FREEDOM'S FRONTIER
HERITAGE GRANTS
The Freedom’s Frontier Heritage Grant Program is designed for large-scale projects that advance the mission of Freedom’s Frontier NHA. Awarding up to $10,000 in funding, this tier is intended for organizations seeking more substantial funding to support preservation work, interpretive programming, community engagement, or other initiatives that connect residents and visitors to the region’s rich history.
If application cycles overlap, partners may apply to multiple FFNHA grant programs; however, each applicant may receive only one award.
Grants will be awarded for projects aligned with the goals of Freedom’s Frontier, and one or more of our 3 significant themes: Shaping the Frontier, Missouri-Kansas Border War and Civil War, and the Enduring Struggle for Freedom. Successful grants will involve events or people in the heritage area which have broader regional or national impact and especially those supporting in-person heritage tourism, economic impact, and visitor engagement.
Please ensure you meet the requirements as a partner and determine the project’s eligibility before applying for a specific grant. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Use the following information to guide your application process. FFNHA staff are available to assist if you have further questions.
FFNHA Project Grants award partner sites up to $3000 for projects connected to the heritage area’s rich history. Half the funds will be awarded upon a signed agreement accepting the funds and the remainder upon completion of the project and final close-out report.
The application must be filled in completely and submitted at one time. You cannot save content and return at a later time. Please see the end of the instruction packet for an outline of the material that will be requested if you wish to prepare it in advance.
Grants will be awarded for projects aligned with the goals of Freedom’s Frontier, and one or more of our three nationally significant themes: Shaping the Frontier, the Missouri-Kansas Border War and Civil War, and the Enduring Struggle for Freedom. Successful grants will be rooted in a context involving events or people in the heritage area which have broader regional or national impact and especially those supporting heritage tourism, content accessibility, economic development, and visitation.
Please ensure you meet the requirements as a partner and determine the project’s eligibility before applying. Ineligible, vague, or incomplete applications may not be considered. Please use the following information to guide your application process. FFNHA staff is available to assist you if you have further questions.
*This is the current amount for this grant cycle. Amount(s) are subject to change during different grant cycles.
Only organizations with an accepted partnership pledge on file with FFNHA which are located within Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area’s designated 41 counties are eligible to be awarded grant funds.
A completed application must be approved by the end of the stated deadline for that cycle to be considered.
To find out how to become a partner, please find the Partner Pledge at the bottom of our Partners webpage or contact our office through Kate Sutter at ksutter@freedomsfrontier.org. Partnership is open to most visitable museums/archives, organizations, non-profit 501c3s, and historically significant sites which are communicating one or more of our assigned themes to the public and also located within the forty-one (41) counties of western Missouri and eastern Kansas which comprise the congressionally authorized heritage area.
Your application will be completed online at the “Apply Now” button below.
Reach out to Kate Sutter, Director of Programming, at ksutter@freedomsfrontier.org if you have questions or technical difficulties.
- A federal UEI (Unique Entity ID) attributed to the partner is required before the application’s deadline to be considered. DUNS are no longer applicable. See here for information or www.sam.gov.
- Section 106 compliance: If a potential sub-grant recipient of federal funds intends to impact a historic property that is or could be on the National Historic Register, the partner must comply with a Section 106 Review from their state SHPO office. To receive an FFNHA grant, the Section 106 Review must be complete, and a copy of the Resolution provided before the application’s deadline date. Any granted funds must be used in compliance with their findings. The application may not be considered if a Section 106 Review seems to be necessary. To begin a review, please read more and/or contact your state’s SPHO office.
- The project being applied for should be centered around communicating or increasing the visibility of FFNHA theme(s) to the public.
- NO components in the specific application/proposal can begin until after the agreement is signed (excluding RFPs or obtaining quotes). This is a non-negotiable federal restriction. The entirety of the project applied for, and any receipts submitted, from beginning to end, must be post-award or the funds may be forfeited.
- Projects must be completed and Closed-Out prior to the last business day of the August following the award.
- If your project is larger or part of a long-term campaign, you should apply for a specific component or a purchase that can be originated, obtained or completed, and receipts provided for, within that time frame.
- Any need for extensions (unforeseen delays, etc) must be approved in writing by FFNHA prior to the end-of-August deadline.
- If the project lasts longer than 6 months, a Progress Report must be submitted at every 6-month point after the initial announcement. Otherwise, Progress Reports are not required.
- Partners may have only one open grant from FFNHA of any type at any time. No further funding may be granted until the first project is completed as described in its application/award and Closed Out.
Examples may include:
- Interpretive projects such as indoor or outdoor exhibits; digital/video/audio/static media; brochures or signage; tour and tour media development; public programs or appropriate living history; creative or performing arts programs, etc.
- Publicity and promotional efforts related to the project or the supplies that will be consumed/distributed.
- Increasing accessibility to the partner’s content, event, or site.
- Purchase or rental of equipment necessary to complete the project.
- Exhibit or archival supplies.
- Repair of or towards the preservation or restoration of applicable buildings, documents, exhibits, or artifacts. A Section 106 review through your State Historic Preservation Office may be required before a grant is approved for work on buildings.
- Reasonable salary, stipends, honorariums and/or travel reimbursements directly related to the project for staff, consultants, or others hired to carry out project activities that would not otherwise possible, excluding prohibited expenditures such as food or per diems.
- Professional development that is not for academic credit.
- Individual scholarships, fellowships, or personal research costs, including courses for academic credit, etc.
- Food or per diems. These components should be shown as removed from the request if included in the bids.
- Lobbying, including but not limited to, political activism or persuasion.
- Projects, events, or supplies that are for-profit, to be used as a fundraiser, or primarily for raising funds.
- Any projects, components, or expenses started prior to the grant award. This may forfeit any awards.
- Projects that discriminate based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, or physical abilities.
- Projects or programs for which the members of organizations with private memberships, political objectives, or religious congregations are the primary beneficiary.
- Anything that might jeopardize FFNHA’s ability to obtain future funding or violate the federal guidelines and restrictions upon FFNHA.
- Partners who currently have any FFNHA grant funding which has not been fully Closed-Out.
NOTE: If you think that something deemed ineligible, including items listed above, is essential to your project, contact FFNHA staff. We may be able to assist you with ideas to increase your eligibility or with ideas for other sources of funding.
Step 1 – Project Overview
FFNHA partner organization:
Grant recipient
Project title:
Grant amount requested:
Project summary:
Describe the project in one sentence.
Project’s anticipated completion date:
Projects must be completed within FFNHA’s fiscal year (Oct 1-Sept 30) and closed out—with receipts—by the last business day of August.
UEI for Partner:
A Unique Entity ID (UEI) is assigned to an entity by SAM.gov to track the dispersal of federal grant money. Applications from partners without an assigned UEI before the deadline will not be considered. Learn more or apply for a UEI here.
Please select the FFNHA theme that best aligns with this project.
Projected number of individuals this project will serve:
Residents:
Visitors/Tourists:
Online/Virtual:
The boxes should add up to 100%.
Step 2 – Official Contact Information
Grant writer’s name:
Title:
Email:
Phone:
Are you an authorized official (director, president, etc.) to make decisions for the partner?
Will you be the project director?
Full mailing address for receiving any funds:
Partner organization’s website:
Step 3 – Funding History
Has your organization ever received a grant from FFNHA?
If so, when was the last time (month and year) your organization received grant funding from FFNHA and for how much? Include a brief statement of what the funds were used for, if the project was completed on time, and its lasting impact.
Step 4 – Financial Information
Provide a full, itemized budget breakdown of all anticipated project components for which receipts would be submitted for, using quotes, good faith estimates, or links to fees, products and/or services to be purchased, as much as possible.
Supporting documents can be uploaded at the end of the application
How much, if any, of the funding would be paid outside FFNHA’s boundary?
This includes hired labor and contractors, speaker and presenters, materials and supplies, etc. See FFNHA’s boundary here.
List any other funding sources:
If applicable. include reasonable admission or registration fees you will charge.
Step 5 – Project Workplan
Full project description:
Describe how this project will use FFNHA’s themes to promote tourism and/or economic development among Kansas and Missouri residents, visitors, and online audiences.
Provide a full timeline for each stage of the project through its anticipated completion date.
Please be as specific as possible.
Briefly list or summarize the qualifications of the project’s key personnel.
Step 6 – Cosponsoring Organization(s)
Does the project have any cosponsors?
If yes, Is the cosponsor an FFNHA partner?
For a list of FFNHA partner sites, click here.
Cosponsoring organization:
List any additional cosponsoring organization(s), if applicable:
Step 7 – Letters of Support and Documentation
Please upload three letters from stakeholders (not immediately related to the grant writer) who support this grant request and can verify its need, the plan for achievement, and its projected positive impact(s).
Load any supporting documents here:
Consent:
By clicking this box, you agree to FFNHA’s grant terms, acknowledge that the partner organization will complete this project by the date provided, and confirm the information provided is accurate and true to the best of your knowledge.
FFNHA Heritage Grant Application Scoring Rubric
Applications are evaluated without access to applicant identity.
Project Clarity & Alignment (15 points)
Evaluates: how clearly the project is defined and how well it aligns with FFNHA mission/themes.
18–20: Highly clear, compelling, and strongly aligned with FFNHA theme
13–17: Clear with good alignment, minor ambiguity
7–12: Some clarity but weak or generic alignment
0–6: Unclear or misaligned
Project Reach & Audience Impact (5 points)
Evaluates: size and diversity of audience served (residents, visitors, online).
5: Clear, balanced, and realistic reach
3–4: Adequate but limited detail
1–2: Unclear or inflated estimates
0: Not addressed
Use of FFNHA Themes for Tourism & Economic Development (20 points)
Evaluates: how effectively the project uses FFNHA themes to engage residents, visitors, and online audiences.
18-20: Strong, innovative, and clearly measurable tourism/economic impact across audiences
13-17: Solid approach with clear audience engagement
7-12: Basic or general references to impact
0–6: Little or no meaningful connection to tourism/economic development
Project Feasibility & Workplan (20 points)
Evaluates: timeline, execution plan, and ability to complete within grant period.
18–20: Detailed, realistic timeline with clear milestones and completion plan
13–17: Mostly clear plan with minor gaps
7–12: Vague or partially developed timeline
0–6: Not feasible or missing implementation structure
Personnel Capacity & Qualifications (5 points)
Evaluates: strength of project leadership and staffing.
5: Strong qualifications and clearly defined roles
3-4: Adequate experience, some detail missing
1-2: Weak or unclear qualifications
0: No demonstrated capacity
Budget Quality & Financial Feasibility (20 points)
Evaluates: clarity, realism, and justification of costs.
18-20: Detailed, well-justified, and realistic budget
13-17: Generally reasonable but missing detail in places
7-12: Weak justification or unclear cost assumptions
0–6: Incomplete or unrealistic budget
Funding Distribution within Freedom’s Frontier (10 points)
Evaluates: geographical beneficiaries of award funding.
10: All funds distributed within FFNHA’s boundary
6-9: Most funding spent within FFNHA’s boundary
1-5: Some funding spent within FFNHA’s boundary
0: No funding spent within FFNHA’s boundary
Documentation & Community Support (5 points)
Evaluates: strength and independence of letters of support.
5: Three strong, independent, relevant letters
3–4: Adequate but somewhat general support
1–2: Weak or incomplete documentation
0: Missing
FINAL SCORE: ____ / 100
Some grants, such as Project Grants, are intended to be flexible to meet partners’ needs. Others are more specific, and the application should strongly relate and specifically show how it applies. Only one grant may be open per partner at a time, and only one per partner may be applied for in each round. If it is determined that an application fits a better grant option in that cycle, or may be more competitive in a different category, it may be moved to that pool of applications at FFNHA’s discretion. The ideas listed here are only a starting point. Please consider the following when applying for specific grant programs:
- Project Grants – The long-running Project Grants program (formerly “Interpretive Grants”) awards up to $3,000 and supports projects that celebrate and preserve the heritage of the Freedom’s Frontier region. This established program remains both an accessible entry point for organizations new to the grant process or a reliable funding source for larger organizations undertaking targeted initiatives.
- Heritage Grants – Designed for larger-scale projects that advance the mission of Freedom’s Frontier NHA, these grants award up to $10,000 in funding. This tier is intended for organizations seeking more substantial funding to support preservation work, interpretive programming, community engagement, or other initiatives that connect residents and visitors to the region’s rich history.
- Mini Grants – These entry-level grants award up to $1,000 in funding and are designed for small-scale projects. This tier is intended for organizations seeking first-time funding to support their work.
- Education Grants – These are focused on K-12 audiences and include both Bus on Us and Education Materials Grants of $250. Bus on Us is designed to help fund transportation for field trips to our partner sites and Educational Materials Grants are for getting content about FFNHA themes to the students. Ideas include buying items for classroom use or events, costs for guest speaking, and postage for traveling trunks. Purchases from a partner site will have priority when possible.
- Professional Development Grants – These are smaller grants (up to $500) to help partners fund opportunities for staff or volunteers to learn. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the fiscal year’s funds are depleted. Close Out will require verification of completion. Ideas include: tickets/registration for conferences, webinars, or speakers, courses or workshops from organizations like AASLH, conventions, books or video series, etc. Meals/per diems or courses for academic credit cannot be included.
Applications will be reviewed and approved based on the following criteria:
- Prior FFNHA funding rates how recently or significantly the partner has received aid from FFNHA. Priority will be given to partners that have not received FFNHA support in recent grant cycle(s) or fiscal year(s). This does necessarily not exclude any applications.
- Significance of project rates the project’s impact in the community, including the estimated number of visitors/tourists and visibility it may draw to the partner and heritage area, regarding the promotion of at least one of FFNHA’s 3 assigned themes.
- Level of Need rates the urgency of the project for the applying partner(s) at this particular time, and/or if an opportunity would be lost without funding now.
- Budget rates the project’s budget as described by the applicant. The budget should be reasonable and fiscally responsible with essential vs nonessential costs clearly delineated. Heritage area-based resources should be utilized whenever possible to maximize the local economic impact. The ability to move forward toward the project’s goal if awarded partial funding should be considered. Components requesting a specific contractor (person, business, group, etc) should be reasonably justified by explanation, the submission of bids or quotes, and/or other documentation, and may be required by FFNHA to complete the application if not provided.
- Objectives, tasks, and time schedule rates how thoroughly the applicant has planned and organized the project. The project’s steps, stages, or phases should seem reasonably achievable according to the work plan. Delays or unforeseen hurdles can be discussed with FFNHA when/if they arise.
- Qualifications rates the ability of the project’s key personnel and hired or volunteer assistance to carry out the proposals. Resumes, CVs, or web links to such information, especially for paid outside participants like speakers or service providers, should be provided whenever applicable.
- Letter(s) (2 should be provided) rates the positive impact that stakeholders believe the project will have for the partner, heritage area, and/or number of visitors as a result of receipt of funding, as well as confidence in the applicant’s overall plan for completion.
Grant awards may vary and be limited by funding to which FFNHA has access at a particular time. Any project not receiving funding during an application review cycle may consult FFNHA staff, peers and/or colleagues, refocus the project or application to better meet the criteria, and resubmit an application during a later review cycle.
General information regarding scoring decisions for a project may be requested by its applicant but decisions for the cycle are final. FFNHA stakeholders and any reviewing participants have the right of and/or responsibility to maintain confidentiality surrounding partner(s)’ submitted materials including finances, discussion regarding applications and awards, and any information that has not been made by public announcement. The applicant receives no guarantee of or to any funds by submitting a Project Grant application.
Please direct inquiries to
Kate Sutter, Director of Programming, at ksutter@freedomsfrontier.org.
View close-out report. (Coming soon.)