The New Jersey Historic Trust, a division of the Department of Community Affairs, is currently accepting applications for the 2025 round of its Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund. This grant program provides matching funds for historic preservation projects throughout the state, supported by the Corporate Business Tax as directed by state legislation enacted in 2016. Grant funding typically ranges from $3 to $4 million annually, depending on the state budget.
The Preserve New Jersey Fund offers multiple types of grants, including Capital Grants, Historic Site Management (HSM) Grants, Municipal, County, and Regional Planning (MCRP) Grants, and Heritage Tourism Grants. Each grant type has its own distinct application and guidelines. All applicants must submit both an online application and a USB drive containing all required supporting documents by the deadline of April 24, 2025, at 4:00 PM. USB submissions may be mailed, delivered via a courier service, or dropped off in person on April 24 at the Department of Community Affairs building in Trenton, New Jersey.
Eligible applicants include entities of municipal, county, or state government, as well as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are in compliance with New Jersey’s charity registration laws. Each grant type has specific eligibility and matching requirements, all outlined in the full grant guidelines available on the New Jersey Historic Trust website.
To support prospective applicants, the Trust hosted a virtual Applicant Workshop on January 30, 2025, and offers biweekly virtual office hours leading up to the deadline. These office hours are an opportunity for direct consultation with Trust staff to ensure strong, complete submissions. Registration links for the remaining office hours sessions are available on the grant webpage.
Applications must clearly demonstrate alignment with the goals of the Preserve New Jersey program, which include the conservation, preservation, and adaptive reuse of New Jersey’s historic resources. Interested applicants should consult the full application instructions, supporting document checklists, and grant guidelines, and are encouraged to begin the process well in advance of the deadline.
For additional guidance, applicants may contact the New Jersey Historic Trust at (609) 984-0473 or visit the program's webpage for application materials and webinar recordings.
