projects include furniture repair, demolition, and audio-visual upgrades. For more information regarding eligible work, please consult the Guidelines and Eligibility section. Please also review profiles of program participants to get a better idea of the types of projects the National Fund has supported in the past.

The National Fund is more than just a grant—it is a program providing wraparound technical assistance and training to congregations. The intent of requiring matching funds is to leverage new money raised because of the congregation’s participation in the National Fund. By requiring congregations to raise matching funds and providing training and technical assistance to help them learn how to do this, participants in the National Fund program will be better positioned for long-term success with ongoing stewardship of their historic sacred spaces. Congregations that have completed their National Fund projects have shared that the program helped them develop fundraising skills and build connections that they can leverage for future programs or capital campaigns.

Yes. If your congregation is not selected, you are more than welcome to submit an Application for the following grant cycle.

The National Fund for Sacred Places has offered one grant cycle every year since the program’s inception in 2016. At this time, the program has funding through 2028.

Yes. Qualifying applicants can apply to the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and/or Preserving Black Churches as well as the National Fund, as well as any other grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. More information about the National Trust’s other grant programs is available on the National Trust’s website. Money received from the Action Fund, Preserving Black Churches, or any other National Trust grant, however, cannot count toward the required match for the National Fund grant.

No, these types of documents are not required to submit an Application (although you may be asked to share these documents if you are invited to submit an Additional Information Form as part of the review process. See the Apply page for more information on the review process). Congregations that are admitted to the National Fund program will be required to submit more advanced project planning documents at a later date and will be provided technical assistance and support by staff in advance of this later program milestone (Capital Grant Submission).

Sometimes. If you are accepted into the National Fund program, your congregation will be eligible for a $20,000 Planning Grant that you may use towards completing these planning steps. If you are looking for assistance completing building planning or assessments prior to admission into the National Fund program, there may be other grants available elsewhere, such as the National Trust’s Preservation Funds.

No, each site must apply independently. For example, if one community or parish would like to propose a project that includes multiple churches, it must submit a separate Application for each eligible site.

The AIA bid process will suffice. We recommend soliciting at least three competitive bids/quotes but recognize this may not always be possible.

Yes. It is not uncommon that the National Fund grant is one small piece of a larger capital project. For instance, a congregation may be embarking upon on a multi-phase capital project of $2 million. A National Fund grant of $250,000, plus the required match of $250,000, may support a scope of work totaling $500,000 as a discrete phase of this larger multi-phase project. If you are admitted into the National Fund program, we will work with your congregation and your architect to review your construction documents. You may not need to separate out the National Fund work in your Construction Documents, but you will need to submit a description of the scope of work the National Fund would cover in the Application and (if accepted into the program) Capital Grant Submission.

No. Work that has been started or completed prior to acceptance into the National Fund program or prior to approval of the grant scope via the Capital Grant Submission process (if accepted into the program) is not eligible for the National Fund. If accepted into the National Fund program, do not begin construction on any work that you hope to use National Fund grant monies to support before receiving formal authorization from staff. More information is available in the Guidelines and Eligibility section.

No. Only funds raised after a congregation has been notified of its acceptance into the National Fund program are eligible to count towards the matching funds requirement. You may begin having informal conversations with potential donors prior to being accepted into the National Fund program, but any pledges or donations accepted prior to official acceptance into the National Fund program cannot be counted toward your required match. Please see the Guidelines and Eligibility for types of acceptable matching funds. Please note: bridge or construction loans and reserve funds of the congregation do not count as matching funds.

The National Fund prioritizes healthy, stable congregations so that our investment is truly impactful and lasting. We look for some or all of the following, although this is not an exhaustive list of characteristics that indicate healthy congregations: tenured, well-respected clergy; capable lay leadership; stable or growing membership; financial strength and stability; consensus around project goals; positive and supportive relationship with regional denominational offices, if applicable; and a history of weathering challenges with resilience. We also take into consideration the congregation’s commitment to the care and long-term stewardship of its building, with an understanding that the building is an asset for ministry and is central to congregational life.