FLORENCE—The Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area is accepting applications for grants from Monday, June 1, through Wednesday, July 15.
“We are opening a new grant round now to help communities deal with the impacts of COVID-19 on their organizations,” said Carrie Crawford, MSNHA director. “We will prioritize projects that allow for social distancing and focus on other innovations for navigating our new normal.”
The MSNHA also is looking for projects highlighting historic preservation.
“This is a great time to update and renovate,” added Emily Rhodes, MSNHA grants coordinator.
Grant awards from $1,000 up to $7,500 are available for heritage-focused projects in MSNHA’s six counties: Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and Morgan. To be eligible, proposed projects must focus on assessment, preservation activities, interpretation, archiving or workshops and training sessions and be connected to one of the MSNHA’s themes: music, Native American culture or the Tennessee River.
Grant awards are reimbursable—grantees pay their approved expenses and then are reimbursed pending approval of their documentation. Grantees also must match their grant awards 1:1 with approved volunteer hours and/or approved additional expenses not covered by federal funds.
Guidelines, applications and instructions are at http://msnha.una.edu/. Applicants may send an application draft for review by Wednesday, July 1.
“MSNHA is a partnership program of the National Park Service, and our grants initiative is one of the main ways we work with community groups to help preserve, protect and promote northwest Alabama’s cultural heritage,” Crawford said. “Our mission is to work with communities to tell stories about our area’s history and to offer opportunities for learning about and appreciating our area’s cultural and natural resources.”
Visit the MSNHA website, http://msnha.una.edu/, or email msnha@una.edu for details.
Media Release/Cathy Wood
MSNHA media coordinator
