The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) FY 2025 grant materials for capital and non-capital heritage tourism projects are now live!
The MHAA grant program provides targeted financial assistance to organizations sustaining and creating place-based heritage experiences within Maryland’s 13 heritage areas. Visit the Maryland Heritage Areas Program website to confirm your eligibility, review the grant guidelines, and to begin the required first step in the application process: completing the Intent to Apply form, due January 26, 2024. Full applications are due March 4, 2024.
Note: The website with the grant application inforattion has changed. Visit this link to access a long list of resources for applicants: https://mht.maryland.gov/Pages/MHAA/heritage-areas-resources.aspx
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.
Intent to Apply
The first step in the application process is to submit a simple online questionnaire called an “Intent to Apply” form. This online form will be due January 26, 2024.
Here in the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area, we have new planning documents, including a new Five-Year Plan and Interpretive Framework! 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!