Virginia State Seal Virginia Department of Historic Resources

Grants

DHR does not have grants available for applicants for historical highway markers.

Federal grant opportunities are available through the National Park Service. Grants are also available from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Grants Managed by DHR

For information regarding the Virginia Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Historic Preservation Fund, please follow this link.

The following three grants pertain to historical graves and cemeteries:

African American Cemetery & Graves Fund (Revised Documents)

Headstones and grave markers in the cemetery.
Peoples Cemetery, Petersburg.

At the beginning of each state fiscal year (July 1), DHR announces the availability of funds for the care and maintenance of historical African American cemeteries and graves, defined by Code of Virginia§10.1-2211.2 as “a cemetery that was established prior to January 1, 1948 for the interment of African Americans.” The deadline for grant applications for the current state fiscal year (“SFY”) is May 30, 2023.

Please use the updated and revised forms and manual: Application; Program Manual;
Acknowledgment of Reporting Requirements and Maintenance Agreement

Organizations having received funds in the previous fiscal year (2021-2022) must complete and submit a Reconciliation of Requirements form [link] as agreed to in the Acknowledgment of Reporting Requirements document. Disbursement of funds will not take place until this document is received and accepted. Please note that any person or organization requesting funds must be registered with the eVA Customer Care portal (evacustomercare@dgs.virginia.gov or 1-866-289-7367). A template to assist in completing these requirements may be found here: AA Reporting Template.
If you have questions or need additional assistance, please contact Joanna Wilson Green at joanna.wilson@dhr.virginia.gov.

Confederate Graves and Cemeteries Fund

State funds for Confederate Graves and Cemeteries ended as of State Fiscal Year 2022, which began July 1, 2021.

 

Revolutionary War Graves and Cemeteries Fund

of the Code of Virginia (§10.1-2211.1) authorizes DHR to disburse funds to eligible organizations for the maintenance and care of  Revolutionary War patriot graves. Only those Revolutionary War graves and cemeteries listed in the statute are eligible to receive annual appropriations. Adding a cemetery to the list in §10.1-2211.1 of the Code of Virginia requires the assistance of a member of the General Assembly who must introduce a bill adding the organization / cemetery / church to the list during a General Assembly session. Funds must also be appropriated each year in the budget bill. Such funds may only be disbursed to Revolutionary War memorial associations caring for such graves and cemeteries.

For more information, see these Frequently Asked Questions about the Revolutionary War graves fund.

 

Certified Local Government Grants (CLG)

CLG designation also allows a jurisdiction to apply for CLG grants through federal Historic Preservation Funds (HPF). Ten percent of all HPF monies that come to the Commonwealth of Virginia must be distributed to CLGs. DHR does this through a competitive grant process, open only to CLGs. 

For information on CLG grants, please visit the CLG webpage or contact Aubrey Von Lindern at (540) 868-7029.

 

Cost Share Grants

DHR’s Survey and Planning Cost Share Program assists local governments in meeting their preservation planning goals through identification of historic resources. Annual funding for Cost Share is limited. Localities must compete to participate in the program.

In addition to match funding, Cost Share benefits localities since DHR handles administrative functions for the selected projects. We secure the consultants to do the work, and we pay bills, monitor work, and ensure delivery of the products.

For more information regarding the survey program, see these Frequently Asked Questions or contact Blake McDonald at (804) 482-6086.

 

ESHPF Disaster Relief Assistance Grants

The Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) Grant Program provides assistance to historic properties (including archaeological sites) damaged by hurricanes Florence and/or Michael in September and October 2018 that are listed or are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Funding is limited to damaged historic properties in the 52 counties and cities in Virginia identified in FEMA Major Declarations Declarations 4401 and 4411.

Please visit the ESHPF webpage or contact Blake McDonald at (804) 482-6445.

 

Threatened Sites Grant Program

Archaeological sites are some of Virginia’s most fragile resources. Threatened Sites grants offer emergency funding for archaeological sites endangered by erosion, impending development, or vandalism. The program has saved archaeological remnants at sites across Virginia, providing important information about our past that would have been lost.

For more information, contact state archaeologist Elizabeth Moore (804) 482-6086.

 

Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund

Looking along the barrel of a Civil War-era cannon.

The Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund (the “Fund” or “VBPF”) was established under Virginia Code § 10.1-2202.4. This section stipulates that the Department of Historic Resources shall establish, administer, and make allocations from the Fund for the purpose of making grants to private nonprofit organizations for the permanent protection of Virginia battlefield lands.

Grants from the Fund shall be made solely for (i) the fee simple purchase of, or (ii) purchase of protective interests (i.e. easements) in any Virginia battlefield property listed in the following reports issued by the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program:

 

  • Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields (1993, as amended); or
  • Report to Congress on the Historic Preservation of Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Sites in the United States (2007, as amended).

Applications are evaluated and ranked in accordance with Virginia Code § 10.1-2202.4 and the eligibility and evaluation criteria contained in the grant manual.  Such factors include proximity of a battlefield parcel to already protected lands, threats to the historic setting and character of the battlefield property, and the potential for education, recreation, research, or heritage tourism associated with the project.

Conveyance of a perpetual historic preservation and open-space easement to the Virginia Board of Historic Resources is required.  Please contact Wendy Musumeci, Easement Program Coordinator, for a copy of the VBPF grant manual and application form.

DHR Announces 2022 Virginia Battlefield Preservation Grants To Protect 252 Acres

DHR hosted a virtual grant workshop for the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund on May 2, 2023. This included an overview of program requirements, scoring criteria, and application form. The workshop was recorded and can be viewed here:

 

Preservation Incentives

The following historic preservation incentives are available through DHR:

Easements. By donating a historic preservation easement on a property, landowners may be eligible for several financial incentives.

Rehabilitation Tax Credits.  Interested in rehabilitating a historic building? Property owners who complete a certified rehabilitation of a significant historic building can receive an income tax credit on 25% of their eligible expenses through the Virginia Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program and an additional 20% credit through the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program.


Other Preservation Funding

Virginia Land Conservation Fund. The Virginia Land Conservation Fund, managed by the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, offers grants to cultural projects seeking to preserve a variety of resource types including battlefields, viewsheds, and structures. For more information, contact the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Virginia Main Street Program. Communities can put the traditional assets of downtown, such as unique architecture and locally owned businesses, to work as a catalyst for economic growth and community pride through the Virginia Main Street Program, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Updated May 8, 2023