SOS! Funding Sources for Conservation
Stewards of America's outdoor sculpture are encouraged to incorporate public programming into sculpture preservation projects. Projects that preserve and educate the public have a stronger likelihood of receiving funding. General deadlines are listed; contact organizations/agencies for specific dates.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
www.arts.endow.gov; 202-682-5400
Grants generally range from $5,000 to $150,000 and require a match of at least 1:1.
Access to Artistic Excellence
To foster and preserve excellence in the arts and provide access to the arts for all Americans, including conservation of public sculpture. An organization may request a grant amount from $5,000 to $150,000.
Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants
To support projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations. Grants are for $10,000.
Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth
To advance arts education for children and youth. An organization may request a grant amount from $5,000 to $150,000.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
www.neh.gov
Preservation and Access
Grants are made to projects "that preserve collections and create intellectual access to collections that, because of their intellectual content and value as cultural artifacts, are considered highly important for research, education, and public programming in the humanities." Funds are provided for conservation treatment, development and presentation of courses or programs on the care and management of collections for staff, documentation of material culture and art collections, digitization of collections to enhance their accessibility, development of oral histories as primary resources, and other related activities. For more information, call 202-606-8570.
Public Programs
Grants for projects that foster public understanding and appreciation of the humanities through interpretive exhibitions, radio and television programs, lectures, symposia, multimedia projects, printed materials, and reading and discussion groups. For more information, call 202-606-8267.
Other
Various grants are available to scholars, teachers, and educational institutions to support research in the humanities. Challenge grants provide assistance to nonprofit institutions "interested in developing new sources of long-term support for educational, scholarly, preservation, and public programs in the humanities." Call 202-606-8309.
Save America's Treasures
www.nps.gov/history/hps/treasures/
Provides grants for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts, including sculpture. The minimum grant for "collections" (the category that funds sculpture) is $25,000; the program requires a dollar-for-dollar non-federal match. This means that the total project cost must be at least $50,000. Projects must be of national significance, demonstrate an urgent preservation need, have an educational or otherwise clear public benefit, and demonstrate the likely availability of matching funds. The Federal Save America's Treasures Grants are administered by the National Park Service in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
Getty Foundation
www.getty.edu/grants/
The Getty Foundation provides grants that support museums and other cultural organizations for a wide range of projects focused on the conservation and management of artwork collections as well as historic buildings, districts, landscapes, and archaeological sites. There are no deadlines for conservation grants.
The History Channel's Save Our History
www.saveourhistory.com
Grants of up to $10,000 are available to history organizations that design and execute local history education and preservation projects in collaboration with schools or youth groups. Projects must be unique and hands-on, teach students about important aspects of their local history, and actively engage participants in the preservation of significant and potentially endangered pieces of their local heritage. Applicants must link their projects to students' in-class (or extracurricular) education through the Save Our History Educator's Manual.
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT)
www.ncptt.nps.gov
NCPTT advances the application of science and technology to historic preservation. Grants of up to $40,000 are available to fund the agency’s research priorities: protecting cultural resources against vandalism, looting, terrorism and natural disasters; conserving architectural materials of the "recent past;" developing appropriate technologies to preserve houses of worship and cemeteries; monitoring and evaluating preservation treatments; studying environmental effects of pollution on cultural resources; and documenting and preserving threatened cultural landscapes. NCPTT supports single year projects. A call for proposals in late summer is followed by a deadline of late December. There is a searchable database of grants and projects online.
National Park Service (NPS)
www.nps.gov
The Challenge Cost-Share Program
The program was established so the NPS "could increase participation by neighboring communities, volunteer groups, universities, and others to preserve natural, recreational, and cultural resources for which the Service is responsible." The broad range of projects that have been funded include the rehabilitation of historic structures and buildings, heritage education programs, new interpretive exhibits, and site stabilization or restoration. The program requires a 1:1 match of up to $30,000. Visit www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/ccsp/index.htm for more information.
Historic Preservation Fund
Activities funded include architectural, historical, and archaeological surveys; nominations to the National Register of Historic Places; staff work for historic preservation commissions; design guidelines and preservation plans; public outreach materials such as publications, videos, exhibits, and brochures; training for commission members and staff; and rehabilitation or restoration of sculptures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Funding decisions are made and the criteria is set annually by each state’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO); some have decided to fund preservation of public sculpture. SHPOs may also have access to state and local funds. For more information, visit www.cr.nps.gov/hps/hpf/. To find your SHPO contact: National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, Hall of the States, 444 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 342, Washington, DC 20001-7572, 202-624-5465, FAX 202-624-5419, www.ncshpo.org.
National Science Foundation (NSF)
www.nsf.gov; 703-292-5111
Under the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education, NSF has two program areas that could fund a science education program about sculpture conservation.
Instructional Materials Development
Seeks to create curricula in math, science, and technology that enhance classroom instruction preK-12 and lead to increased interest.
Informal Science Education
Funding available “to provide rich and stimulating opportunities outside formal school settings, where individuals of all ages, interests, and backgrounds increase their appreciation and understanding of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.”
National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP)
www.nthp.org; 800-944-6847
For more information on the funds listed below visit the Center for Preservation Leadership section of the Web site.
Preservation Services Fund
Provides matching grants from $500 to $5,000 for preservation planning and education efforts. Funds may be used to support consultants with professional expertise.
The National Preservation Loan Fund and the Inner-City Ventures Fund
Loans of up to $350,000 to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to acquire and/or rehabilitate historic buildings, sites, and districts, and to preserve National Historic Landmarks.
The Johanna Favrot Fund
Grants of $2,500-10,000 to nonprofit organizations, government agencies, for-profit businesses, and individuals “for projects that contribute to the preservation or the recapture of an authentic sense of place.” Funds may be used for consultant services and/or designing and implementing innovative preservation education programs.
Transportation Enhancements
The National Trust’s Web site very clearly outlines which aspects of the federal transportation bill can be used to fund preservation projects with functional, economic, visual, or other links to the transportation system. Sculpture preservation projects are eligible. Funds are administered through each state’s department of transportation. Visit the Transportation category of the Issues and Initiatives section on the site.
National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
www.archives.gov/grants/; 202-501-5610
NHPRC is the grant making affiliate of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). It "supports a wide range of activities to preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources relating to the history of the United States." Funding is available for projects that deal with the collection, preservation, and dissemination of documentary source material. The Commission does not fund activities that undertake the conservation or exhibition of "archaeological artifacts, museum objects, or works of art." You can also apply for grants to collect, preserve, and publish documents important to understanding American history.
The Foundation Center
www.fdncenter.org; 212-620-4230
The Foundation Center serves a clearinghouse function. It disseminates information on foundations, corporate giving, and related subjects. The Center’s audiences include grantseekers, grantmakers, researchers, policymakers, the media, and the general public.
Heritage Emergency National Task Force
www.heritageemergency.org; 202-233-0800
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force was formed in 1995 to help cultural organizations and local agencies better protect their collections and buildings from natural disasters and other emergencies. Sponsored by the nonprofit Heritage Preservation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Task Force is a partnership of 40 federal agencies and national service organizations. Together its members constitute a nationwide resource of information, expertise, and assistance. The Task Force offers several publications to guide cultural institutions in obtaining the funding they need to recover from disaster. Before and After Disasters: Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions, a guide to funding for mitigation and recovery from 15 federal grant and loan programs, is available on the Web site as a free PDF. Printed copies can be ordered from the FEMA publications office (phone 800-480-2520). Federal program rules and eligibility are explained, along with helpful sample projects and contact information. The Guide to Navigating FEMA and SBA Disaster Aid for Cultural Institutions outlines relevant policies and provides copies of required forms. The Guide is available online or as a free PDF.