From the National Trust for Historic Preservation...
Seed Grants for Los Angeles County Historic Preservation ProjectsNew Funding Opportunity From the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Contact: pr@nthp.org, 202-588-6141 or
Melita Jureša-McDonald/Elizabeth Boylan/Hugh Rowland, Western Office, 415.947.0692
San Francisco (September 23, 2009)–The National Trust for Historic Preservation announces a grant program targeting historic preservation across Los Angeles County. Grants from the newly created Los Angeles County Preservation Fund will provide seed monies (typical award $5,000 to $10,000) to nonprofit organizations and government agencies for preservation, stewardship, and community revitalization involving historic resources.
Initial funding for this Los Angeles County opportunity has been made possible by support from the Getty Foundation, matched by additional funding from the Ahmanson Foundation. Uniting funding from two visionary Los Angeles philanthropic institutions, the Los Angeles County Preservation Fund provides a dedicated fund to support preservation and community revitalization across Los Angeles County. The newly established fund will showcase and build awareness of historic preservation efforts in the nation's most populous county.
City governments, government agencies, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply and the application deadline for the inaugural grant round will be November 6, 2009. Individuals and private, for profit businesses are not eligible to apply.
Grant awards will support activities and projects such as:
-Providing consulting services in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation or land-use planning, economics, fundraising, organizational development, media relations, education, and law
-Sponsoring workshops or community forums
-Designing, producing, and marketing printed materials or other media communications to advance historic preservation
-Bricks-and-mortar construction activities at designated historic sites and structures Surveys and inventories of historic resources
-Funds may not be used: to acquire property or purchase equipment; to conduct academic research; for salaries, operating, or overhead expenses; or to raise general operating funds towards capital campaign goals.
The catalytic seed grants are intended to build credibility, leverage additional support, and provide momentum to get community preservation projects off the ground, providing capital in early stages and at critical junctures. Cash awards ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 will be distributed to assist governments and government agencies, fledgling grassroots groups, and seasoned organizations: contract for professional services; conduct planning to overcome obstacles; restore historic properties; take steps to reinvigorate historic neighborhoods; and build public awareness of historic preservation activities in Los Angeles County. For the application for Los Angeles County Preservation Fund, as well as complete guidelines and instructions, please see: www.preservationnation.org/lapf.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation considers its national program of providing seed grants to historic preservation efforts a hallmark of its work to bring people together "to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them."
Los Angeles County's 4,084 square miles are home to an inspiring range of irreplaceable heritage resources; its 88 contributing cities hold 421 National Register-listed resources, 91 state monuments, 6 California Register sites, over 900 Historic-Cultural Monuments (local landmarks), and 22 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (Historic Districts). Like heritage resources nationwide, cherished and distinct community landmarks across Los Angeles County -- humble to magnificent -- are at risk: threatened by demolition, natural disaster, urban sprawl, and deferred maintenance.
The Los Angeles County Preservation Fund will be coordinated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation Western Office, in San Francisco, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Conservancy, a Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Applicants are required to contact the National Trust for Historic Preservation Western Office for assistance in identifying an appropriate eligible project prior to submitting an application.
The Getty Foundation fulfills the philanthropic mission of the Getty Trust by supporting individuals and institutions committed to advancing the understanding and preservation of the visual arts locally and throughout the world. Through strategic grants and programs, the Foundation strengthens art history as a global discipline, promotes the interdisciplinary practice of conservation, increases access to museum and archival collections, and develops current and future leaders in the visual arts. The Foundation carries out its work in collaboration with the Getty Museum, Research Institute, and Conservation Institute to ensure the Getty programs achieve maximum impact.
The Ahmanson Foundation serves Los Angeles County by funding cultural projects in the arts and humanities, education at all levels, health care, programs related to homelessness and underserved populations as well as a wide range of human services.
The Los Angeles Conservancy is the largest membership-based local historic preservation organization in the country and is dedicated to the recognition, preservation, and revitalization of the architectural and cultural heritage of greater Los Angeles.
