LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance Grant Program 2025

The LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is launching the nation’s first dedicated grant program to support documentation and awareness of LGBTQ+ historic sites across the United States and its territories. As a private initiative, this grant seeks to fill critical gaps in the public historical narrative by encouraging comprehensive documentation and interpretation of locations significant to LGBTQ+ culture and history. This opportunity is open to individuals, nonprofit organizations, and applicants working with fiscal sponsors, with the goal of enabling a fuller understanding of the country’s complex social and cultural heritage. The program specifically funds projects that contribute to the recognition, preservation, and interpretation of historic sites associated with LGBTQ+ communities. Eligible project types must involve work related to locations of LGBTQ+ significance and may include research, documentation, interpretation, or archival activities. A particular emphasis is placed on projects that elevate historically marginalized subgroups within the LGBTQ+ spectrum—such as people of color, Indigenous and Two-Spirit individuals, people with disabilities, and transgender, intersex, non-binary, or gender nonconforming individuals. The total pool of funding available through this grant program is $75,000, with individual grant awards ranging between $500 and $5,000. There is no matching fund requirement. Ineligible activities include political advocacy campaigns, general oral history collections, standalone social media initiatives, documentaries, and book publishing efforts. By narrowing its focus to place-based projects, the program ensures support for work that directly enhances the visibility and preservation of LGBTQ+ heritage within physical or archival contexts. Applicants must either be individuals residing in the United States or its territories or organizations with tax-exempt status. Fiscal sponsors must assume all administrative and legal responsibilities related to the grant. For-profit organizations, government agencies at any level, and other non-qualifying entities are not eligible to apply. Individuals may apply on their own or through a sponsor. The grant period runs from Fall 2025 to Summer 2027, and all work funded by this grant must be completed by June 2027. The application process begins with a Letter of Intent (LOI), which must be submitted by Monday, July 21, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Notifications regarding LOI decisions will be sent in August 2025. Those invited to proceed will submit a full proposal in Fall 2025, with award notifications following in late 2025 or early 2026. The grant is not rolling but is intended to recur; subsequent cycles are expected, although the specific dates for future opportunities are not yet published. Contact information for further inquiries is available through the LGBTQ+ Heritage Alliance’s official channels. However, the provided source material does not include a direct contact name, email, or phone number. Applicants are encouraged to consult the Alliance’s website or contact forms for assistance. All projects must conclude by June 2027 to qualify for reimbursement or continued funding.