The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants to non-profit organizations and governments for capital and non-capital projects located within a Maryland Certified Heritage Area.
Grants can support projects involving historical, cultural, or natural resources, sites, events, or facilities. Eligible projects must have a heritage tourism component (i.e. the project involves a visitor destination such as a museum, visitor center, or nature center; helps to provide facilities and services that support heritage tourism, such as rehabilitating a historic building for tourism related use or is a new event that will help to create a long-term increase in visitation to the Heritage Area).
2022 Key Deadlines:
- January 28 | Intent to Apply (MHAA)
- March 4 | Draft Application Deadline (ATHA)
- April 8 | Final Deadline (MHAA)
Resources:
Visit the MHAA Matching Grant website at: http://mht.maryland.gov/grants.shtml.
Guidelines can be specifically downloaded from: http://mht.maryland.gov/documents/PDF/grants/Grants_MHAA_Guidelines.pdf
Process
ATHA Inc. will receive the applications and provide a ranking system for the MHAA for the applications.
- A letter of intent is due inJanuary through the Maryland Historical Trust online grants portal.
- Draft applications are due to ATHA in March.
- ATHA’s review committee then reviews, ranks, and submits applications to the MHAA,.
- MHAA staff first review applications for completeness and accuracy and will contact ATHA or applicants if additional information is required.
- Complete applications are forwarded to the MHAA Grant Review Panel for review.
- State grant panel recommendations are then forwarded to the MHAA for review and final action at the Authority’s July meeting
- Grant awards will be announced in July and funds dispersed in Fall/Winter.
Restrictions
All grants must be matched in an amount at least equal to the amount of the grant award (dollar-for-dollar match).
- The match must consist of a cash match equal to at least 75% of the grant award (e.g. if $100,000 of MHAA grant funds is awarded, a minimum of $75,000 of the grantee’s total match must be cash)
- No more than 35% of the minimum required cash match may consist of applicant staff salaries.
- The balance of project match may consist of in-kind contributions.
- State of Maryland funds may not be used as match.
- Contact ATHA Inc. staff for possible matching solutions.
Previous Grantees
FY21 Grants for COVID Relief
- Friends of Greenbelt Theater | $10,000
- Laurel Historical Society | $10,000
- Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center | $10,000
- Pyramid Atlantic Art Center | $10,000
FY21 Grant Awardees:
- Friends of Greenbelt Museum — Phase II of Greenbelt Museum Education and Visitor Center | $100,000
- Laurel Historical Society — Building Rehabilitation at the Museum | $30,000
- Neighborhood Design Center — Art at the Divide: Windom Road Barrier Reimagined | $30,500
- Pyramid Atlantic Art Center — Artwork Preservation & 40th Anniversary Exhibition | $16,000
- City of Mount Rainier Revitalization | $100,000
- Town of Bladensburg for Bostwick Use Study | $20,000
- ATHA Management Grants | $125,000
FY20 Grant Awardees:
- Anacostia Trails Heritage Area — Boundary Amendment Study | $40,000
- City of Bowie — 10th Street Heritage Park | $74,660
- Friends of Greenbelt Theatre — Film Center & Media Arts Lab | $75,000
- Town of University Park — Meadow Trail | $47,000
- Compass Inc — Arts Center Roof Repair | $50,000
- ATHA Management Grants | $125,000
FY19 Grant Awardees:
- Anacostia Trails Heritage Area & Prince George’s County History Consortium — Civil Rights Trail | $40,000
- Anacostia Watershed Society — Anacostia Watershed Field Guide | $10,000
- City of Greenbelt — Greenbelt Community Center Bas Relief Repair | $29,500
- City of Hyattsville — Getting Around the Town (Cycling/Wayfinding Plan) | $29,339
- Town of North Brentwood — Outdoor Pavillion | $25,500
- Pyramid Atlantic Inc. — Arcade Building Improvements | $16,200
FY18 Grant Awardees:
- George A. and Carmel D. Aman Memorial Trust — Bostwick House Exterior Envelope Restoration | $87,500
- Field of Firsts Foundation, Inc. — USPS Air Mail Centennial Exhibit | $34,000
- City of Bowie — Historic Properties: Belair Stable Museum Replacement Interpretive Panels | $9,350