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 historic and archaeological sites of significance associated with Virginia’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Preservation Virginia and DHR hosted a webinar in 2023 to introduce the grant program. The webinar was recorded and can be viewed HERE.

GRANT TIMELINE

• Round 2 preapplication opens- Early 2025

Please complete the contact form linked here to receive updates relating to Round 2 funding.

GRANT MANUAL

The BIPOC Grant Manual is linked HERE . Please read through the document to become familiar with the grant requirements. This grant manual is subject to change.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The first step in the application process is the Project Screening Form. The form will help determine if the project meets minimum eligibility requirements as set out in the legislation and grant manual. We will let you know if your project is eligible for this grant fund and email you the full grant application. See the grant manual for further details.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• State-recognized or federally recognized Indian tribes
• Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations
• Virginia localities

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).

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

PUBLIC INFORMATION SURVEY

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.

POINT OF CONTACT

Caitlin Sylvester,
Grant Coordinator
BIPOCGrantFund@dhr.virginia.gov