The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently launched the Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Fund which generally will offer grants of $5,000 to $10,000, with no match required.
The fund aims to help business owners advance projects in
- Capital improvements;
- Planning;
- Marketing and outreach.
Eligible projects will be located in the broader Route 66 corridor including communities and neighborhoods along Route 66.
Projects must be in a community, neighborhood or tribal land along the Route 66 corridor in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or California. While businesses do not need to be directly on Route 66, they should demonstrate geographic or thematic connections to Route 66.
Applicant must be an owner of the eligible legacy business and 18 years of age or older.
Eligible entities are those:
- Small/independently owned legacy businesses or businesses in historic or old buildings.
- Contribute to the history and/or identity of its surrounding Route 66 community or neighborhood.
- A compelling and inspiring historical narrative or cultural significance to share.
- A physical location (meaning brick-and-mortar site).
- A registered business entity in good standing in the state or tribal land in which it was formed and the state or tribal land in which it does business (e.g., not an unincorporated contractor).
- Not part of a national franchise.
- An existing or new business seeking assistance to open a business in an existing vacant or underused Route 66 building (for example, to complete a preservation or business plan) is eligible.
Eligible businesses that fall into one or more of the following categories are preferred:
- Businesses owned, operated or historically associated by or with people of color (including but not limited to indigenous peoples, Latino, Black Americans, Asian Americans and others), women, immigrants, LGBTQ+ communities or veterans.
- Businesses in economically distressed communities or that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID pandemic or natural disasters.
Digital-only businesses are not eligible (digital includes, without limitation, online and application-based businesses).
More guidelines can be found here.
The deadline to apply will be Jan. 12. The review is generally completed within 10 weeks of the application deadline, and applicants are notified via email once the review is complete.
(Image of a Route 66 shield in front of Gay Parita in Paris Springs, Missouri, courtesy of Rich Dinkela)