Legacy Amendment Supports $283,359 in Small Grants to History Organizations Throughout Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 9, 2026) – The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 17 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($20,000 and less), totaling $283,359 in 15 counties.

Small grants are awarded quarterly to help nonprofits, educational organizations, government units, and federally recognized Tribes to preserve and share Minnesota history. This cycle of awards was approved by the MNHS Executive Council on May 21, 2026.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water, and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grant Recipients

Recipients of small grants ($20,000 and less) from the fiscal year 2026 April small grants cycle are listed in alphabetical order below. Each project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. All grants are competitive and awarded according to program guidelines and criteria, as well as professional standards.

Anoka County Historical Society, Anoka, $20,000
To provide appropriate and safe materials for museum collections ahead of a relocation project.

City of Ortonville, Ortonville, $20,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the 1915 Ortonville Free Library, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Firefighter's Hall and Museum, Minneapolis, $19,950
To hire a qualified conservator to restore a significant object in the museum’s collections.

Grant County Historical Society, Elbow Lake, $5,547
To improve collections care and management through an updated collections management system.

Greater Milan Initiative, Milan, $11,000
To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for the 1915 Milan School.

Hamline Church United Methodist, St. Paul, $19,999
To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the historic church environment.

Listening Point Foundation, Ely, $19,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct conditions assessments of the cabin, sauna, and Writing Shack (listed in the National Register of Historic Places) associated with Minnesota conservationist and author Sigurd F. Olson.

Macalester College, St. Paul, $19,535
To hire a qualified historian to research and write the history of the environmental impact of military-industrial development in WWII and Cold War Minnesota.

Mille Lacs County Historical Society, Princeton, $20,000
To hire qualified professionals to install a lightning protection system on the Great Northern Railway Depot in Princeton, MN, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $5,335
To provide appropriate updated storage infrastructure for digitized photographic negatives.

Preserve Appleton's Heritage Inc., Appleton, $19,750
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the 1879 Gethsemane Episcopal Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Red Lake Nation College, Red Lake, $19,975
To digitize a collection of archival videotapes, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Center for Bioethics), Minneapolis, $16,468
To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of the 1925 sterilization law in Minnesota, in preparation for a future exhibit.

Rushford Area Historical Society, Rushford, $17,050
To hire consultants to assess and write a collections management plan for a historically significant collection, which will allow greater public access to this resource.

Taylors Falls United Methodist Church, Taylors Falls, $10,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the Taylors Falls United Methodist Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Jaques Art Center, Aitkin, $19,750
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Aitkin Carnegie Library (The Jaques Art Center), listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Township of Teien, Teien Township, $20,000
To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on the 1904 Teien Central School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Small grants of $20,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grant application deadlines are July 10, 2026 and October 9, 2026. Large grants of more than $20,000 are offered once a year. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.

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