Funding and Support
Department of Community and Culture
Heritage Tourism and Business Development
Department of Community and Culture
A wide variety of funding opportunities offered by the divisions of Utah's Department of Community and Culture: the divisions of Housing and Community Development, Arts and Museums, State Library, and State History.
Visit the DCC grants page.
Preservation
Save America's Treasures (National Park Service)
50-50 match grants for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant historic structures and sites, and also intellectual and cultural artifacts. Search the database to see projects funded in Utah.
Visit the website.
Federal and State Tax Credits for Preservation (Utah State Historic Preservation Office)
The federal government offers tax credits for rehabilitating commercial buildings. The state of Utah offers tax credits for rehabilitating residential buildings. The building must meet certain requirements, and the owner must follow the process.
Get information on federal tax credits.
Get information on state tax credits.
Certified Local Government grants (Utah State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service)
50-50 match grants given to local governments who have become “certified.” Can be used for “bricks and mortar,” interpretation, training, surveys.
Learn more.
LeRay McAllister Critical Land Conservation Fund (State of Utah)
An incentive program providing grants to encourage communities and landowners to work together to conserve critical lands. The fund targets lands important to the community such as agricultural lands, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and other culturally or historically unique landscapes.
Visit the website.
Low-Interest Loans (Utah Heritage Foundation)
A revolving loan fund for the renovation of historic properties that have retained their architectural criteria. For qualifying properties, loans are available at half the prime interest rate.
Visit the UHF website.
Preservation Easement Donation (Utah Heritage Foundation)
Charitable gift tax deductions available by donating easements of National Register-listed buildings. An easement is a legal agreement between a property owner and the easement-holding organization (such as the Utah Heritage Foundation).
Visit the UHS website.
National Trust Preservation Fund (National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Several types of financial assistance to nonprofit organizations, public agencies, for-profit companies, and individuals involved in preservation-related projects.
Visit the website.
For additional preservation funding see:
Public Works, Economic Adjustment, Planning, and Research and Technical Assistance Programs
Rural Housing and Economic Development Grants
Community Development
Main Street Program (National Trust for Historic Preservation)
A national program that has helped to revitalize business districts all over the United States. The Main Street program offers training, technical assistance, case studies, reports, a conference, a newsletter with helpful information, and much more. Many of the resources are available to to all; others are available only to members.
Visit the website.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (Department of Agriculture)
Technical and limited financial support to assist local RC&D Councils with development projects, including heritage tourism and related business development. See Utah's RC&D Councils.
See RC&D Councils in Utah.
Visit the website.
Rural Development Programs (Department of Agricuture)
Grants, loans, and technical assistance for community development projects and planning. Among the programs are: Rural Business Enterprise Grants; Rural Business Opportunity Grants; and Rural Economic Development Grants and Loans.
Contact the Rural Development Utah field office.
Visit the website.
Public Works, Economic Adjustment, Planning, and Research and Technical Assistance Programs (Economic Development Administration)
Grants to assist communities with infrastructure development, local capacity building, and business development. The grants are intended to help economically distressed areas in alleviating persistent unemployment and underemployment. Rehabilitation of historic properties is an eligible activity if there is significant job creation.
Visit the website.
Community Development Block Grants (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Grants for revitalizing neighborhoods, economic development, and improved community facilities and services. Communities have discretion to spend CDBG funds for a wide range of community development activities, including heritage tourism and related infrastructure.
Contact the state CDBG program.
Visit the national CDBG website.
Rural Housing and Economic Development Grants (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
Grants to assist in capacity building at the state and local level for rural housing and economic development. They support innovative housing and economic development activities in rural areas, including heritage tourism and economic development through use of historic properties.
Visit the website.
Rural Housing and Economic Development
Gateway (Department of Housing and Urban Development)
An an information clearinghouse
providing technical assistance, training,
and information resources to support
rural housing and economic development.
Visit the website.
Transportation and Transit Enhancements Programs (Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration)
Ten percent of Federal Surface Transportation Program funds and 1 percent of Federal urban mass transit funds set aside to fund transportation enhancements. The money can be used to fund historic preservation projects and programs related to historic transportation routes, systems, facilities, etc. Heritage tourism trails may also be funded at
state discretion.
Contact the state Transportation/Transit Enhancement program
Visit the national website.
Heritage Tourism and Business Development
Market Developer Cooperator Program (Department of Commerce)
Provides federal assistance to organizations involved in export promotion. The program can support tourism initiatives (and potentially heritage tourism).
Visit the website.
National Heritage Areas Program (National Park Service)
A program for prospering places by promoting an area’s heritage assets and cultural vitality to increase tourism. Congressional designation of a National Heritage Area allows the area to receive funding, technical assistance, and management support. Utah has two National Heritage Areas, the National Mormon Pioneer Heritage Area and the Great Basin Heritage Area.
Visit the website.
National Trails System (National Park Service, BLM, and Forest Service)
A trails program managed through partnerships between the federal agency, state government, nonprofit organizations, and private landowners. Although designated by Congress and administered by federal agencies, trail ownership may be public or private.
National Trails in Utah include the Pony Express, Old Spanish, California, and Mormon Pioneer trails.
Visit the website.
Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (National Park Service)
Technical assistance to local and state agencies and private organizations working on river and trail corridor projects. No grant funding is currently
available, but the program assists partners in planning and finding appropriate project funding.
Visit the website.
National Scenic Byways Program (Federal Highway Administration)
Technical and financial assistance to help preserve America's
scenic roads and to promote tourism and economic development. Grants can assist states in implementing projects on National Scenic Byways and developing state scenic byways. Byways often include heritage components or attractions.
See the scenic byways in Utah.
Visit the website.
Recreational Trails Program Grants (Federal Highway Administration)
Grants to maintain, restore, and rehabilitate trails, including National
Historic Trails, and to rehabilitate trailside facilities. The grants can also support acquisition of easements or title to property for trails, including acquisition of old road or railroad bridges to be used as recreational trail bridges.
Get info on trails in Utah.
Visit the website.
Small Business Administration Training Programs
Training materials and opportunities for entrepreneurs. This program could support heritage tourism and business development using historic buildings.
Visit the website.
Interpreting America's Historic Places Grants (National Endowment for the Humanities)
Funding for planning and implementation of public programs that use one or more historic sites to address themes and issues central to American history. Projects eligible for funding may interpret a single historic site, a series of sites, whole neighborhoods, communities or towns, or larger geographical regions. Fundable activities include docent tours, publications (e.g., brochures, guidebooks, etc.), driving or walking trails or tours, annotated itineraries, exhibition labeling or trail signs, films, and digital media.
Get information on planning grants.
Get information on implementation grants.
Internet Guide for Financial and Technical Assistance (National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers)
This is a list for Tribes interested in prospering places by developing heritage tourism. Some of these resources are appropriate for all entities developing heritage tourism. The categories of resources listed on this website are:
1. Tourism-related
2. Economic and Social Development
3. Cultural and Historic Preservation and the Arts
4. Human Resources: Advice and Expertise
5. Other Funding Sources
Visit the website.
Rural Development Grants (Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development)
Grants to further economic development in rural areas in Utah, available to nonprofit organizations, counties, cities, towns, townships, and recognized districts. Projects should increase employment, increase local economic income, or increase knowledge and local participation.
Get the application.
For additional tourism/business funding, see:
Community Development Block Grants
Rural Housing and Economic Development Grants
Cultural Development
Arts Grants (National Endowment for the Arts)
A variety of grants for arts-related projects.
See the Utah Arts Council grants page.
Visit the NEA grants website.
Utah Humanities Council Grants (National Endowment for the Humanities)
50-50 match grants for projects in the humanities. Libraries, historical societies, museums, local arts and humanities councils, civic and service organizations, public radio and television states, educational institutions, local and state government agencies, and ad hoc groups may apply.
An example of funding: $3,000 to the Bear River Heritage Area Council to record local histories and identify and document traditional artisans and folklore of the Bear River region. The committee worked with communities and professional folklore fieldworkers to collect and record oral histories and information on local culture, artisans, and historically significant buildings and sites. They used this information in heritage tourism planning and marketing.
Visit the website.
Very Helpful Sites
Show Me the Money (National Trust for Historic Preservation)
A blog that lists a variety of funding for a variety of purposes, along with deadlines and links.
Visit the blog.