FY2021 Historic Preservation Fund- Save America's Treasures Collection Grants | P22AS00049

Opportunity Information: Apply for P22AS00049

The FY2021 Historic Preservation Fund - Save America's Treasures (SAT) Collection Grants opportunity is a competitive federal grant program designed to help preserve nationally significant historic collections (and, under a separate companion notice, nationally significant historic properties). The core purpose is straightforward: provide funds for preservation and conservation work that stabilizes, protects, and extends the life of important cultural resources that have recognized national significance. These grants are supported by the Historic Preservation Fund and administered by the National Park Service (NPS), working in partnership with three major cultural agencies: the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Although NPS administers the program, it is structured as a cross-agency effort to support high-value preservation outcomes across the country.

This specific notice focuses on the collections side of the Save America's Treasures program, meaning projects centered on conserving and preserving collections rather than repairing or rehabilitating historic buildings or structures. The program is split into two tracks with separate opportunity numbers: the collections-focused opportunity is identified as P21AS00434, while the preservation (historic properties) opportunity is listed separately as P21AS00433. Applicants need to make sure they are applying under the correct track for their proposed work, since a collections conservation project and a historic property preservation project are handled as distinct opportunities.

A defining feature of SAT grants is the required cost share. Awards require a dollar-for-dollar, non-federal match, and that match can be provided either as cash or as properly documented in-kind contributions. In practical terms, if an applicant requests $250,000 in federal funds, they must also provide $250,000 in eligible non-federal match to reach a total project value of $500,000. This matching requirement is central to the program's design and is meant to ensure strong local or private investment alongside federal support, while also increasing the total resources directed to preservation outcomes.

In terms of funding context, FY2021 Public Law 116-260 provided $25 million for the Save America's Treasures grant program. The notice also makes a key eligibility limitation clear: grants are not available for work on sites or collections owned by the National Park Service. Even though NPS administers the program, NPS-owned resources are explicitly excluded from receiving SAT funds under this opportunity. The notice also references federal agencies funded through the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (with the exception of NPS) and clarifies a pathway for certain federal collaborations: other federal agencies that want to preserve historic properties or collections they own may participate if they work through a nonprofit partner, with the nonprofit serving as the applicant.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of public and nonprofit entities. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township governments, special district governments, and independent school districts, as well as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education. Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) are eligible, along with other Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized tribal governments. Both nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status may apply (in each case, excluding institutions of higher education from those nonprofit categories). The notice also highlights eligibility for federally recognized Indian Tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiian Organizations as defined in federal statute (54 USC 300300), reinforcing that Indigenous communities and organizations are among the intended participants where nationally significant collections are concerned.

The opportunity is classified as a discretionary grant, administered by the National Park Service, and associated with CFDA number 15.929. The award ceiling listed is $500,000, indicating that requests may be made up to that maximum federal amount, subject to competition and the availability of funds. The original closing date shown for this listing is March 10, 2022, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of October 8, 2021. As with most competitive federal grant programs, applicants should expect proposals to be evaluated against program priorities and merit-based criteria, with funding decisions made through a competitive review process rather than formula allocation.

Overall, this SAT Collections Grants opportunity is best understood as a targeted preservation investment program: it supports conservation and preservation work on collections of national significance, requires applicants to bring meaningful non-federal matching resources to the table, and is intentionally structured to keep NPS-owned resources out of the applicant pool while still allowing a wide range of governmental, nonprofit, educational, and tribal entities to compete for support.

• The National Park Service in the arts, humanities, other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY2021 Historic Preservation Fund- Save America's Treasures Collection Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.929.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-10-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-03-10. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

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