The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership offers matching grants to provide and leverage funding for innovative projects across the region which preserve, protect, and promote the rich historical, cultural, and natural heritage of Western North Carolina while stimulating economic opportunity.

Grants are available for the preservation, interpretation, development, and promotion of heritage resources in five thematic areas:

• Agricultural heritage
• Cherokee heritage
• Craft heritage
• Music heritage
• Natural heritage

These distinctive facets of Western North Carolina's heritage were the basis for the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area designation in 2003.

Of particular interest to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership are projects that:

• are regional or multi-county in scope
• involve active partnerships between organizations
• leverage substantial matches from project participants and other grantors

Funds for the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's matching grants program are provided by the federal government through the National Park Service.

Who Can Apply

The grants program is targeted to the following types of organizations serving the 25-county Blue Ridge National Heritage Area region:

• units of state and local government
• federally-recognized Indian tribes
• academic institutions
• non-profit organizations with 501(c)3 or 501(c)6 tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service

Applicants may submit no more than one application per grant cycle. Only one project may be proposed in a single application.

Next Grant Cycle

The next grant cycle is being planned and details will be announced in the summer of 2012, with information sessions to follow. Some changes will be made to the grant guidelines and application requirements.

Previous Grant Cycle Awards

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership awarded nearly $245,000 in grants in its 2010 grant cycle. A list of awards can be found here.

Previous Grant Cycle Guidelines and Application Forms

Details about what kinds of projects are eligible for grants can be found in the 2010 grant guidelines below:

• 2010 Heritage Grant Guidelines
• 2010 Grant Application Form
• 2010 Project Budget Form

Please note that new guidelines and application forms will be posted for the 2012 grant cycle.

More Information

To receive an announcement about the 2012 grant cycle, sign up for our partner e-newsletter.

For more information about the grants program, contact:

Rob Bell
Director of Programs
Blue Ridge National Heritage Area
rob@blueridgeheritage.com
(828) 298-5330, ext. 308