Since our founding in 1890, the National Society of the DAR has supported historic preservation as one of our three main mission areas (along with patriotism and education). In tens of thousands of locations around the world, we have saved historic properties, conserved historic artifacts, digitized historic documents and helped to preserve the American story in thousands of meaningful ways.
As part of our commitment to historic preservation, we’re also proud to support historic preservation efforts in local communities by providing $250,000 in grants annually to organizations categorized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) public charities or 501(c)(3) private operating foundations. The DAR Historic Preservation Grants provide financial assistance for projects that preserve historic records, objects and sites. Examples include restoration of historic buildings; digitization or preservation of documents/records; preservation of historic items/artifacts; restoration, rededication or relocation of existing historical site markers; cemetery headstone and monument conservation. Projects from all eras and chapters of American history are eligible to apply. The maximum grant is $10,000, and smaller projects are encouraged. Please note that each application must be accompanied by letter from a sponsoring DAR chapter or state organization (find a local DAR chapter here).
The next application period, for grants to be awarded in May 2025, will be August 1 – October 31, 2024. The application portal will open on August 1; a link to the portal will be posted on this page at that time.
The Historic Preservation Grant Instructions provide further information on the eligibility criteria and application process.
Questions may be directed to [email protected].
Thank you for preserving our nation’s history – we look forward to receiving your application for our DAR Historic Preservation Grant program.