Official Site of The State of New Jersey

In November 2014, New Jersey voters approved a change to the state constitution to provide a stable source of funding for open space, farmland, and historic preservation by dedicating funds from the Corporate Business Tax.

The implementing legislation (S2456) was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in June 2016. The legislation defines the percentage of funding for the Historic Preservation Fund at 5 percent (likely between $3 and 4 million in available grant funds each year). However, the specific amount of available funding each year will be determined upon the resolution of that year's budget.

The Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund was established by legislation in 2016 to provide an annual source of matching grants from the state’s corporate business tax for historic preservation projects. The Preserve New Jersey Fund continues the work of the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund (2000-2012) and the Historic Preservation Bond Program (1990-1997). Since 1990, more than $145 million in matching grants has been awarded to worthy historic preservation construction and planning projects throughout the state.

• Entities of county, municipal, or state government
• 501(c) tax exempt organizations that comply with New Jersey charity registration laws

The Trust requires specific supporting documentation as part of the grant application. These documents must be uploaded to a USB Drive and must be received (not post-marked) via mail or in-person by April 18, 2024 at 4:00pm. If you are having trouble completing all the required attachments, please reach out to NJHT staff directly.

Supporting documents must be organized into labeled folders that correspond to the attachment section. The USB drive must also contain a Table of Contents listing all supporting documents on the drive. Please note that the documentation requirements vary slightly among the different grant types--be sure to use the correct checklist when completing your application.  Below are links to the Supporting Document Checklists for each grant type:

Capital Supporting Documents Checklist

Historic Site Management (HSM) Supporting Documents Checklist

Municipal, County, and Regional Planning Supporting Documents Checklist

Heritage Tourism Supporting Documents Checklist

Below are links to some of the required forms: 

      Click here for the Applicant's Governing Body/Board Resolution and Assurances form

      Click here for the Owner Approval form

Read the guidelines carefully before applying. The guidelines include important information about eligible applicants and activities, criteria for evaluation, schedule for review, and more. 

Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund Grant Guidelines 

Underrepresented Histories Fact Sheet

Municipal, County, and Regional Planning Projects

Climate Change Resources

Archaeological Fact Sheet

Archaeological Monitoring Protocol FAQ

Archaeological Survey and Reporting Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

Does my property need to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places to be eligible for a planning grant (Historic Site Management [HSM], Heritage Tourism [HT], Municipal, County, and Regional Planning [MCRP])? For planning grants, properties can be eligible for listing, listed individually, and/or deemed a contributing resource to an eligible or listed historic district in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. In many cases, though, those properties or districts listed in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The reverse often applies as well.

Does my property need to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places to be eligible for a capital grant? For capital grants, the property does not need to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places; however, it must be listed individually or as a district in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places or approved for listing by the State Review Board to be eligible for capital funding. In many cases, though, those properties or districts listed in the New Jersey Register of Historic Places are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The reverse often applies as well.

If the resource is located within a historic district, will a COE be required? Please review the nomination to see if the property is specifically listed as a contributing to the district. If it is not specifically listed or it is not noted as contributing, then you will need a COE from the NJ HPO.

How recent should a COE be? The COE should not be older than 10 years. If it is over 10 years, please contact HPO for an updated COE.

Does a municipality need to be a Certified Local Government (CLG) to apply for a Municipal, County, and Regional Planning (MCRP) grant? No, the municipality does not need to be a CLG to apply for MCRP grants or for any of the Trust’s grants; however, being a CLG helps set your application apart during the evaluation. We do encourage municipalities to pursue CLG standing. Contact the NJ HPO for more information about becoming a CLG.

Are churches eligible to apply? On April 18, 2018 the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in FFRF vs Morris County Bd. of Chosen Freeholdersthat using State tax dollars for the repair or maintenance of houses of worship goes against the New Jersey State Constitution. Applications received by the New Jersey Historic Trust requesting grant funds for the repair or maintenance of houses of worship will be reviewed by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General for compliance with the law. We suggest reviewing the NJ Supreme Court ruling as well as the November 27, 2024 U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey opinion in Mendham Methodist Church and the Zion Lutheran Church Long Valley versus Morris County New Jerseyto see if these rulings/opinions apply to your project. It is our understanding that buildings that are not used as a house of worship falls outside these referenced rulings. Please contact Trust staff if you have questions.

Not all 501c organizations are tax exempt. Is there any way to clarify? According to our regulations, you must be a 501c “something” to apply. It does not say that organizations need to be tax-exempt. If you would like to know more, please contact us directly.

Is a school district eligible to apply? Yes, school districts are eligible applicants.

Project Information

Is archaeology an eligible standalone project? Yes! We strongly encourage archaeology to be considered in every grant application. Archaeology is an eligible activity under HSM grants but can also be included as part of a capital project. Review the Archaeology FAQ page and speak with the Trust staff to determine the best archaeological project for your site.

Are visitor amenities covered under capital grants? Yes, visitor amenities are an eligible activity. Like any proposed project, they will be evaluated to see if it is the right project for this resource at this time. Please contact the Trust to discuss your ideas.

Is there a threshold for how many phases can be included in a multiphase grant request? No. There is not necessarily a cap on the number of phases, but the online application currently can accommodate up to five phases. The largest projects we have seen so far are often in three phases. Please keep in mind that each phase must be at least $500,000 with a maximum award of $750,000 for each phase. Each phase must be substantially complete before work on the next phase can begin. If your project is going to be more than three phases, please contact Trust staff directly to discuss timeline.

Funding Information

Is there a funding cap? We have been able to advertise the availability of approximately $10 million for each year’s grant round. This amount can vary depending on the amount of corporate business tax (CBT) funds collected in a given year. The advertised amount is the cumulative amount awarded across all the grant types (HSM, MCRP, HT, and Capital).

Are applications given funding based on first-come-first-served? No. This is a competitive grant round. Once applications are received and reviewed for completeness, Trust staff will review each application along with a team of outside evaluators who will make the final recommendation to the NJHT Board.

What counts towards the match (in-kind or donated services)? In-kind donations are not eligible as a match. The match must be cash on hand or another grant (please review other grant guidelines to be certain if the other grant can be matched with state funds). To be reimbursed, you must provide invoices and documentation of expenditures from your financial institution. In addition, matching funds derived from other Corporate Business Tax (CBT) funded projects, or from special appropriations awarded by the Legislature, shall not be used as the matching share of project costs by nonprofit organizations or local government units.

Is it possible to be reimbursed for a planning document that has already been completed? No, there is no match expended for planning grants (HSM, HT, MCRP); however, capital grants are eligible for “match expended.” To be eligible as “match expended,” the planning or construction work must have been completed within two years prior to the time of application. The expended funds must be related to the project being applied for and all work must meet the Secretary of the Interior Standards to be eligible. No more than 25% of the project budget (grant request plus required match) may be matched with “expended” funds. Allowable match expended funds will be distributed following the activation of the grant agreement and the submission of a complete reimbursement request.

Easements

Do any of the Trust programs fund acquisition of properties or acquisition of historic easements? Our grant program does not fund the acquisition of properties and/or easements; however, our Revolving Loan could fund acquisition. Please speak with Trust staff for more information about the Revolving Loan Fund.

What is a historic easement and how do I know if I need one?An easement is a deed restriction used to assure long-term preservation of a historic property by assuring proper maintenance, limiting changes in use or appearance, prohibiting demolition, and guaranteeing public access. Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations that receive grants of more than $50,000 in capital funding must execute a historic preservation easement with the New Jersey Historic Trust. An easement is not required if the resource is owned by a unit of local, county, or state government.

Does the historic easement prevent later landscaping additions or ground disturbances that are not included in the initial scope of the application? Not necessarily. The easement is protecting the state’s investment so far, but any work that meets the Secretary of Interior Standards can be undertaken on the property. You will need to check with the Trust and submit a request for approval form so that we can ensure the work meets the Standards before proceeding.

Application Questions

Can you apply for multiple grant types in the same grant round? Yes, you can apply for more than one grant type in the same grant round. Just keep in mind that each grant type will require a separate application and login credentials on Formsite.

What forms are required if the time remaining on our lease is fewer than 15 years? All applications regardless of grant type must submit Owner Approval forms if the applicant does not own the property. For capital grants with leases less than 15 years, you will be required to have the property owner sign the Joint Signatory Consent form in addition to the Owner Approval form unless you are able to extend the lease to more than 15 years prior to the application. These forms are to ensure that you indeed have permission from the owner for the project and to ensure that here will be no ownership issues during the duration of the project.

Do I need to have professional cost estimates to apply? We highly recommend seeking cost estimates from cost estimators and/or qualified historic preservation professionals prior to applying and encourage you to submit these estimates along with your application. Having accurate estimates allows you to determine the maximum amount of funding your project is eligible for and allows you to gauge and plan for your organization’s projected total funding commitment.

If an applicant does not wish to hire a consultant at the time of the application, but rather when awarded, what should they put in the application section? Many of our municipal, state, or county applicants are not able to have a consultant under contract at the time of the application deadline because they are unable to contract a consultant until funding is secured. It is very important in this case that you provide us with a draft RFP or the professional requirements that are going to be needed for your project team. You can also submit any consultant proposals that you might have received. This way we have more detail to evaluate your application.

Does the Trust have a list of recommended qualified consultants and/or contractors? We cannot recommend consultants or contractors, but the Trust staff can provide a list of consultants/contractors that have worked on Trust-funded projects. We highly recommend considering a number of consultants/contractors and choose the one that is the right fit for your organization and project.

How do I include social media documentation in attachments? Include the flyer / post that was shared, a screenshot of the page, or hyperlinks to the media pages.

Can drone footage be included in Attachment H? Yes, video files can be submitted. If the file is too large to include, please provide a link to the file to view on YouTube or another video viewing platform.

How to include the special initiatives in the application? For the Underrepresented Histories and 250^th special initiatives, there is a question in the application that will ask you to demonstrate how the proposed project meet these initiatives. This could mean that the project will help to uncover history that has yet to be interpreted or investigated on site or could be the creation of a program. If you are unsure, please contact Trust staff directly for guidance.

Returning Applicants

 If an applicant already has an open grant, are they eligible to apply in the current grant round? Yes, but the applicant must be able to substantiate that they are able to manage another grant. If the current grant is a planning project, please include a draft of the planning document to demonstrate how the current application is being guided by the planning document.

Ineligible Expenses

Property and Acquisition

• Acquisition of real or personal property
• Services, materials, or equipment obtained under any other State program

Administrative and Operational Costs

• Administrative or operational costs of the agency receiving funding
• Donated materials and/or donated in-kind services
• Costs for grant application expenses

Financial and Contractual

• Charges exceeding the lowest bid in competitive bidding situations (unless approved in advance)
• Charges for deficits or overdrafts
• Interest expenses
• Contract cost overruns not approved and exceeding contract specifications
• Damage judgments from constructing or equipping a facility
• Costs related to overseeing or managing a capital project

Compliance and Legal

• Work performed without compliance with State Contracts Law or Local Public Contracts Law
• Lobbying activities
• Work not complying with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards

Project Scope and Period

• Work performed outside the approved project period
• Work not included in the project agreement's scope of work

Publicity and Exhibits

• Expenses for publicity (unless stipulated in the grant agreement)
• Planning, refurbishing, or installing museum exhibits (unless tied to public education or barrier-free access)

Collections Management

• Cataloging an artifact or archival collection
• Appraising or documenting collections
• Instituting conservation measures for artifacts