National Trust Expands Funding to Protect Historic Black Churches

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund awards $13.5 million in new grants to preserve 170 churches across the country.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has awarded $13.5 million in grants to 170 historically Black churches through its Preserving Black Churches program. This latest round of funding, which includes $8.5 million to 33 churches and $5 million awarded on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is one of the largest commitments in the program's history. The grants will support capital projects, endowments, organizational capacity, programming, and preservation planning for these essential civic institutions that have anchored African American communities for generations.

Why it matters

Historically Black churches have long served as more than just buildings - they are central to African American communities, nurturing leadership, fueling social justice movements, and providing stability and hope. By investing in the preservation of these sacred spaces, the National Trust is safeguarding a living legacy of resilience and progress.

The details

The Preserving Black Churches program is a $60 million initiative supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. that provides congregations and organizations stewarding historically Black churches with funding and technical expertise to safeguard their historic assets and legacies. To date, the program has awarded nearly $34 million and supported 170 churches from Alaska to Puerto Rico. The latest round of grants, ranging from $50,000 to $500,000, will address immediate needs across capital projects, endowments, organizational capacity, programming, and preservation planning.

  • The $1 million MLK Day partnership awards were announced on January 16, 2026.
  • The $8.5 million in additional grants were announced on February 24, 2026.

The players

National Trust for Historic Preservation

A privately funded organization chartered by Congress in 1949 to protect historic landscapes and buildings representing the country's diverse cultural experience.

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund

A division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that has raised $200 million and supported over 400 preservation projects, making it the largest national resource dedicated to the preservation of sites tied to Black history in the United States.

Lilly Endowment Inc.

A private philanthropic foundation that is supporting the $60 million Preserving Black Churches program.

Brent Leggs

The executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and a strategic advisor to the CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“America's 250th anniversary is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable legacy of our nation's historically Black churches. They are essential civic institutions that have anchored democracy, community leadership, and collective care for generations. By investing in their preservation today, we are safeguarding not just historic buildings and architecture, but a living legacy of resilience and social progress for the future.”

— Brent Leggs, Executive Director, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (prnewswire.com)

What’s next

The National Trust for Historic Preservation plans to continue expanding the Preserving Black Churches program in the coming years, with the goal of supporting the long-term sustainability and stewardship of these vital community institutions.

The takeaway

The National Trust's significant investment in preserving historically Black churches underscores the vital role these sacred spaces have played in anchoring African American communities and fueling social progress throughout the nation's history. By safeguarding these historic assets, the organization is ensuring that the legacy of resilience and activism they represent will endure for generations to come.