The Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area is now seeking matching grant applications for projects that enhance heritage tourism, museum programming, stewardship, and community heritage activities in Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties. Nonprofit groups and governmental agencies may compete for up to $100,000 in statewide grants administered by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA).
Applicants for the grants must be in the state-certified portion of the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, which currently includes most unincorporated areas of Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties. It also includes the following towns: Betterton, Centreville, Chestertown, Denton, Easton, Federalsburg, Goldsboro, Greensboro, Hillsboro, Millington, Oxford, Preston, Queen Anne, Queenstown, Ridgely, Rock Hall, St. Michaels, Sudlersville, and Tilghman Island.
Non-Capital.
Grants of up to $50,000, with a required one-to-one match of non-state support, are available for non-capital projects, which can include Planning (research, field investigation, data recovery, feasibility and planning studies, design documents and other planning activities that support the heritage area); Interpretation (exhibits, signage, pedestrian wayfinding signage, interpretive brochures, educational programs and materials, other interpretive activities that support the heritage area); and Programming (seminars, conferences, performances, reenactments, commemorations, festivals).
Capital
Grants of up to $100,000, with a required one-to-one match of non-state support, are available for capital projects, which can include Acquisition(fee title of real property, interest other than fee title (i.e. easement) of real property); Development (repair or alteration of an existing building, structure or site, new construction for heritage tourism purposes); Rehabilitation (returning a property to a state of utility); Restoration (accurately depicting a property as it appeared at a particular period of time, removal of features from another time period, reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period); and Pre-Development (plans and specifications, fees for architectural design and engineering)
Project requirements include grantees providing a match of at least 100 percent. A minimum of 75 percent of the match must be in cash; the remainder may be in donated services and products or volunteer labor.
Project applications are first reviewed by the Board of Directors of the Eastern Shore Heritage, Inc. (ESHI), which is the managing entity for the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area. Funds would be available to successful applicants in early 2019; matching funds may be spent after grants are awarded in Mid -July 2019.
All applicants are strongly advised to discuss grant ideas with representatives from the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area.
Click Here to learn more or contact Gail Owings at the Stories of the Chesapeake – 410-778-1460 info@storiesofthechesapeake.org; or attend one of the upcoming workshops or webinars.