The National Park Service, in partnership with the Jefferson National Parks Association, will begin accepting applications for the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative grants for cultural heritage and educational projects in the Delta region, spanning Southern Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico. Applications are due by May 31.
The initiative awards up to $25,000 in grant funds for projects — from preservation projects to heritage festivals — that work to share the rich history of the Delta.
“The Lower Mississippi Delta grant opportunity is available to organizations across the Delta working to showcase the region’s culture,” said Kathleen Bond, chair of the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative and superintendent of the Natchez National Historic Site.
Eligible grant recipients include organizations exempt from federal income tax, such as nonprofits, tribal groups, historically Black colleges and universities, and state and local governments. Projects must be physically located within the Delta Region as defined by the Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative Program, which includes 219 counties and parishes within the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. All parishes in Louisiana are included in the region.
As co-administrator of the program, the Jefferson National Parks Association is responsible for managing the online application process and distributing funding to recipients.
“We are pleased to partner with the National Park Service to share this grant opportunity. We hope to bolster organizations that are working to preserve and promote the Delta,” said David A. Grove, president and CEO of the the Jefferson National Parks Association.
For more information about the grant opportunity, including geographic parameters, other criteria and to access the grant application, visit nps.gov/locations/lowermsdeltaregion/grant-information-and-faqs.htm