Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Fund
Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Fund supports business owners with preservation, planning, and outreach projects to protect historic places and strengthen heritage along Route 66.
This grant was recently updated
The funder removed the FAQ timeline listing a January 23 application deadline at 11:59 PM ET, late-March selection notifications, and project completion one year after notification. No replacement timeline was added.
Funder: National Trust for Historic Preservation
Due Dates: September 1, 2026 (Applications open) | November 12, 2026 (Deadline, 11:59 p.m. local time)
Funding Amounts: Generally $5,000–$10,000; no match required; projects completed within one year
Summary: Supports preservation, planning, and outreach by Route 66 businesses, emphasizing historically underrepresented places and stories.
Key Information: Applicants must be business owners aged 18 or older; nonprofits, franchises, and digital-only businesses are ineligible.
Description
The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Fund helps business owners preserve historic places and spur economic development along the Route 66 corridor. It emphasizes projects that illuminate communities whose places and stories have been historically underrepresented, while supporting businesses that contribute to their communities’ heritage and identity.
The fund supports new initiatives and ongoing work in three categories: capital improvements, planning, and marketing and outreach. Projects may restore buildings or signs, improve accessibility and energy efficiency, develop preservation or business plans, or share local stories through murals, exhibits, translated materials, and websites. Businesses need not sit directly on Route 66, but must demonstrate a geographic or thematic connection to it.
