Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

Supporting the preservation of Minnesota’s history and culture since 2008.

The Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program —also known as Legacy Grants — is a competitive process created to provide financial support for projects focused on preserving Minnesota’s history and culture. This state-funded program is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund using sales tax revenue resulting from the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy amendment created through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008.

About this grant program

How do I apply for a grant?

Find out if your organization or project is eligible and how the application process works.

How do I manage my grant?

Learn the ins and outs of the grant you’ve received.

Deadlines

July Small Grant Application Deadline
Friday, July 11, 2025

July Large Grant Pre-application Deadline
Friday, July 18, 2025

All deadlines and timelines

MHCH Legacy Grants Manual Revisions

The Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (MHCH Legacy) Grants Manual, version 9.0, covering fiscal years 2026-2027, has been updated and is now available for download. The Grants Office conducts a thorough review and revises the manual accordingly, ahead of each new biennium, to ensure that the program adheres to legislative directives, state laws, and policies governing state-funded grant programs. Please send an email to grants@mnhs.org with questions.

Version 9.0 Changes

Revised the review criteria and included a standardized scoring system for the Historic Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC), which includes diverse community groups.
Included data collection for the applicant to identify demographics in their service area
Increased the maximum request amount for small round and the minimum for large round to $20,000
Glossary term added: Repository.
Added APPENDIX N: RESEARCH PLAN EXAMPLE and Template added.

To learn more about these changes your invited to attend the Grants Office Webinar: Getting Ready for the Large Round, Manual Changes and Application Challenges
July 17 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: An updated grants manual for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program will be released this month (July). If you’re considering applying for grants, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the recent updates to the MHCH Legacy manual, the modifications to the application process, and potential challenges applicants may face. This webinar will cover all of that. Presented by Carolyn Veeser-Egbide, Grants Manager & John Fulton, Grants Specialist.
Join online: meet.google.com/zwx-krei-com
Join by phone: ‪(US) +1 386-361-3086‬ PIN: ‪420 891 978‬#