National Trust Awards 8.5 Million to 33 Black Churches for Structural Repairs and Preservation
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund awarded $8.5 million in grants to 33 historically Black churches in 2026 through its Preserving Black Churches program. The funds will pay for structural repairs, stained-glass window restoration, and endowment development. The grants are part of a total $13.5 million commitment the National Trust for Historic Preservation made for the 2026 calendar year.
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awarded $8.5 million in grants to 33 historically Black churches in 2026 through its fourth annual Preserving Black Churches program.
The grants will fund structural repairs, restoration of stained-glass windows, and the development of endowments to help churches sustain themselves long-term. The 33 recipient churches were selected based on their historical significance and their role as anchors for Black faith, community life, and civil rights activism.
The $8.5 million award is part of a larger $13.5 million commitment the National Trust made for the 2026 calendar year. The organization had already awarded $5 million on Martin Luther King Jr. Day earlier in the year.
Many of the churches receiving funds are more than a century old and face serious structural challenges. Without intervention, preservation experts say some of these buildings could be lost within a generation.
The Preserving Black Churches program has grown each year since its launch. Organizers say the program recognizes that these buildings are not just places of worship but living records of African American history, resilience, and community organizing.
