The Pre-Application Worksheet is due Friday, January 16, 2026 at 3:00pm to be considered for the 2026 cycle. After acceptance of the Pre-Application Worksheet, nominators will be required to set up a meeting with the staff. Submissions are not accepted by paper, mail, or fax and must be submitted online. Please carefully read the guidelines before starting your application
The Black Heritage Trail team advises all applicants to create a document with their responses before inputting them into the form in case there are any technical difficulties. For your convenience, we have provided a downloadable template that you can use (below). We encourage all nominators to submit the application via Google Chrome as issues have come to light for nominators using other browsers. If you experience any issues submitting your nomination to the application form, please reach out to the Black Heritage Trail team at NJBlackHeritageTrail@sos.nj.gov so that we can assist you.
Download the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail Guidelines (PDF)
Download the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail Application *Note all applications must be submitted online.
New Jersey Black Heritage Trail Application Webinar
Specification Sheet for New Jersey Black Heritage Trail Marker
PURPOSE: This program coordinates the design, fabrication, and installation of historical markers to commemorate people, places, and events related to Black history and heritage. It also facilitates public engagement and educational events around Black historical sites and their history.
ELIGIBILITY: Nominations can be places where events, people, or organizations have significantly impacted Black history and heritage in New Jersey, either locally or statewide, and where items of political, military, artistic, cultural, or social history have been preserved.
BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL PROGRAM: The New Jersey Historical Commission remains dedicated to providing support for individuals and organizations submitting nominations each fiscal year, to recognize and promote Black heritage sites that are thematically linked by surrounding arts, culture, history, entertainment, or other tourism destinations.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRE-APPLICATION WORKSHEET:The required Pre-Application Worksheet outlines your intention to apply for the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail. Worksheets will be accepted for review on a rolling basis through this form: www.bit.ly/njbht-worksheet. This worksheet must be submitted by Friday, January 16, 2026 at 3:00pm in order to be invited to apply for the 2026 nomination cycle. All worksheets submitted after that date will be invited to apply for the 2027 nomination cycle without having to resubmit the worksheet. Submissions are not accepted by paper, mail, or fax and must be submitted online. Nominators must submit a Pre-Application Worksheet in order to receive the application form link. Applications will be due by Friday, May 15, 2026 at 3:00pm. If you experience any issues submitting the worksheet, please reach out to the Black Heritage Trail team at NJBlackHeritageTrail@sos.nj.gov so that we can assist you.
Payment for Markers on Privately-Owned Property: Please note that the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail legislation L. 2022, c. 102 states that public funds cannot be used to “erect markers or signs on private property.” However, private organizations may fund their historical marker fabrication and installation themselves or identify external funding sources, and we will provide the information for our marker fabrication process. The approximate cost of the fabricated marker is $3,000. Additionally, approved private sites will be included on the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail website as those organizations secure the funding for their historical marker.
The Discover NJ History License Plate Fund: One opportunity available for nonprofits is The Discover NJ History License Plate Fund which provides small grants (up to $5,000) to develop and promote visitor ready sites as heritage tourism destinations. Visit their website to learn more: https://www.nj.gov/dca/njht/programs/discover/
| Deadline | FY2026 |
|---|---|
| Pre-Application Worksheet Opens | Ongoing |
| Pre-Application Worksheet Due | January 16, 2026 (Note: submit by this date in order to be considered for the 2026 cycle) |
| Required meeting with Black Heritage Trail team | February 28, 2026 |
| Application due | May 15, 2026 |
| Notification Letter | December 2026 |
Application Resources
The following are resources to assist with your application:
Staff Assistance
The Black Heritage Trail staff is available for questions, comments, and assistance.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting, please complete this form with your contact information and a message describing your inquiry.
Meeting Request Form
Noelle Lorraine Williams
Director, African American History Program and Black Heritage Trail
Dr. Synatra Smith
Project Manager, Black Heritage Trail
Gregory Odey
Assistant Project Manager, Black Heritage Trail
Research Assistance - Libraries and Archives
The New Jersey State Library or your local library and archive are great resources for assistance with your research work. The goal is to gather as much information as you can to provide evidence to support your nomination.
The New Jersey State Archive is also a great resource. Please note you must make an appointment to access on-site information. They also have searchable databases on their site.
Note: Online webinars are available from The New Jersey State Library and different institutions (archives, libraries, universities, historic houses) to share research strategies and methodologies.
The New Jersey State Library
The New Jersey State Archive
New Jersey Historic Preservation Office
List of New Jersey State Libraries and Archives from The New Jersey State Library
List of New Jersey Resources: Societies, Offices, Libraries, and Archives from The Genealogical Society of New Jersey
Newspaper databases are essential resources to getting primary information about people, sites and communities. Some libraries offer in-house or remote access to newspaper databases.
Contact your local library to find out about access to census directories.
Check to see if your site has been nominated with the national or statewide historic site registries.
The following grant opportunities are available to individuals and organizations through the New Jersey Historical Commission and the County History Partnership Program (CHPP).
1. New Jersey Historical Commission Project Grants
Funding for expenses of specific projects relating to New Jersey history. Eligible categories include conservation of historical materials (manuscripts, books, costumes, historical visuals); editorial and publication projects; educational initiatives; partnership projects; exhibitions; media (films, radio, videotape, digital media); public programs; capacity building, and research (including archaeological projects, fellowships, oral history, and National and New Jersey registers of historic places nominations).
To apply, please refer to the guidelines below for the FY 2026 Project Grant:
https://www.nj.gov/state/historical/assets/pdf/fy26-project-grant-guidelines.pdf
Deadlines for FY 2026 Project Grants are listed below:
Intent to Apply - March 10, 2025
Submission Deadline - April 14, 2025
Notification of Award - July 2025
2. CAPES (Caucus Archival Projects Evaluation Service), provides free professional assessment of archival paper collections by consultants of the New Jersey Caucus of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference. There are no deadlines for application, apply anytime. If your New Jersey history organization has a collection of paper items such as manuscripts, books, photographs, and maps, you may take advantage of a FREE assessment from a professional archivist of how your collection can best be conserved.
To apply for the CAPES grant, please visit the grant guidelines and application form at: https://www.nj.gov/state/historical/assets/pdf/grants/2015-1217-capes-application-form.pdf
3. Artifact Assessment Program (AAP)
Artifact Assessment Program - a service of the New Jersey Association of Museums. This program surveys and evaluates environmental conditions in storage and exhibition areas; storage arrangement and collections management processes; and documentation systems, processes, and intellectual access. There are no deadlines for application, apply anytime. AAP evaluations are performed at no cost to the organization.
To apply for the AAP grant, please visit the grant application form at:
https://www.nj.gov/state/historical/assets/pdf/grants/2016-njhc-njam-aap-application.pdf
4. The County History Partnership Program (CHPP) was created in 2015 to extend local re-granting programs to all of the state’s 21 counties. The program enables the NJHC to support both existing and emerging local history organizations and practitioners serving diverse audiences. Through the partnership with county re-granting agencies, NJHC support can more effectively reach history organizations and projects in communities throughout the state.
Visit https://nj.gov/state/historical/his-grants.shtml to get a list of County History Partnership Program (CHPP) Contact List and Guidelines (when available).
You may also check the eligibility for grants and other requirements on the Historical Commission page at: https://www.nj.gov/state/historical/his-grants.shtml
The New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, is now accepting the second round of applications for its statewide Black Heritage Trail Program. This video is an overview of the Black Heritage Trail application guidelines for nominations submitted for the May 2025 nomination cycle. Please note that applications may be submitted before the deadline of Friday, May 30, 2025, at 2:00 pm but they must be complete.
This video offers an overview of the program and the nomination process.
It outlines the requirements for nominations and the preferred documentation style, in addition to providing samples of the materials needed for a comprehensive application.
Furthermore, it offers a detailed step-by-step guide on how to complete an application, including instructions on how to create a map displaying the nomination location and GPS coordinates number.
Official Site of The State of New Jersey