Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program

The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is administered by the Oklahoma Historical Society, a state agency and private membership organization. This competitive funding program is designed to support organizations that collect, preserve, and share collections related to Oklahoma history. By funding local historical projects, the program encourages improved care of collections, higher quality exhibits, and broader community engagement with historical education. Through this initiative, OHS aims to connect experienced museum and archival professionals with volunteers and staff seeking to expand their preservation and programming capabilities. Eligible applicants include municipal, county, and tribal governments, not-for-profit historical organizations as defined by program rules, or support groups affiliated with these entities. Organizations must be actively involved in the collection and preservation of historical materials such as photographs, manuscripts, videos, books, oral histories, or historic buildings. All applicant organizations must maintain a strategic plan, unless the sole purpose of the grant is to develop such a plan, and they must have an annual operating budget below $750,000. Grant funding requests must fall between $1,000 and $25,000, except for strategic planning projects, which are capped at $5,000. Projects must be completed within 12 months of signing a grant contract. Any grant request over $5,000 requires a 10% cash match from the applicant. Projects under $5,000 may meet the match requirement with either cash or in-kind contributions. Funds are provided on a reimbursement basis, and applicants must submit documentation and invoices for completed work to receive payment. All awarded organizations are subject to state audit and record-keeping requirements. The program prioritizes funding for projects that enhance collections, exhibits, and educational programming. Examples of eligible project types include preservation assessments, digital conversion of collections, oral history initiatives, emergency preparedness, governance capacity building, public programming, and strategic planning. Ineligible expenses include utilities, staff salaries not directly tied to the project, fundraising events, real estate acquisition, and capital improvements unrelated to collections or exhibit construction. Applications are evaluated using a weighted scoring system based on criteria such as the historical significance of the applicant’s theme, project impact and sustainability, organizational readiness, implementation clarity, and alignment with long-term strategic goals. Past performance on previously awarded grants is also considered. Only one application per organization is accepted per grant cycle, and all applications must be submitted through the official OHS web portal following a solicitation announcement. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. The final award decisions are made by the Oklahoma Historical Society Board of Directors based on staff recommendations and program requirements. OHS staff directly involved in managing the application process are excluded from the decision-making committee to ensure fairness. For more information or questions about the program, applicants are encouraged to contact the Oklahoma Historical Society at 405-521-2491.

Applicants may submit a draft application by October 6, 2025, for feedback from the Grants Administrator.