Project Grants

The Project Grant program administered by the New Jersey Historical Commission is a state-funded initiative designed to support projects that advance public knowledge, preservation, and engagement with New Jersey history. The Commission, established in 1967 as part of the New Jersey Department of State, has a longstanding mission to foster historical understanding as a foundation for civic engagement and democratic participation. Through its grantmaking programs, including Project Grants, the Commission supports a wide range of activities that interpret, preserve, and expand access to the state’s historical resources for diverse audiences. The purpose of the Project Grant program is to fund discrete, well-defined projects that contribute to the exploration, interpretation, and preservation of New Jersey history. Funded projects must demonstrate public benefit and align with program goals such as broadening audience engagement, strengthening historical organizations, increasing accessibility of historical resources, and promoting inclusive narratives. Eligible project types include conservation of historical materials, digitization initiatives, educational programming, exhibitions, research, publications, media production, and public programs. The program explicitly prohibits funding for projects that promote political, religious, or ideological advocacy. Applicants may request up to 20000 dollars in funding to support project-related expenses. Allowable costs include personnel wages, consultant fees, archival materials, digitization services, travel for research, publication costs, and exhibition fabrication. Administrative expenses are capped at 25 percent of the total request for organizations without general operating support. Matching requirements vary based on organizational budget: organizations with annual budgets of at least 500000 dollars must provide a 50 percent match, which may include in-kind contributions, while smaller organizations are not required to provide matching funds. Eligibility for the program includes both individuals and organizations, provided they meet specified criteria. Organizations must demonstrate a commitment to New Jersey history, meet minimum budget thresholds if applying directly, and show evidence of broad audience impact. Entities that do not meet eligibility requirements may apply through designated county regrant agencies. Ineligible applicants include state and federal government entities and organizations with outstanding reporting obligations. Applicants must also adhere to professional standards in their respective disciplines and ensure public accessibility of project outcomes. The application process is conducted entirely through the System for Administering Grants Electronically. Applicants must first submit a Declaration of Intent, which is reviewed for eligibility before granting access to the full application. The complete application includes multiple components such as a general information form, narrative, detailed budget, resumes, support materials, and required documentation of partnerships or consultant commitments. All materials must be submitted by the stated deadline, and no revisions are permitted after submission. For the fiscal year 2027 cycle, the Declaration of Intent is due on February 27, 2026, and the full application must be submitted by March 27, 2026, both by 300 p.m. Eastern Time. Late or incomplete submissions are not considered. Award notifications are expected in August 2026. Applications undergo an independent peer review process based on criteria such as public benefit, professional standards, budget feasibility, audience engagement strategies, and commitment to inclusive history. The grant period is determined by the applicant but must align with the fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30, and cannot begin before award announcements. Final reports are required within 30 days of the grant period’s conclusion. Applicants may contact the New Jersey Historical Commission for assistance or clarification during the application process. The program operates on an annual cycle with a single application window, reflecting its structured and competitive funding approach.

Emphasize clear public benefit and audience engagement; demonstrate professional standards; include detailed work plan and evaluation strategy; align with inclusive history priorities