Held in Trust: A National Convening on Conservation and Preservation | 20191218 PB

Opportunity Information: Apply for 20191218 PB

Held in Trust: A National Convening on Conservation and Preservation is a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) funding opportunity, administered through NEH's Division of Preservation and Access, that supports a single, high-impact national effort to take stock of the United States' conservation and preservation landscape and to chart a clearer path forward. The goal is not simply to fund preservation work at individual institutions, but to evaluate the broader national infrastructure that underpins the preservation of cultural heritage and to produce concrete, field-wide recommendations that can strengthen preservation capacity for current and future generations. The project is intended to bring together key voices across the country to address what is working, what is at risk, and what needs to change to ensure long-term care and access for humanities collections.

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning NEH anticipates an active partnership role with the recipient rather than a hands-off grant. The funded organization is responsible for two major deliverables. First, it must plan and host a national convening designed to foster substantive dialogue about the state of conservation and preservation in the United States, including persistent challenges, emerging needs, and shared future goals. This convening is meant to engage a wide range of stakeholders, such as conservators, preservation administrators, collection stewards, educators, allied professionals, professional organizations, and thought leaders, and it is also framed to have relevance for broader public understanding of why preservation matters.

Second, the recipient must produce, publish, and disseminate a report that synthesizes what is learned through the convening and related evaluation work. This report is expected to establish a national strategic vision for preservation, providing actionable guidance and identifying resources that can support the field. The intended audience includes practitioners and institutions directly responsible for collections, training and education programs that shape the next generation of professionals, professional associations and networks that set standards and coordinate activity, and the general public, who ultimately benefit from preserved cultural heritage and improved access to it. In other words, the written product is not an internal memo; it is designed to be a widely shared roadmap that helps align priorities and strengthen the overall preservation ecosystem.

From an eligibility standpoint, NEH opened the opportunity to a broad mix of potential applicants that could credibly convene national stakeholders and produce an authoritative strategic report. Eligible applicants included state, county, and local governments; special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education institutions). This range reflects the reality that preservation leadership and infrastructure are distributed across many types of organizations, from universities and major nonprofits to public agencies and tribal governments.

Financially, the opportunity carried an award ceiling of $500,000, with NEH expecting to make one award total. It was categorized as a discretionary funding opportunity in the humanities (CFDA 45.149) and was posted under Funding Opportunity Number 20191218 PB. The opportunity was created on November 12, 2019, with an original application deadline of December 18, 2019. The single-award design and relatively high ceiling underscore that NEH was looking for a nationally visible effort capable of producing field-shaping outcomes rather than multiple smaller, localized projects.

Finally, this program was explicitly aligned with NEH's "A More Perfect Union" special initiative, which emphasizes advancing civic education and commemorating the nation's 250th anniversary. The connection here is that conservation and preservation are not only technical or professional concerns; they are also civic and cultural priorities. Preserving documents, artworks, artifacts, historic records, and other humanities collections supports public memory, scholarship, and community identity, and it strengthens the material foundation for teaching and discussing the nation's history in the lead-up to major commemorations and beyond.

• The National Endowment for the Humanities in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Held in Trust: A National Convening on Conservation and Preservation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 45.149.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 12, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 18, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for 20191218 PB

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