Eligibility

YES – You may be eligible. Please note that the historic place of worship does not need to have been purpose-built for your specific congregation or your congregation’s original location, it just needs to have been purpose-built as a place of worship.

NO – You are not eligible. The property must have been originally built to be a house of worship and must be owned by an active community of faith.

YES – You may be eligible. Please refer to the Eligibility Requirements listed above for additional details.

NO – You are not eligible. In order to apply, congregations must be at least 3 years old.

YES – You may be eligible. 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.

NO – You are not eligible. The applicant must be a religious congregation or closely affiliated nonprofit organization.

YES – You may be eligible. The National Fund for Sacred Places supports congregations undertaking significant capital projects at purpose-built historic houses of worship. The National Fund prioritizes buildings that have historic, cultural, or architectural significance; particularly those that are significant at the national or regional level. Designation as a local landmark or listing on the National Register of Historic Places is not required, but referring to the National Register criteria can help clarify the ways in which a historic house of worship is significant.

NO – If you cannot demonstrate that your building has architectural, cultural, or historic significance, you are most likely not eligible.

YES – You may be eligible. The National Fund prioritizes congregations that are engaged in their communities and that are providing public value. Engaged congregations operate and host programming that serves non-members and/or vulnerable and at-risk populations; share space with non-affiliated groups and organizations (often at subsidized rates); partner and collaborate with other congregations, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and/or municipalities; and have a widespread reputation for being a welcoming center of community life and as an anchoring institution.

NO – If you cannot demonstrate that your congregation is community-minded, you are most likely not eligible.

YES – You may be eligible.

NO – You may still be eligible even if you have not done a comprehensive building assessment. Congregations are not required to have developed a finalized repair plan, budget, timetable, or fundraising plan prior to acceptance into the program. However, we would encourage you to consider doing this type of planning work whether you apply for the National Fund or not. It will be a tremendous resource to you as you steward your historic house of worship. If you are accepted into the National Fund program, you will be expected to develop a comprehensive building repair plan with a qualified building professional or team of professionals, typically including an architect. There are several sources of grant funding that can help support the creation of a comprehensive building assessment, including National Trust Preservation Funds, grants from your State Historic Preservation Office, or a Certified Local Government. Please note that the congregation is not required to have developed a finalized repair plan, budget, timetable, or fundraising plan prior to acceptance into the program.

YES – You may be eligible. The property must have 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 conditions assessment and addressed before proposing ADA or interior rehabilitation projects.

NO – If you cannot demonstrate that your project addresses urgent repair needs, accessibility upgrades, or necessary repairs to make space usable for community outreach, you are most likely not eligible.

YES – You may be eligible. Please note that projects must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

NO – You are likely not eligible. Anticipated projects must respect the property’s historic character and materials, and must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Demolitions to a historic building are not eligible. Additions to a historic building may or may not be eligible.

YES – All grants require a 1:1 match. One-quarter of the required matching funds must be raised or pledged before any portion of the grant can be disbursed. Funds that have been pledged before entry into the program cannot count toward the required match.

NO – You may not be eligible. Applicants must demonstrate a need for project funds that exceed the congregation’s typical donor base and membership.

YES – You may not be eligible, unless the National Fund grant would support work that HAS NOT already begun. Work that has been completed prior to acceptance into the National Fund program and/or has not received formal approval from National Fund staff through the completion of the Capital Grant Submission process is not eligible.

NO – You may be eligible, if your project meets the other program eligibility criteria.

YES – Any funds pledged or raised prior to the congregation’s offical acceptance into the National Fund program would NOT be counted towards the required program match. Grant funds are intended to support projects not yet completed. However, if your National Fund project is part of a larger, multi-phase campaign, and you have already raised funds for other phases of your project (phases that are NOT supported by the National Fund), that is fine, and will help demonstrate your ability to raise necessary matching funds.

NO – You may be eligible. If you are awarded a National Fund grant, you will be required to match the grant funds either 1:1. We have found that the National Fund grant is often a strong incentive for attracting new and expanded gifts toward capital campaigns. Learn more about matching fund requirements.

YES – You may be eligible. Congregations must exhibit several signs of positive organizational health, including, but not limited to: senior clergy (or lay leadership) is established in tenure; consensus around project goals; commitment to retaining and caring for the historic property; stable or growing membership; established partnerships with external entities; financial strength and stability; and, if applicable, a positive and supportive relationship with regional denominational offices.

NO – You may not be eligible.