How to Write a Grant for Historic Building Restoration
Historic buildings provide a window into the past of a community and can be a great source of pride for towns and cities. Historic building restoration can take a lot of patience and may become a financial burden. Writing a grant for a historic building restoration can help provide funding that you do not need to repay, which can go towards contractor costs, supplies and other needs. Several simple steps can help write a grant for a historic building restoration.
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Instructions
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Writing a Grant for a Historic Building Restoration
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Review the funder's requirements to make sure that you are eligible for a historic building restoration grant. Some grants will be limited based on geographic location, type of business structure and type of building or support needed.
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Research the history of the building by going to a previous owner, local library, historic societies, city museums or courthouse to find documents that pertain to the building address. See if there are any photos of the property in the past.
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Outline the costs and make sure that you have a reputable contractor's cost estimates, including what type of repairs need to be completed, the amount of time, supplies and estimated work hours. Have a home inspection and have the property surveyed if you are just purchasing the property.
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Prepare a cover letter that includes your contact information, type of support, such as renovation, and one or two sentences about the proposed project.
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Write information about the history of the area from when the property was built and bridge the gap in time, discussing current historic landmarks in the area. Introduce your proposed project and discuss why it is needed. Is it for safety, to add charm, or repair problems? If you make improvements to a property, discuss whether the building be used for weddings, a local museum or some other cause. If it is a historic building, be sure to discuss whether it meets your city's regulations for historic buildings in its present state. Focus on what improvements are needed and discuss a timeline for the completion of the historic building renovations.
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Include a detailed budget of your historic building restoration project, including any permits, licenses, contracting costs, supplies and possible contingencies. Try to include copies of documents or photos of the past and present of the historic building for comparison for the grant review process.
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Tips & Warnings
When you receive a grant for a historic building restoration, be sure to spend the allocated funds as you outlined in your grant request. If anything changes about the nature of your need, contact the funder immediately.
Be sure to follow-up with the funder and send appropriate paperwork on the spending for your renovation project.
Before making any changes to a historic building, check to see whether you are under obligation to receive historic society approval.
