Certified Local Government (CLG) Mini-Grants

The Certified Local Government (CLG) Grant Program offered by the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) provides Mini-Grants and Scholarships to municipalities certified as CLGs in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The program is funded in part by the National Park Service and is designed to support historic preservation through timely, targeted, and impactful local initiatives. Applications for both Mini-Grants and Scholarships are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed monthly, with awards made contingent on available funds and compliance with applicable regulations. Mini-Grants provide up to $7,500 to support projects that enhance local preservation capacity. These grants require a 25% cash match, which need not be secured at the time of application but must be confirmed within 60 calendar days of the award notification. Projects must be completed within three to six months and should produce tangible outcomes. Eligible project types include planning initiatives, design guidelines, cultural resource surveys, National Register nominations, revitalization studies, public education materials, and technical design assistance. Projects must be conducted by qualified professionals, often selected through a competitive process, and reimbursements are issued only to municipalities, even if cooperative agreements are used with community organizations. Scholarships, by contrast, provide up to $2,000 per attendee or $5,000 for hiring external trainers, with no matching requirement. These funds are intended to support participation in educational opportunities such as conferences, seminars, training sessions, and the acquisition of relevant publications. Scholarships may also fund the hiring of speakers or the purchase of organizational memberships that provide access to educational resources. All scholarship funds must align with PA SHPO’s Training and Continuing Education Guidelines and are reimbursed only to municipalities. Eligibility for both Mini-Grants and Scholarships requires an executed Master CLG Grant Contract and continued compliance with the CLG Certification Agreement, including timely annual reporting. Projects involving multiple CLGs or non-CLG municipalities may be eligible if they provide direct benefit to certified jurisdictions. Evaluation of applications is based on demonstrated need, public benefit, project scope, readiness, and alignment with PA SHPO priorities, particularly those related to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and updating historic resource surveys. The PA SHPO provides Community Preservation Coordinators for each region (Western, Central, Eastern) who must be consulted before application submission. Applications, including a signed cover sheet and completed FFATA datasheet, must be submitted via email to RA-PHCLG@pa.gov. Reimbursements are issued only after the completion of activities and submission of all required documentation and reports. All awarded projects must comply with applicable federal and state legal and administrative regulations, including those related to nondiscrimination and transparency.