The grant application portal for the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative Local Heritage Grants is now CLOSED. Please check back for news about future grant cycles.
WHO: Authorized recipients of LMDI grant funds include not-for-profit organizations that are exempt from federal income tax, such as, but not limited to:
- Organizations with preservation, conservation, cultural, historical, or archeological missions
- Organizations partnering with state or local public land agencies and related sites
- Coordinating entities associated with federally-designated National Heritage Areas
- Tribal groups, organizations, and institutions
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities
- Visitor bureaus and destination marketing organizations
- State and local government entities and political subdivisions
WHAT: Projects must be located within the geographic boundaries of the Delta Region, be carried out by the recipient organization, and fit within one or more of the categories below.
- Regional Native American culture and heritage interpretation
- Regional African-American culture and heritage interpretation
- Public Roads and Visitor Use Plans – including interpretive additions to public ways
- Regional Music Heritage – with specific emphasis on Mississippi Delta Blues
- Museums – planning, implementation, education, and collection integrity
- HBCUs – to complete surveys (including efforts to designate historic and archeological sites for the National Register of Historic Places or as a National Historic Landmark)
- HBCUs – to stabilize, preserve and interpret historic sites and structures
- Non-HBCU Archeological Sites, Historic Buildings or Structures
Priority consideration may be given to projects that:
- Will be completed within 12-18 months of award.
- Are funded by 50% or more in matching support from non-federal sources.
- Demonstrate long-term sustainability through the involvement of multiple partners.
- Result in increased heritage tourism in the Delta Region.
- Require $25,000 or less in grant funding.
- Are developed in consultation with a national park system unit.
Local Heritage Grants are ideal for high-quality projects where time is of the essence and outcomes are compelling:
- The program seeks participants who will be able to report their successes that, when shared, may act to inspire further development and support of the LMDI program.
- Sponsoring organizations should demonstrate a strong need for funding assistance as well as the capacity to execute their project with excellence and without delay.
WHERE: Geographic and other restrictions to consider:
- Your project must be physically located within the Delta Region.
- Your project may not be physically located on federal property. However, it may be sited on non-federal property within a National Heritage Area.
- Your project may not benefit a federal agency, including NPS programs or national park system units.
WHEN: We are no longer accepting applications for the 2022 grant cycle. Please check back for announcements regarding future grant cycles.
Last updated: June 3, 2022