Grants & Fellowships

1:1 matching grants of up to $5,000 are available for non-profit or governmental organizations and may be granted to one or more projects, depending on the quality of the applicants in a given year.

Criteria for Eligibility

• Grants are only available to sites listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Grant funding shall be used for capital –“bricks and mortar” – improvements to a historic site.
• Applications for planning, consultants, speakers, or overhead expenses will not be considered.
• Grant funds will require a dollar for dollar match. The match may be in the form of cash or documented volunteer hours. Volunteer hour value shall be calculated at minimum wage per hour rate for actual work performed to the historic site.
• Grant funds shall provide significant impact towards a full rehabilitation or restoration of the historic site.
• The project shall demonstrate significant community impact. Support for the project should include a wide range of stakeholders, including community organizations, community leaders, and individuals.
• Projects should also exhibit a sustainable plan for long term use and maintenance, including economic self-sufficiency to the extent possible.
• Projects should be completed within one year of the date of the award. A final report will be required.
• Grant funds will be reimbursed in the amount awarded following the completion of work.

1:1 matching grants of up to $10,000 are available for the following historic preservation projects: exterior painting, exterior finishes and surface restoration, fire detection/lightning protection/security systems, repairs to/restoration of porches, roofs and windows, repairs to foundations and sills, and chimney and masonry repointing. 

To demonstrate the sustainability of historic sites, applicants may be required to submit a condition assessment and restoration plan or stewardship plan that has been prepared or updated within the last five years. If an appropriate plan does not exist, the Foundation will consider providing support for development of a plan on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility
To be eligible to apply, organizations must have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation or have an approved fiscal agent agreement with a 501(c)(3) organization. Organizations also must have closed any previously awarded matching grant to be eligible to apply. Funding will not be provided for buildings currently in use as schools or churches.

Funding is geared toward exterior rehabilitation work. The Foundation will consider the following:

• Matching grants for exterior painting, exterior finishes, and surface restoration
• Matching grants to install or upgrade fire detection, lightning protection, and security systems
• Matching grants for repairs to/restoration of porches, roofs, and windows
• Matching grants for structural foundation and sill repair/replacement
• Matching grants for chimney and masonry repointing and/or repair
• All work shall be performed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior standards.
• Projects should be completed within one year of the date of the award. A final report will be required

About J. Neel Reid
Architect Neel Reid (and his partners in Hentz, Reid & Adler) founded the Georgia school of classicists after study at Columbia University and abroad.

Many sources influenced Reid’s architecture, and his interior and garden designs. His travel diary, sketchbooks and scrapbooks, and extensive library reflect this. His early-twentieth-century interest in historic preservation and contextual design, in architectural education and professional standards of practice inspired others long after his tragic early death of a brain tumor in 1926.

Reid’s father’s family were Troup County, Georgia, pioneers; he grew up in Macon, beginning apprenticeship and practice there before, in 1909, moving to Atlanta.

The J. Neel Reid Prize Program Description and Criteria
The J. Neel Reid Prize of up to $4,000 will be awarded to a student, an intern or a recently registered professional in the field of architecture or landscape architecture for study travel that honors the legacy of Neel Reid.

The focus of the study travel should involve historic architecture (built prior to Neel Reid’s death in 1926), historic landscapes, historic preservation of classic architecture or new construction that is classic and context-related.

The Elizabeth Lyon Fund was established in 1994 in honor of Elizabeth “Liz” Lyon, who served as director of the Historic Preservation Division of DNR from 1976 to 1994 and served as Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer.

The Elizabeth Lyon Fellowship supports educational and research/study initiatives in Georgia that address preservation needs and emerging issues, and that will make a significant contribution to the practice and understanding of historic preservation.

With support from the Elizabeth Lyon Fund and The Georgia Trust, this fellowship will connect research with the preservation of historic properties, contribute significantly to the scholarship of historic preservation in general and in Georgia, and promote historic preservation practice and theory.