CROWNSVILLE, MD – The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), a division of the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning), and the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) today announced the availability of $1,000,000 in grant funds through the African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP).
The goal of the AAHPP is to identify and preserve buildings, communities, and sites of historical and cultural importance to the African American experience in Maryland. This competitive program, offered once per year, is supported through an annual appropriation from the Maryland General Assembly, and is administered as a partnership of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture and MHT. Grant awards range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $100,000. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations and local jurisdictions. Business entities and individuals may also apply for program grants when seeking funds for a preservation or development project that serves a high public purpose. Eligible projects include acquisition, construction, capital improvement, and certain predevelopment costs for African American heritage properties.
The program website, https://mht.maryland.gov/grants_africanamerican.shtml, has guidelines, a link to the recorded grant overview webinar, and a link to the online application. Completed grant applications must be submitted online by midnight on July 1, 2021.
For assistance with programming, project prioritization, and heritage interpretation contact Chanel Compton, MCAAHC Executive Director, at chanel.compton@maryland.gov or (410) 216-6190. For assistance with technical construction or preservation questions, eligibility requirements, or the application, contact Charlotte Lake, Ph.D., MHT Capital Grant and Loan Programs Administrator, at charlotte.lake@maryland.gov or (410) 697-9559.
The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture is committed to discovering, documenting, preserving, collecting, and promoting Maryland’s African American heritage. The Commission also provides technical assistance to institutions and groups with similar objectives. Through the accomplishment of this mission, the MCAAHC seeks to educate Maryland citizens and visitors about the significance and impact of the African American experience in Maryland.
The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) is a state agency dedicated to preserving and interpreting the legacy of Maryland’s past. Through research, conservation and education, the Trust assists the people of Maryland in understanding their historical and cultural heritage. The Trust is an agency of the Maryland Department of Planning and serves as Maryland’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
# # #
~ Maryland Historical Trust