Virginia Black, Indigenous, And People Of Color Historic Preservation Grant Program

As DHR develops the Virginia Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Historic Preservation (BIPOC) fund grant program, we welcome your feedback through our public input survey. The survey was developed to gather comments and recommendations from interested parties about what historic resources and regions of Virginia are important to them as they relate to BIPOC communities. All submissions are anonymous.

• Chapters 185 and 186 of the Acts of Assembly of the 2022 Session of the Virginia General Assembly established in Code the Virginia Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Historic Preservation Fund (BIPOC). The purpose of the legislation is to create a grant program to protect and support Virginia’s historically underserved and underrepresented communities and the cultural and historical sites associated with them. This fund will provide grants for the acquisition, protection, and rehabilitation of tribal lands and historic and archaeological sites of significance associated with Virginia’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

• This webpage has been created to provide communications regarding the establishment of this program within the Department of Historic Resources. Here you will find a timeline, a general overview of the grant program, a point of contact, and some ideas for initial plans for public participation. Please check this webpage frequently as we will be making updates to it as we work through formulating and establishing this important grant program.

• DHR will be hosting a free informational webinar in partnership with the nonprofit Preservation Virginia to announce the launch of the BIPOC fund grant program. A panel discussion will take place providing more details about eligible projects and the application process. Click here to register for the webinar.

• PHASE ONE — TENTATIVE TIMELINE:

  Feb 1–launch–info session at Preservation Academy

  Feb 15–Project Screening Form (Step 1) released

  March 1–info workshop–2 hours

  April 1–Project Screening Form closes

  April 15–Step 2/full application released

  April-May–regional workshops/technical assistance with subject matter expert breakouts (exact format TBD)–details TBD

  June 15–application deadline

  Summer/Fall–awards announced

• ELIGIBLE PROJECTS
  • Purchase of a fee simple or protective interest in real property
  • Rehabilitation of real property
  • Stabilization of real property
  • Data recovery (e.g. archaeological excavation) of any cultural or historical property associated with Black, Indigenous, or people of color communities

  Project properties must be listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register, the National Register of Historic Places, designated as a National Historic Landmark, or determined eligible for such listing by DHR.

  Grants may be awarded for acquisitions upon which the applicant has already completed the transaction, subject to the criteria outlined in Section E of the legislation.

  Grant award recommendations made by the Department will be presented to the Virginia Board of Historic Resources for approval.

• INELIGIBLE PROJECTS
  • Reconstructing historic properties (recreating all or a significant portion that no longer exists), moving historic properties, or work on moved historic properties that are no longer eligible for listing in the NRHP.
  • Acquisition of collections, conservation of collections, or long-term maintenance or curatorial work beyond the grant period.
  • Projects involving establishment or enhancement of cash reserves, endowments, revolving funds, fund-raising costs, lobbying or advocacy activities.
  • Projects already completed or funded through other state or federal programs.
  • Architectural survey projects for the sole purpose of listing an individual historic resource or district on the National Register of Historic Places (however, these expenses may be eligible if part of a larger eligible project/activity).

• ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
  • State-recognized or federally recognized Indian tribes, private nonprofit organizations, or Virginia localities

• DISCLAIMER RE: EASEMENT REQUIREMENT
  All grant recipients must convey a perpetual historic preservation and open-space easement to the Board of Historic Resources (pursuant to Virginia Code § 10.1-2202.4) or other holder pursuant to the Open-Space Land Act (Virginia Code § 10.1-1700). For any holder other than the Board of Historic Resources, the Department shall review the terms and conditions of the easement as well as the capacity and expertise of the holder to enforce the terms of the easement. Note: grant recipients will need to submit a separate easement application form to DHR’s Easement Program. Please contact Karri Richardson at karri.richardson@dhr.virginia.gov for information about the easement application process and requirements.

• A link to the LEGISLATION authorizing this grant program is provided here

• AGENCY POINT OF CONTACT:
  Caitlin Sylvester,
  Grants Coordinator
  BIPOCGrantFund@dhr.virginia.gov

• COMING SOON:
  WORKSHOPS–Both in-person and virtual
  SURVEY TOOLS–Both regarding your participation as stakeholders and the resources you think are most in need of funding through this program

Updated January 30, 2023