FY27 Mini-Grant Program Now Accepting Applications

The FY27 Mini-grant Guidelines Available Here

Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area (CCHA) awards mini-grants of up to $5,000 to heritage area partner organizations and local governments. Funds may be used to create, launch, and implement programs, activities, products, partnerships, interpretive signs, lectures, and public events that support and advance the Chesapeake Crossroads mission: to enhance support for and promote heritage tourism, preservation, and the stewardship of historical, cultural, and natural resources throughout the Heritage Area.

FY27 Application Timeline:

Applications open: August 10, 2026
1st-round applications Due: September 18, 2026
1st-round Awards announced: By October 1, 2026
2nd-round applications will be accepted through the rest of the year on a rolling basis as funding allows.

Available Funding: Approximately $40,000 is available for awards throughout FY27.

Match Requirement: Grants require a 1:1 cash or in-kind match. State funds may not be used as matching funds.

Recognition: Funded projects must acknowledge Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area and the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority in accordance with grant requirements.

Advance Payments: Up to 40% of an award may be provided in advance, upon request and subject to approval based on project needs, organizational capacity, and grant compliance.

FY27 Funding Priorities

Priority consideration will be given to projects that:

Advance CCHA’s mission by promoting heritage tourism, preservation/ sustainability, and community engagement.
Expand access to heritage resources and highlight underrepresented stories.
Strengthen partnerships among CCHA organizations and communities.
Launch or take place during Maryland Day Celebration (March 19–25, 2027).
Observe or commemorate significant historical anniversaries, including the U.S. Semiquincentennial (250th- thru 2034), the 200th anniversary of the founding of the B&O Railroad (1827–2027) or planning projects that look to Maryland’s 400th anniversary in 2034.
Creates or installs permanent interpretive resources, such as historic wayside markers or interpretive signs.