The Duke Endowment – Rural Church
- Amount
- Not published
- Status
- No deadline published
- Region
- North & South Carolina
Capital Grants
National Fund for Sacred Places
- Amount
- $50,000 to $500,000 (1:1 cash match); planning grants up to $20,000 (per 2026 info session deck)
- Deadline
- Not confirmedAnnual application; 2026 cohort accepted in October
- Who
- Congregations in historic houses of worship
- Use
- Urgent repairs to roof, walls, structure; ADA; reuse of space for community outreach
You match if
For a US/territory congregation or closely affiliated nonprofit caring for a historically significant, purpose-built house of worship owned by an active faith community. Congregations must be at least three years old and serve nonmembers; landmark designation is not required.
Official 2026 materials specify capital grants of $50,000–$500,000. Accepted participants may also receive up to $20,000 in planning support.
You’ll need
- The live application page now announces January 12, 2027 opening, March 3, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. EST deadline, and October 2027 notifications, through Foundant.
- Our note: Prepare ownership/history, community-use, repair-scope and fundraising evidence now; verify 2027 award terms at launch and do not begin grant-funded construction before approval.
- Capital grants require a 1:1 match from new funds solicited/applied for/pledged/secured after program acceptance. Reserves and bridge/construction loans do not qualify. Program details permit up to 20% of the match in eligible donated materials/professional services.
- The first 50% payment also requires approved permit-ready project documents, selected bids/contractors, a fundraising plan, approved Capital Grant Submission, signed agreement and financial documents. Official pages disagree on whether the first quarter of the match must be raised or may be pledged: confirm with staff before planning cash flow. Final payment requires completed eligible work/spending, match evidence, final report and site visit. Planning support had no match in the 2026 webinar.
Watch for
- No property purchase, new construction, parking lots, AV equipment, salaries or debt repayment. Work begun without program approval is ineligible; address urgent building-envelope needs before proposed ADA/interior work.
- Important: original snapshot conflict. The snapshot’s 2026-cohort timing is superseded by the official 2027 application calendar. Its $500,000 maximum is supported by official 2026 materials, not replaced by a third-party lower cap.14
- Important: original snapshot conflict. The snapshot abbreviates the match as 1:1 cash. Official program details also allow eligible in-kind materials/professional services for up to 20% of the required match, subject to staff documentation.3
- Important: original snapshot conflict. Official-source disagreement: Program Details requires one-quarter of the match raised before first disbursement; the Apply and Eligibility pages allow raised or pledged. Obtain staff confirmation of the cash/pledge threshold; reaching it alone does not satisfy all payment conditions.123
- Live page lists January 12–March 3, 2027 applications and October 2027 notifications; full public process reviewed.
- Eligibility, self-assessment and excluded expenses reviewed.
- Planning support, matching-fund timing and permitted in-kind portion, disbursement and construction-approval rules reviewed.
- Official 2026 slide deck text reviewed; confirms $50,000–$500,000 capital grants and $20,000 planning support. Its 2026 calendar is historical.
Dated supplemental evidence
Reviewed October 19, 2026. This layer does not refresh the older catalog below. Historical examples are selective, not typical awards or eligibility promises. Application-route access is separate from whether a round is open.
Historical recipient examples
Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church
Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church · 2024 (cohort year) · $219,000 USD
Recipient location: Bluffton, SC
Historic restoration, including exterior walls, foundation, roof and windows.
Purpose scope: recipient-specific
Amount basis: announced grant, not verified cash disbursement
Exact award date: Not established
Review date: 2026-10-19
Historical recipient example; not evidence of current application access or award likelihood.
Recipient-raised matching funds: $438,000 USD; not a universal match requirement.
2024 cohort admission year is distinct from final grant commitment/payment date.
The participant page reports $438,000 in congregation-raised matching funds; do not generalize this ratio to all applicants.
Historic-preservation and community-use precedent; not an Intervention Fund award.
Exact grant approval date and payment schedule not stated.
gfm-enrichment-017 · funder official document · Publication: Publication date not stated (unknown) · Reviewed 2026-10-19 · Retrieved 2026-10-19T02:47:26.541815+00:00. Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church - National Fund For Sacred Places
gfm-enrichment-013 · funder official document · Publication: 2024-10-21 (day) · Reviewed 2026-10-19 · Retrieved 2026-10-19T02:45:55.596045+00:00. $4M Awarded to 24 Historic Faith Communities by National Fund for Sacred Places | National Trust for Historic Preservation
Source: fundforsacredplaces.org/apply, fundforsacredplaces.org/what-we-offer/eligibility, fundforsacredplaces.org/what-we-offer/program-details, fundforsacredplaces.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-National-Fund-for-Sacred-Places-Information-Session-Slide-Deck.pdf. Recorded Oct 16, 2026. Reviewed Oct 17, 2026. Scope: reviewed.
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