Grants for a Soldier's Memorial
Many communities build and maintain soldiers' memorials, whether to honor local veterans from a particular conflict, pay tribute to a well-known soldier with ties to the area or commemorate all local soldiers in a more general sense. What each of these memorials share is a need for funding to cover the costs associated with designing the memorial, securing a site, construction and ongoing maintenance.
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Government Grants
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One of the largest resources for funding soldiers' memorials and other efforts to honor veterans is the federal government. Besides more general grants for community development and beautification, the government offers funding specifically for soldier-related projects. For example, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is part of the Congressional budget allocation for the Department of Defense. It allows applicants to request funds for soldiers' memorials that relate to the Vietnam War, with close to $1 million in total funding.
Private Grants
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Private grants provide another source of grant funding for soldiers' memorials. These grants are typically smaller than Congressionally Directed Assistance grants. However, for small-scale projects they can still provide a significant portion of the funding. City council funds, local veterans' organizations and parks and recreation departments are all in positions to offer grants for soldiers' memorials, when they have sufficient funding to do so.
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Demonstrating Need
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Organizations that pursue grant funding for soldiers' memorials will need to demonstrate why the proposed memorial is significant and meaningful to the community. With many different programs and groups competing for limited grant funds, a thorough, well-thought-out application is essential. Applicants may be able to refer to the lack of soldiers' memorials in the area or to the commendations and honors that local soldiers have received that justify recognition through a new monument. If the monument will be a part of civic life, such as the site of an annual Memorial Day ceremony, this should also be part of the applicant's statement to demonstrate how community members can use and engage with the proposed monument.
Combining Funding
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Even with a strong proposal and grants from multiple government and private sources, a soldier's memorial may still need further funding. Organizers should plan on using grant funding to begin work on a memorial or complete a project that has already begun but run low on funding. Additional sources of finance, including business sponsorships and public donations, may be necessary to cover the full and ongoing costs of a memorial. A strategy for combining funding from multiple sources and engaging in fundraising efforts should be part of a memorial organizer's initial plans.
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