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Grant Programs

Certified Maryland State Heritage Areas, including ALTSCHA, develop and support programs, products, projects and activities which enhance the visitor experience and encourage heritage tourism. Through grant programs and technical assistance, regional heritage sites and organizations are able to enhance their facilities and upgrade their public offerings.

New! Small organizations in our heritage area (with annual operating budgets of $100,000 or less) can take advantage of our SMALL CHANGES GRANT FUND. Read more here.

 

CLICK ON THE MINI-GRANTS TAB BELOW TO GO TO THE MINI-GRANTS PAGE

MHAA Grant Opportunity

The FY2024 MHAA Grant Round is now live! 

Do you have a heritage tourism related project in mind for your organization? Perhaps you are planning to restore a historic building, create a new museum exhibit, build a visitor center, develop a walking tour mobile application, or undertake some other project that showcases Maryland’s unique historical, cultural, or natural resources. Will the project take place in a certified heritage area, including the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area? A Maryland Heritage Areas project grant may be the funding source for you!

MHAA Grant Program Basics

MHAA provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants for capital and non-capital projects located within Maryland’s 13 certified heritage areas. Non-profit organizations, local jurisdictions, state agencies, and federal agencies are all eligible to apply.

Non-capital MHAA grants are awarded for up to $50,000 per project, while capital MHAA grants are awarded for up to $100,000 per project. Projects seeking less than $5,000 in grant funding are not eligible for MHAA project grants. MHAA requires that both capital and non-capital projects support heritage tourism related activities or infrastructure.

Match Policy

Applicants may propose any combination of cash and in-kind match. This means a project might be matched entirely by volunteer time spent on the project, if that makes sense for the application budget. Read more about this and the entire application process in the Grant Guidelines: Final_FY 2024 MHAA Project Grants Guidelines

Intent to Apply

The first step in the application process is to submit a simple online questionnaire called an “Intent to Apply” form. This form is due on January 31, 2023.

Here in the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage  Area, our organization has recently adopted a new planning document, an “Updated Priorities Document,” to assist applicants in aligning their projects with heritage area priorities. Read more here.

If you have plans to write an application in the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area, or any questions about developing your project, please send an email to [email protected]  to schedule a call with Executive Director Carol Benson at your convenience. Thank you!

Writing the Grant Application

Applicants should download and read the Grant Guidelines document (see above). An enormous of amount of information is compiled for you on this website: https://mht.maryland.gov/heritageareas_partners.shtml. This includes sample blank applications, forms to be used, and a schedule of webinars.

MHAA staff will host a series of webinars and Q&A sessions to assist you with any questions you may have about the FY 2024 MHAA grant round. Here is a list of this year’s Workshops, Webinars and Sessions:

MHAA staff will host a series of webinars and Q&A sessions to assist you with any questions you may have about the FY 2024 MHAA grant round:

Virtual Webinar (also recorded) – Wed, Dec 21 | 10 AM–12 PM | Streamed live on MHAA’s YouTube channel.

In-Person Information Session: Mon, Jan 9 | 1–2 PM | MHT Headquarters: 100 Community Place, Crownsville, MD 21032
To register, click here

Virtual Q&A Sessions:

Thurs, Jan 19 | 5–6 PM | via Google Meet or dial: ‪(US) +1 240-734-0342 PIN: ‪401 749 765#

Mon, Jan 23 | 3–4 PM | via Google Meet or dial: ‪(US) +1 574-621-3704 PIN: ‪103 590 765#

Tue, Jan 31 | 10–11 AM | via Google Meet or dial: ‪(US) +1 929-299-3166 PIN: ‪257 026 949#

Fri, Feb 10 | 12–1 PM | via Google Meet or dial: ‪(US) +1 862-259-5973 PIN: ‪521 719 217#

Please contact Andrew Arvizu or Martha Waldron with any questions that you have about the application.

To read a variety of ALTSCHA’s (Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area’s) planning documents to support your application, visit our Partner Resources page.

When planning an MHAA Application, you MUST e-mail our office to set up a time for a call or zoom to discuss your organization’s prospective plans. Thank you!

The Fall 2022 (FY2023) Mini-Grant Round is now open!

Applications will be due on October 5, 2022.

The Mini-Grants are available for new heritage and preservation-related programs, activities, products, and events. We encourage Mini-Grant proposals that include collaborative partnerships and enhanced heritage tourism, preservation, and/or the stewardship of historical, cultural, and natural resources.

ALTSCHA also encourages proposals that foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility; support the development of projects for the US 250th anniversary; are consistent with regional thematic heritage-tourism related initiatives; include new technology, foster environmentally-friendly and sustainable practices at heritage sites, and/or create new heritage-related programming in the arts.

Non-profit organizations and municipalities are eligible to apply for projects that will be located within the boundaries of the  Heritage Area. The maximum award is $5,000 and applicants must provide a one-to-one match (any combination of Cash or In-Kind).

Download the Fall 2022 (FY2023) Application and Guidelines here: ALTSCHA-FY23 MINI-GRANT-Application and Guidelines-FALL 2022

The grant round is expected to be highly competitive; partial funding awards are likely. To learn more, applicants must send a representative to attend a mandatory workshop (webinar) on September 21, 2022 at 3 p.m.

Mini Grant 1

Important: please call the Executive Director, Carol Benson, in advance of the deadline to discuss your project, at 410-627-6018.

Please contact the office by e-mail at [email protected] if you have any questions, thanks!

Looking for the LOGOS for your mini-grant project?

Use this link for the MHAA Logo

Use this link for Chesapeake Crossroads Logos

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Looking to CLOSE a project mini-grant? Download the Mini-Grant Final Report Form here: https://chesapeakecrossroads.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Final-Report-Form-for-Mini-Grants-updated-August-2022-blank.docx

Interested in reading about Past Grants Awarded by MHAA to Organizations in our Heritage Area? Click here.

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Additional Funding Sources:

If your project does not fit the criteria for an MHAA Grant, or you are seeking additional matching funds, the MHT has developed this list of additional funding sources to consider for your project: Grants Funding Sources List from MHT