Cultural Resources Management (15.946)
Cultural Resources Management (Assistance Listing 15.946) is run by the National Park Service, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $113 million in 337 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $336,059 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $88,890. Half of the 337 awards fell between $45,000 and $249,000, and they ranged from $2,996 to $9.4 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$113 million
- Grant awards337
- Typical award$88,890
- Awarded in FY 2025$19.6 million
- Size rank775 of 1824
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $8.8 million in fiscal 2021 to $19.6 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 775th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 84% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 33 states and territories.
What the program funds
The National Park Service (NPS) conducts cultural resource stewardship largely at the park level. Projects encompass a broad range of research, operational, and educational activities across all aspects of cultural resource stewardship, including but not limited to inventory, monitoring, research, rehabilitation, reconstruction, restoration, preservation, documentation, data recovery, and education.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
State, local, or tribal government or other public entity, an educational institution, or a private nonprofit organization.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Funds used for all aspects of cultural resource stewardship activities, including but not limited to inventory, monitoring, research, rehabilitation, reconstruction, restoration, preservation, documentation, data recovery, and education. Funds may not be used for acquisition of real property.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Range: $5,000.00 - $5,500,000.00 Average: $200,000.00
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: 1) Preserving Cultural Heritage - Funding supports the preservation of historic buildings, landmarks, and cultural landscapes across the country, such as stabilizing historic ranch buildings and telegraph stations to prevent further deterioration. 2) Documenting and Interpreting History - Projects aim to research, document, and share the stories of people, places, and events that shaped the nation. Examples include producing administrative histories of national parks to better understand their development and management, and conducting oral history interviews with tribal elders and community members to preserve traditional knowledge. 3) Engaging Indigenous and Local Communities - Many projects are designed to collaborate with tribal nations and local communities to ensure inclusive stewardship of cultural resources. Examples include partnering with tribal governments to document culturally significant sites and practices, and facilitating community planning meetings for new exhibits and educational programs.Fiscal Year2026: 1) Preservation and Access to Cultural Resources - Funding helps make historic photographs, records, and artifacts accessible to the public by digitizing images, creating standardized metadata, and sharing files online. Projects also preserve fragile items like photograph albums and scrapbooks by stabilizing them and moving them into archival storage, ensuring they remain available for researchers, educators, and the public.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Cultural Resources Management (15.946) awarded$113 million across 337 grant awards, an average of $336,059 per award.
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 72% of the money, colleges and universities 11% and tribes 2.9%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 245 | $81.8 million | 72% |
| Other | 40 | $13.5 million | 12% |
| Colleges and universities | 14 | $12.8 million | 11% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 27 | $3.3 million | 2.9% |
| State and local governments | 11 | $1.9 million | 1.7% |
By state
12 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 54 | $43.3 million |
| Nevada | 85 | $17.4 million |
| South Carolina | 3 | $10.1 million |
| Alaska | 37 | $8.8 million |
| Maryland | 9 | $6.6 million |
| California | 27 | $6.1 million |
| New York | 18 | $5.0 million |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | $3.6 million |
| Indiana | 21 | $2.1 million |
| Michigan | 2 | $1.8 million |
| Rhode Island | 14 | $1.6 million |
| Maine | 7 | $1.4 million |
| Arizona | 4 | $638,250 |
| Washington | 7 | $631,408 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $556,162 |
| Louisiana | 2 | $554,073 |
| Colorado | 6 | $448,761 |
| Minnesota | 3 | $415,500 |
| Illinois | 8 | $349,500 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | $325,250 |
| Tennessee | 2 | $301,614 |
| Virginia | 3 | $299,858 |
| Mississippi | 2 | $234,587 |
| Connecticut | 2 | $136,305 |
| Nebraska | 2 | $108,514 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | $106,716 |
| New Jersey | 2 | $104,071 |
| Ohio | 1 | $50,000 |
| Montana | 2 | $48,584 |
| Alabama | 1 | $47,212 |
| Vermont | 1 | $46,000 |
| Delaware | 1 | $25,043 |
| Oregon | 1 | $20,577 |