A historic Rosenwald School Rosenwald School
Action Fund / Grants

Funding the places that hold our history.

The Action Fund's grants show the beauty and complexity of Black history and culture in America, and the urgent need to protect, preserve and interpret these places. Requirements and deadlines vary by program.

$57M+
in national grants since 2018
5
grant programs and stewardship initiatives
27
historic sites in the 2026 National Grant cohort
$13.5M
awarded in one round of Preserving Black Churches

When to apply.

Every application window at a glance. Programs with rolling or partnership-based funding are listed below.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Hotel Metropolitan, Paducah, Kentucky

Action Fund National Grant Program

Advances ongoing preservation at historic places such as sites, museums and landscapes that represent African American cultural heritage.

Capital projectsOrganizational capacityProject planningProgramming & interpretation
OpenedJan 13, 2026ClosedFeb 6, 2026
Guidelines and application →
Architect Amaza Lee Meredith at work in 1958

Conserving Black Modernism

With the Getty Foundation, empowers and equips preservationists and stewards to protect the legacy of modern architectural sites designed by Black architects.

Getty FoundationModern architecture
OpenedJan 13, 2026ClosedFeb 20, 2026
Program information →
16th Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama

Preserving Black Churches

With support from Lilly Endowment Inc., helps historic Black churches and congregations use preservation to address their needs and the cultural assets and stories they steward.

Lilly Endowment Inc.Congregations
OpenedAug 5, 2026ClosedSep 11, 2026
Guidelines and eligibility →
Students of the Hungerford School in Eatonville, Florida, in 1933

Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative

Supported by the Mellon Foundation, helps descendant communities and family-led organizations lead the physical preservation, interpretation, management and governance of historic African American places.

Mellon FoundationCommunity-led
Program information →
Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland

HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative

With the National Endowment for the Humanities, provides technical assistance and funds new Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plans so HBCUs can protect their campuses, buildings and landscapes.

National Endowment for the HumanitiesCampuses
Program information →

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