National Fund Awards Over $9 Million To 30 Congregations For Historic Preservation
Thirty congregations in the United States will receive more than $9 million in grants to preserve historic religious properties through the National Fund for Sacred Places, marking the largest award total in the program’s 11-year history.
The grants, announced on Tuesday, will provide up to $500,000 per congregation for capital projects. The program also offers technical assistance to help congregations plan renovations, engage their communities and strengthen fundraising efforts.
This year’s congregations were selected from 466 applicants, reflecting growing demand for resources to maintain historic houses of worship as religious institutions navigate changing needs and financial pressures. The awards include the program’s first Arkansas grantee, First Christian Church of Fayetteville.
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The National Fund is administered by Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with support from Lilly Endowment Inc.
“The 2026 National Fund for Sacred Places congregations embody spirituality, community, and resilience,” said Bob Jaeger, president of Partners for Sacred Places.
He said the buildings have long served as civic spaces and gathering places, adding that the program’s reach into Arkansas reflects a growing need for sustainable funding.
Since its launch, the National Fund has awarded or pledged more than $42 million to 197 congregations representing 29 denominations and faith traditions in 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Participating congregations have raised nearly $5 in additional funding for every dollar invested by the fund, according to the program.
The grants come as the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary this year — highlighting the role religious institutions have played in the country’s cultural, social and architectural history. Beyond worship, many historic congregations provide community services, including childcare, social assistance, meeting space and arts programming. Their buildings may also house historical documents and ancestral records that could otherwise be lost, preservation advocates say.
Brent Leggs, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said this year’s awards represent the largest amount distributed in a single National Fund grant round. He credited strategic support from Lilly Endowment Inc. for helping make the investment possible.
“Historic houses of worship have a robust power to shape the identities and values of Americans,” he said. “They are uniquely significant as places of faith and belonging and stand as cultural landmarks and beacons to communities in times of celebration or hardship. Investing in these congregations ensures that our nation’s diverse religious heritage is preserved and thriving.”
Historic houses of worship, Leggs added, serve as places of faith as well as cultural landmarks that communities turn to during celebrations and periods of hardship. Preserving them, he said, helps sustain the nation’s diverse religious heritage.
Rachel Hildebrandt, senior director of the National Fund for Sacred Places, said many of the selected buildings have played significant roles in social change movements and form part of the country’s shared history.
“Many of these buildings have played important roles in social change movements that have made our country what it is today. We are deeply committed to supporting the National Fund congregations in restoring and maintaining these community hubs for future generations,” Hildebrandt added.
The program aims to help congregations restore and maintain their properties while ensuring they remain useful to surrounding communities, she said.
The 30 recipients represent a range of Christian traditions and include a Jewish congregation. The selected properties are located in urban centers, smaller cities and communities across the country. Pennsylvania has three recipients: First United Methodist Church of Germantown and New River Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, and Holy Cross United Methodist Church in Reading. Chicago also has two grantees, Chinese Christian Union Church and St. Mary of the Angels Church.
New York City is home to two recipients: The Parish of St. Charles Borromeo, Resurrection and All Saints, and Trinity Lutheran Church of Manhattan. Other recipients include Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C.; Temple Beth El in Birmingham, Alabama; and The Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina.
The fund’s organizers said the combination of capital grants and professional guidance is intended to help congregations address the complex challenges of maintaining older buildings while sustaining their community roles. The program’s approach also seeks to leverage private philanthropy and local fundraising, allowing grant recipients to attract additional resources for preservation projects.
Clemente Lisi serves as executive editor at Religion Unplugged.