African American Heritage Grant - Education Grants 

The New York State African American Heritage Grant Program is administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Division for Historic Preservation in partnership with the New York State Commission on African American History and the New York State Department of State. The program was created to support nonprofit organizations and municipalities in documenting, interpreting, preserving, and sharing places and stories connected to African American history and culture throughout New York State. Funding for the program comes from a New York State appropriation intended to promote a greater understanding of the history and achievements of African Americans and people of African descent across the state. The program specifically supports projects focused on the historical period between 1627, when the first enslaved Africans arrived in New Amsterdam, and 1975, corresponding with the Black Arts and Black Power movements. The Education Grant category supports projects that increase public awareness and understanding of African American history through education, interpretation, research, programming, and documentation activities. Eligible education projects include oral history initiatives, educational programming, digital storytelling platforms, websites, mobile applications, audiovisual programming, exhibitions, tours, interpretive signage, public art with educational components, historic resource surveys, digitization and archiving projects, and National Register nominations. Cemetery and burial ground research projects may also qualify when they contribute publicly accessible historical research. Education projects that involve physical installations such as public art or signage on property not owned by the applicant require proof of permission through a signed Owner Consent Form at the time of application. The grant program emphasizes projects that uplift and amplify African American contributions, experiences, and cultural influence in New York State communities. Education Grants are funded through approximately $2.8 million in anticipated funding distributed over two anticipated funding rounds. Awards range from a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $150,000. Matching funds are welcomed but are not required. The grant operates on a reimbursement basis, meaning successful applicants must initially cover project expenses and later submit reimbursement requests with supporting documentation. Projects funded through this opportunity must be completed and closed out by August 2030. Certain costs are explicitly ineligible for reimbursement, including work completed before award execution, indirect costs such as rent and utilities, fundraising expenses, conference attendance, travel, food and entertainment expenses, lobbying activities, building demolition, and property acquisition. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations registered in New York State and municipalities including cities, villages, towns, and counties. Examples of eligible nonprofits include Black cultural institutions, historical societies, preservation organizations, museums, cemetery associations, and faith-based organizations operating nonsectarian and publicly accessible programming. Nonprofit applicants must be prequalified within the New York State Statewide Financial System by the full application deadline of August 3, 2026. Sectarian organizations must ensure funded activities remain accessible to the general public and are not limited to religious purposes. Applicants are also expected to include qualified professional services relevant to their proposed project, such as historians, graphic designers, planners, or researchers. The application process begins with a mandatory online pre-application questionnaire due by May 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. The questionnaire requests contact information, organization details, project category, project description, requested funding amount, total project cost, and signature. Eligible applicants will receive access to the full application package by June 1, 2026. Full applications are due by August 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Required application attachments include a Project Narrative Criteria Worksheet, resumes of key personnel and consultants, an Itemized Budget Worksheet, documentation of community support, photographs where applicable, and optional supporting planning or engineering documentation. Applicants leasing property or operating on property not owned by them must also provide an Owner Consent Form. Education Grant applications are evaluated on a 100-point scoring system with an additional potential 10 priority points. Review criteria include project scope and timeline, organizational capacity, public benefit, significance to African American history, project budget quality, and community support. Public benefit scoring considers accessibility for individuals with disabilities and plans for maintaining public access to project deliverables after completion. Additional priority consideration may be awarded to organizations committed to African American history and culture, projects representing equitable geographic distribution, and projects addressing underrepresented themes or resources. Informational webinars were scheduled for April 28 and April 30, 2026, with recorded sessions available beginning May 7, 2026. Award announcements are anticipated in November 2026. Education project questions may be directed to India Futterman at India.futterman@parks.ny.gov, while budget or contracting questions may be directed to Katherine Raymond at katherine.raymond@parks.ny.gov.