Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area is thrilled to announce the Fall 2025 (FY26) Mini-Grant Round!
Each year, Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area (CCHA) awards mini-grants of up to $5,000 to heritage area partner organizations and local governments. This years Grant Application will open on September 1, 2025, and applications are due by October 3, 2025 at 11:59pm.
Funded primarily by a Block Grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA), mini-grants can be used to create, launch, and implement programs, activities, products, partnerships, interpretive signs, lectures and public events that support and help reinforce the Chesapeake Crossroads mission: To enhance support and promote heritage tourism, preservation, and/or the stewardship of historical, cultural, and natural resources across the Heritage Area.
New this year, the streamlined application will be submitted online, and the mandatory Mini-Grant workshop will be through a self-paced video you can watch on your own time. You MUST complete a brief quiz before you begin your application. We also will be considering advance funding requests for a portion of the grant funding. While the mini-grant program has to date been fully “reimbursable,” and organizations were responsible for expending all costs upfront before they received money, we recognize that this is a barrier for smaller non-profits that might not have the cash available to launch and support meaningful and impactful projects. To help lower that start-up cost barrier, CCHA will consider on a case-by-case basis, requests for the release of up to 40% of the full grant funds upfront, if the organization can make a clear and compelling case for the need.
This year, Chesapeake Crossroads encourages proposals that:
- Launch or occur during the “Maryland Day ALL Week” of March 19 – 25, 2026;
- Programs or events that include strong collaboration with other CCHA partners;
- Projects that observe or commemorate an upcoming historical anniversary, such as the U.S. Semiquincentennial (250th) or the founding of the B&O Railroad in 1827;
- Proposals that result in a historic wayside marker or interpretive sign; or
- Projects that address unanticipated programmatic hardship related to cuts or delays in Federal funding.
More info on this year’s Mini-Grant program new process can be found at https://chesapeakecrossroads.org/grants/mini-grants/ . Non-profit organizations and municipalities are eligible to apply for projects that will take place within the boundaries of the Heritage Area. While the grant cap is $5,000, most awards in recent years have averaged $2,500 to $3,000, given the incredible demand for support from so many CCHA partners. Applicants must provide a one-to-one match (any combination of cash or In-Kind). Partial funding is likely for aplications requesting more than $3,000. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss your project. Ready to dive in? Download the FY26 Guidelines HERE