State
Preservation League of New York State (NYS) and New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
02/15/18
03/26/18 11:59 PM EST
Grants ranging between $3,000 and $10,000 to New York nonprofits and agencies to identify and document local buildings or landscapes with historical or cultural significance. Applicants must contact the funding source prior to applying. Grants will be made for historic structure reports, building condition reports, cultural landscape reports, and cultural resource surveys.
The grant program is intended to support the direct costs of carrying qualified projects. These can include consultant fees and in-state travel, photography, report production costs, and other associated expenses.
In 2018, the Preservation League especially encourages projects that:
- Advance the preservation of neighborhoods and downtowns that qualify for the New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit programs.
- Continue the use of historic buildings such as museums, opera houses, theaters, and libraries for cultural, interpretive, and artistic purposes.
- Identify and preserve architecture and landscapes designed after World War II.
Types of Reports:
History Structure Reports - A historic structure report is a comprehensive building documentation study usually undertaken at the beginning of a major restoration or rehabilitation project.
A complete historic structure report should include:
- A description of the building’s history, including occupants
- A building construction chronology
- An analysis of its current condition
- Drawings (may include sketches and measured drawings) and photographs
- Recommendations for its restoration, rehabilitation or treatment
- Preliminary cost estimates
- Specialized conservation study (e.g. paint analysis)
Building Condition Report - A building condition report, like a historic structure report, is a comprehensive document usually undertaken at the beginning of a major restoration or rehabilitation project.
A building condition survey should include:
- An analysis of the building’s overall current condition (interior and/or exterior)
- Illustrations, either drawings (may include sketches and measured drawings) or photographs
- Prioritized recommendations for the building’s restoration, rehabilitation or treatment
- Preliminary cost estimates
Cultural Landscape Report - A cultural landscape report is a comprehensive landscape documentation study usually undertaken at the beginning of a major restoration or rehabilitation project.
A complete cultural landscape report should include, at a minimum:
- A description of the historic/physical development of the landscape
- An analysis of its current condition
- Drawings (may include sketches and measured drawings) and photographs
- Recommendations for its restoration, rehabilitation or treatment
- Preliminary cost estimates
Cultural Resource Survey - A cultural resource survey identifies, assesses and recognizes historic buildings, structures, and areas. A survey is undertaken when creating historic districts or otherwise planning for the preservation and revitalization of a historic area. A survey may be defined geographically (for example, a downtown commercial district or an entire village) or thematically (for example, barns or canal-related buildings throughout a town).
Depending on the project goals and how much survey work has been completed previously, support may be available for the preparation of:
- Broad historic overview and existing conditions statements
- Detailed descriptions of the historic buildings and sites within the survey area
- Statements of historic and architectural significance
- Photographs and maps
- Nominations for local, state, and national historic designation
The grant panel members will evaluate proposals using three criteria modeled on the New York State Council on the Arts criteria:
Historic Preservation and Project Excellence
- Architectural and historic significance of the building, landscape or area
- Appropriateness of the project budget and consultant(s)
- Likelihood that significant restoration or planning work will result
Fiscal and Managerial Competence
- Applicant’s ability to carry out the project within a stated schedule
- Applicant’s ability to raise sufficient funds to complete the project
- How this project fits with the applicant’s long-term or strategic plan
Service to the Public
- Arts and cultural public programming
- Public programs meeting a community need
- Local project support
The Preservation League and the New York State Council on the Arts expect to see a project budget that reflects the applicant’s meaningful commitment to the project. The consultant fee should reflect the applicant’s understanding of the value of these professional services. Please note that this program may not be able to fully fund the grant amounts requested.
GrantWatch ID#: 178741
The program provides support up to 80% of the project cost. Grants are likely to range between $3,000 and $10,000.
Applicants must be a unit of local government or a nonprofit group with tax-exempt status. Arts and cultural organizations are particularly encouraged to apply or support applications.
Groups may apply for site-specific reports only if they own the site or have at least a 6 year lease by the application deadline. If the applicant is a historic site, it must be open at least 120 days per year in order to qualify for the Preserve New York Program.
Applicants cannot apply to Preserve New York and the New York State Council on the Arts for the same project.
State agencies, groups that steward state-owned buildings, NYS-owned sites, religious institutions, and private property owners are ineligible to apply.
Structures owned by private individuals but leased by nonprofits or municipalities are ineligible for this program.
The PNY program is not able to provide any capital or “bricks and mortar” funding. Grant funds cannot be used toward applicant staff time or overhead costs.
Nonprofit groups and municipalities are invited to attend a free information session on Preserve New York.
Meetings will be held on:
- Thursday, February 15, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. at the Rockville Centre Village Hall, 1 College Place.
- Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. at the Yates County History Center: L. Caroline Underwood Museum, 107 Chapel Street, Penn Yan.
- Wednesday, February 7, 2018 from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. at Rogers Mansion, Southampton Historical Museum, 17 Meeting House Lane in Southampton.
- Monday, February 5, 2018 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. at the Municipal Art Society of New York, 488 Madison Avenue, Suite 1900.
- Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. at the Phelps Mansion Museum, 191 Court Street, Binghamton.
- Monday, Jan. 29, 2018 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, 301 East Second Street, Jamestown.
- Monday, Jan. 29, 2018 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the Landmark Society of Western New York, 133 South Fitzhugh Street, Rochester.
- Friday, January 26, 2018 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. at Kingston City Hall, 420 Broadway.
- Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Northern New York Community Foundation, 131 Washington Street, Watertown.
There is no cost to attend but reservations are required. Please contact the League to RSVP.
For more information about the grant workshops:
https://www.preservenys.org/grants.html
Please note that the applicant first must discuss the project with the Preservation League before an applicant can receive an application. Applications are not available online. To receive or discuss an application, please contact Frances Gubler, the League's Manager of Technical and Grant Programs.
Application deadline for 2018 funding round: Monday, March 26th, 2018. Applications must be submitted electronically. The Foundation only accepts applications sent directly to their email address before 11:59 PM EST on the application deadline.
Applicants will be notified by July 2018.
Applicants must provide 20% of the total project cost as a cash match.
This program also requires that a New York State Historic Resource Inventory Form be completed as part of the project if the building is not listed in the State and/or National Registers of Historic Places.
Before starting your grant application, please review the funding source's website listed below for updates/changes/addendums/conferences/LOIs.
To register for the information session, call the League at (518) 462-5658 ext 12.
To receive or discuss an application, please contact:
Frances Gubler, League’s Preservation Associate
Phone: (518) 462-5658 ext 10
Email: fgubler@preservenys.org
Application materials will only be accepted through the Foundation's special email account: grants@preservenys.org.
USA: New York City; New York
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