Action Fund’s 2025 National Grant Program Awards $3M to Preserve 24 Sites Nationwide

The National Grant Program is a signature initiative of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This year, $3 million in grants will support twenty-four sites across the country that represent Black American joy, resilience, innovation, and activism.

This year’s awardees include the first cohort of the Action Fund’s Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative (DFS). Supported by the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place program, DFS empowers descendant community and family-led organizations to be leaders in the physical preservation, interpretative programming, management, and governance of historic Black places.

“At the Action Fund, we believe everyone can be a preservationist. Through our partnership with the Mellon Foundation, the Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative represents this enduring commitment to help grassroots communities and families share their stories of resilience and power.” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and senior vice president at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Grants that support the physical preservation and management of these incredible places are crucial to keeping our nation’s history alive. We hope this investment will further empower these communities to be leaders in this important effort.”

Additionally, this year’s announcement includes the third round of Conserving Black Modernism grants, a program designed to protect and promote the work of African American architects. These five sites will receive preservation funding through the Action Fund’s partnership with the Getty Foundation.

The National Grant Program overall is also made possible through support from the Ford Foundation and the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation. Keep reading below to learn more about this year’s grantees.