The Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council (HCC) is accepting applications for funding through the Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant Program. Up to $210,000 is available for grant awards in 2025. The Board of County Commissioners allocated funding for the program as part of the county’s annual budget. Award amounts range from $5,000 to $75,000.

HCC encourages applications that focus on cultural heritage, natural heritage or historic preservation. All projects must take place in Douglas County, Kansas, and be completed within two years.

Council members will prioritize projects that align with the HCC strategic plan’s designated priority areas:

• Inclusive and creative storytelling of heritage. Elevating under-told stories or narratives of BIPOC, immigrants or refugees, LGBTQ+ or other marginalized communities. Projects led by people with lived experience and marginalized identities will be prioritized.
• Conservation and restoration of native ecosystems. Conserve or restore prairie, woodlands, wetlands, waterways and other ecosystem types.
• Enhancement of agricultural heritage. Preserve and promote the viability of working farms and promote agritourism or public access to heritage farms.
• Accessibility and visibility of important natural and cultural sites. Protect, build or maintain recreational trails. As appropriate, provide increased access to and/or education about historic sites, including cemeteries.
• Strategic preservation of historic resources. Promote the listing of significant historic structures and districts to the national or state Register of Historic Places, promote the adaptive reuse of historic structures, and promote the conservation of designated structures, districts and landscapes.

The grant guidelines and the application are available on the Douglas County website at dgcoks.gov/hcc. The application deadline is 5 p.m. March 6. Interested parties are required to discuss their project with Heritage Conservation Coordinator Kaitlyn Ammerlaan by Feb. 21 in advance of the application deadline.

The Council will evaluate all proposals and make recommendations for funding to the Board of County Commissioners in April for approval.

To view past projects funded through the program, visit our interactive map.