FY2022 Historic Preservation Fund- African American Civil Rights- Preservation Grants | P22AS00648

Opportunity Information: Apply for P22AS00648

The FY2022 Historic Preservation Fund - African American Civil Rights - Preservation Grants opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number P22AS00648) is a discretionary grant program run by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), under the African American Civil Rights Grant Program (AACR). Its purpose is to help document, interpret, and preserve places that tell the story of the African American fight for equal rights as citizens, covering the full scope of that history from the transatlantic slave trade to the present. In evaluating what kinds of sites and projects are appropriate, NPS points applicants to its 2008 framework report, Civil Rights in America: A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites, which is used as a guide for identifying and justifying significance.

This specific announcement, P22AS00648, is only for physical preservation of historic sites. The funding is meant to support tangible preservation outcomes at historic properties connected to African American civil rights history. Projects can include a broad range of preservation work and related professional services, such as architectural and engineering services, historic structure reports, preservation plans, and the actual repair, rehabilitation, stabilization, or other physical preservation treatments to historic structures. Awards are made through a competitive process, and a notable feature is that the program does not require a non-federal match, which can make it more accessible to applicants that do not have cash or donated-services match available.

It is important to distinguish this opportunity from the companion AACR announcement for non-construction work. NPS separated funding into different notices: P22AS00648 is strictly for physical preservation projects, while P22AS00647 is for historical research, documentation, survey work, and nomination-type projects. Applicants are expected to choose the correct opportunity number based on the core nature of their work, because submitting under the wrong announcement could make an otherwise strong proposal ineligible for consideration.

Eligible applicants are broad and include many types of public, nonprofit, tribal, and educational organizations. Specifically, the program allows applications from state, county, and city/township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other tribal organizations; and nonprofits both with and without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in the nonprofit categories listed). This breadth is designed to reflect the reality that civil rights sites and stewardship responsibilities often span local governments, community nonprofits, faith-based or community-based entities, and educational institutions.

For FY2022, Public Law 117-103 provided a total of $21.75 million for the AACR Grant Program. Under this particular funding notice, NPS listed an award ceiling of $750,000 per grant and anticipated making about 100 awards, indicating an intent to fund a relatively large number of projects nationally rather than concentrating funds in only a handful of very large awards. The assistance listing is associated with CFDA number 15.904, and the program falls within arts, humanities, and related cultural affairs-oriented funding activity categories, consistent with historic preservation and public history goals.

Timing and submission requirements are strict. The opportunity was posted August 4, 2022, with an application deadline of November 8, 2022, and electronically submitted applications were due no later than 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date. NPS emphasizes that applicants are responsible for ensuring their proposals are received by the deadline, recommends submitting well ahead of time because application preparation can take weeks, and states that late applications will not be reviewed or considered for award.

NPS also flags a separate but related program that some applicants might consider depending on site significance and project focus: the History of Equal Rights grant program (P22AS00644). That program is also for physical preservation, but it is broader in scope, covering sites involved in the struggle for all Americans civil rights, and it had a different closing date (September 13, 2022).

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the arts (see cultural affairs in cfda), humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2022 Historic Preservation Fund- African American Civil Rights- Preservation Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.904.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 04, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 08, 2022 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159#160PM, ET on the listed application due date.Applicants are held responsible for their proposals being submitted to the National Park Service. Applications must be received by the date above. Applicants are encouraged to submit the application well before the deadline.Application preparation time may take several weeks. Start the application process as soon as possible. Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed or considered for award. #160If it is determined that a proposal was not considered due to lateness, the applicant will be notified after the selection process.#160. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for P22AS00648

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