Grants: The Reality

When a building is designated as historic, some people believe its owners automatically receive grants for its restoration. During the first years after passage of the Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Federal funding for restoration grants was available. However, in 1981 Congress abandoned the grant approach in favor of an expanded Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program. As a result, funds directly targeted toward brick and mortar restorations of historic buildings have largely disappeared. Today, the Division of Historic Preservation has no regular, on-going grants program to assist individuals in restoring historic properties.

Help for Finding Grants:
Individuals & Organizations

Begin your search for grant information at your local public library. The reference librarian can direct you to the library's collection of books discussing foundations and grants. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
• Foundation Directory
• Foundation Grants for Individuals
• Financial Aid for African Americans
• Directory of Financial Aids for Women
• National Guide to Funding in Arts and Culture
• The Directory of the Major Louisiana Foundations
• Foundations and Funding Sources of Louisiana
• Northeast Louisiana Directory of Grant and Funding Resources
• Louisiana Funding Guide
• The Louisiana Foundation DataBook

Keep in mind that these resources are updated only sporadically, and not all public libraries have them. However, your librarian may be able to borrow them for you through the Interlibrary Loan Program.

Two online databases are also valuable: the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and the Foundation Center Online. Unfortunately, Foundation Center Online can be accessed by subscription only, so it will be unavailable in some local libraries.

If you cannot obtain foundation and grants information locally, try the nearest college or university library or consider a trip to Baton Rouge. The State Library of Louisiana has a subscription to Foundation Center Online, which individuals may use within the library building. Baton Rouge's River Center Branch Library is an affiliate of the Foundation Center and has a Grants Writing Center with knowledgeable staff available to guide your search.