Preservation Assistance
Preservation Assistance
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) administers a variety of incentive programs available for the preservation of historic properties and resources, including:
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP)
NYS and Federal Commercial Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs
Owners of income-producing certified historic properties may be eligible for 20% federal and 20% to 30% state historic preservation income tax credits for rehabilitation projects through the Commercial Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs. To qualify for the state credit, projects must have been approved to receive the federal credit AND be located in a qualifying census tract. The 30% state credit is available to projects below $2.5 million in total qualifying expenditures.
NYS Historic Homeownership Tax Credit Program
Owners who occupy certified historic residential buildings in qualifying census tracts may qualify for a tax credit equal to 20% of qualified rehabilitation expenses associated with repair, maintenance, and upgrades through the Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Credit Program.
New York State Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit
Owners of historic barns may qualify for a New York State tax incentive for qualified rehabilitation work. The Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit program offers a state income tax credit equal to 25% of the qualified expenditures incurred to rehabilitate a historic barn.
NYS Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) Grants (OPRHP, SHPO)
The Environmental Protection Fund Grant Program offers a source of funding for capital projects that protect the environment and enhance communities in the Parks, Historic Preservation, and Heritage Area categories. Several state agencies administer the funds and award grants to eligible state-led projects, or to partnerships, either between state agencies and municipalities or between state agencies and non-profit organizations.
Certified Local Government Planning Grants (OPRHP, SHPO/NPS)
Competitive funds are awarded among applicants from Certified Local Governments in good standing to projects that address the goals of identifying, evaluating, nominating, and protecting a community’s cultural resources. The Certified Local Government Planning Grants are offered annually.
New York State National Maritime Heritage Subgrant Program
The New York State National Heritage subgrant program, funded through the National Park Service and the National Maritime Heritage Grant Program, supports education and preservation projects related to maritime heritage in New York State.
Parks & Trails NY
The Parks and Trails Partnership Program
is open to organizations whose mission includes the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, environmental education, maintenance, and/or promotion of a New York State park, trail, historic site, or public land under the jurisdiction of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) or the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). These organizations are typically referred to as “Friends groups”. Eligible applicants must be registered nonprofits who have a formal memorandum or agreement with OPRHP or DEC.
Outside of OPRHP, there are a variety of other program available.
The following is a list of active funding sources that may assist in the implementation of historic preservation goals and objectives. This list is not meant to be exhaustive or complete.
Advocates, property stewards, and potential owners of historic properties are encouraged to contact their community’s local development or planning office, as these entities may be able to offer advice or assistance to identify additional incentives at the local and regional levels (e.g., low-interest loans, tax exemptions, small grants, etc.).
National Sources of Funding
National Park Service
Underrepresented Communities Grant Program
The Underrepresented Communities Grant Program supports the survey, inventory, and designation of historic properties that are associated with communities currently underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places and among National Historic Landmarks. Eligible applicants are limited to State Historic Preservation Offices, federally recognized Tribes, and Certified Local Governments (CLGs).
Save America’s Treasures Grant Program
Save America’s Treasures Grant Program helps preserve nationally significant historic properties and collections that convey our nation’s rich heritage to future generations. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, units of state or local government, federally recognized Tribes, active religious organizations, and educational institutions.
African American Civil Rights Grant Program
The African American Civil Rights Grant Program supports projects to document, interpret, and preserve the sites related to the African American struggle to gain equal rights as citizens. Eligible applicants include States, federally recognized Tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations.
History of Equal Rights Grant Program
The History of Equal Rights Grant Program preserves sites related to the struggle of all people to achieve equal rights in America. Grants are not limited to any specific group and are intended to include the broadest possible interpretation of sites associated with efforts to achieve equal rights. This program funds physical preservation work and pre-preservation planning activities for sites that are listed on or determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Paul Bruhn Rural Revitalization Grant Program
The Paul Bruhn Rural Revitalization Grant Program supports subgrant programs that enable the rehabilitation of historic properties and rehabilitate, protect, and foster economic development of rural communities. This program funds historic preservation projects for historic sites, including architectural and engineering services and physical building preservation, through subgrants to communities determined rural by the US Census Bureau.
Tribal Heritage Grant Program
The Tribal Heritage Grant Program assists federally recognized Tribes in protecting and promoting their unique cultural heritage and traditions.
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Grant Program
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Grant Program seeks to increase the number of successful returns of Native American human remains and cultural items. Eligible applicants include museums with NAGPRA collections and Indian Tribes. Funding is available to support efforts in consulting and documenting NAGPRA-related human remains and cultural items in non-federal collections and to defray costs associated with the packaging, transportation, contamination removal, and/or storage of NAGPRA-related human remains and cultural items.
American Battlefield Protection Program
The American Battlefield Protection Program offers four types of grants:
- Battlefield Preservation Planning Grants are awarded annually to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, state, local, and Tribal governments, and other public entities sponsoring preservation projects at historic battlefields.
- Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants are awarded to state and local governments seeking fee simple acquisition of eligible Revolutionary War, War of 1912, or Civil War battlefield land.
- Battlefield Restoration Grants are awarded to state, local, and Tribal governments and nonprofit organizations to restore eligible American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War sites to day-of battle conditions.
- Battlefield Interpretation Grants are awarded to state, local, and Tribal governments and nonprofit organizations proposing projects and programs to enhance interpretation and education at Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War battlefield sites eligible for Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants.
National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust Preservation Funds
The National Trust Preservation Funds are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects to nonprofit organizations and public agencies.
African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
- African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund grants are designed to advance ongoing preservation activities for historic places such as sites, museums, and landscapes representing African American cultural heritage
- Conserving Black Modernism, a part of the Action Fund’s national grant program, is designed to empower and equip preservationists and stewards with funding and technical support to preserve the material heritage, innovation, and legacy of modern architectural sites designed by Black architects
- Grants from the Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative support project management, capacity-building, grant-making, and convenings for place-based organizations, in a two-year collaboration.
- Annual grants from Preserving Black Churches are intended to preserve historic Black houses of worship- either with active congregations or nonactive congregations – and advance ongoing preservation activities while strengthening capacity for historic congregations, and preservation and community awards to steward, manage, and better utilize their historic structures.
National Fund for Sacred Places
The National Fund for Sacred Places, a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, provides technical and financial support to historic houses of worship and their congregations.
Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation
The Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation aims to save historic environments to foster an appreciation of our nation’s diverse cultural heritage and to preserve and revitalize the livability of the nation’s communities. Public agencies and nonprofit organizations are eligible. Individuals and for-profit businesses may apply only if the project for which funding is requested involves a National Historic Landmark.
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Fund for Historic Interiors assists in the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of historic interiors. Public agencies and nonprofit organizations are eligible. Individuals and for-profit businesses may apply only if the project for which funding is requested involves a National Historic Landmark.
New York State National Maritime Heritage Subgrant Program
The New York State National Heritage subgrant program, funded through the National Park Service and the National Maritime Heritage Grant Program, supports education and preservation projects related to maritime heritage in New York State.
Funding Opportunities with Statewide Organizations
Preserve New York (NYSCA, Preservation League of New York State)
Preserve New York makes grants for historic structure reports, building condition reports, cultural landscape reports, and cultural resource surveys. Applicants must be a unit of local government of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group. State agencies, private property owners, and religious institutions are not eligible to apply.
Technical Assistance Grants (NYSCA, Preservation League of New York State)
The Technical Assistance Grant Program supports discrete projects that preserve cultural and historic resources. Grants are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit groups and municipalities that own or have a long-term lease on buildings that house historic sites, museums, arts facilities, and other important institutions that serve an arts or cultural purpose and are open to the public. State agencies, private property owners, and religious institutions are not eligible to apply.
Donal Stephen Gratz Preservation Services Fund (Preservation League of New York State)
The primary goals of the Gatz Fund are to fund professional services for preservation projects that: illustrate the benefits of the New York State Historic Tax Credit Program; leverage other public and private investments; and enable the League to react quickly to preservation opportunities with financial resources. Priority is given to projects in the Utica area whenever possible.
Northeast Heritage Economy Grant Program (Preservation League of New York State)
The Northeast Heritage Economy Grant Program provides grants to community-driven preservation projects to address the negative economic shift produced by the chronic and consistent decline of the forest products industry in the areas of the Northen Border Regional Commission (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine).
William G. Pomeroy Foundation Historic Signage Grant Programs
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation offers multiple marker grant programs designed to help people celebrate their community’s history and cultural heritage. The program is open to local, state, and federal government entities, nonprofit academic institutions, and 501(c)(3) organizations.
Sacred Sites Program (New York Landmarks Conservancy)
The New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Sacred Sites Program provides congregations with matching grants for planning and implementing exterior restoration projects, technical assistance, and workshops. Eligible properties must be listed in the State or National Registers of Historic Places and actively used for worship.
NYS Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
NYSCA welcomes applications from organizations in design fields, which include architecture, landscape architecture, and historic preservation, to apply for funding. Applicants must be nonprofit organizations incorporated or registered to do business in New York State, Native American tribes in New York State, and units of government in municipalities in New York State. An organization must have its principal place of business located in New York serving the state’s constituents.
NYS Main Street Program (NYS Homes & Community Renewal)
The New York Main Street grant program provides funds to units of local government and not-for-profit organizations that are committed to revitalizing historic downtowns, mixed-used neighborhood commercial districts, and village centers.
Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (NYS Homes & Community Renewal)
The NYS Low-Incoming Housing Tax Credit Program is modeled after the federal Low Income Housing Credit program and offers a dollar-for-dollar reduction in state taxes to investors in qualified low-income housing that meet the requirements of Article 2-A of the Public Housing Law. The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program may be combined with the Historic Tax Credit programs.
Funding Opportunities with Regional Organizations
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Grants
The New York State Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Grants support tourism and recreation along the New York State Canal System (Canal waterways and Canalway Trail). The program prioritizes support for tourism infrastructure and amenity improvements and events. Funding is open to counties, municipalities, units of local government, not-for-profit organizations, and federally recognized Native American tribes.
Hudson River Valley Greenway Grants & Funding
The Hudson River Valley Greenway Grants and sponsorship programs fund various projects, including natural and cultural resource protection, regional planning, heritage and environmental education, and public access initiatives.
Locally Concentrated Sources of Funding
NYC Historic Properties Fund (New York Landmark Conservancy)
The New York City Historic Properties Fund offers low-interest loans and project management assistance to owners of historic residential, nonprofit, religious, and commercial properties throughout the city- mostly in low-to-moderate income communities.
NYC Emergency Preservation Grants (New York Landmarks Conservancy)
When an immediate hazard threatens a landmark building, the NYC Emergency Preservation Grants program can direct resources toward immediately needed work on historic properties owned by nonprofit organizations. It tends to address discrete exterior building problems that have recently arisen, such as new leaks, fire damage, and falling masonry.
Nonprofit Technical Assistance Grant Program (New York Landmarks Conservancy)
The Nonprofit Technical Assistance Grant Program (formerly City Ventures Fund) works with nonprofit organizations to retain the period details of both landmark buildings and non-landmark buildings that are architecturally significant that are being converted to affordable housing or other uses that benefit lower-income communities.
Queens Historic Properties Fund (New York Landmarks Conservancy)
The Queens Historic Properties Fund offers low-interest loans and project management assistance to owners of historic residential, nonprofit, religious, and commercial buildings in Queens.
NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Historic Preservation Grant Program
The NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) Historic Preservation Grant Program offers grants ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 primarily for façade restoration to not-for-profit organizations and income-eligible owners of buildings located in historic districts or designated individual landmarks. The grants are funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).
Preservation Buffalo Niagara Historic Loan Fund
The Historic Home Loan Fund (HHLF) was established to enhance Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s mission of historic preservation by providing financing for the preservation, improvement, restoration, and/or rehabilitation of locally designated homes in the city of Buffalo to low-income homeowners. In addition to providing needed capital, the HHLF provides technical assistance to low-income property owners in historic districts.