Certified Local Government Grant Program
Certified Local Government Grants
The CLG program provides exclusive grant funding opportunities to participating communities, who can use the funds to carry out local preservation planning, documentation, education, and rehabilitation projects.
The Michigan SHPO is not currently accepting grant applications. The SHPO anticipates that the next round of CLG funding will open in July 2021. Additional announcments and application materials will be provided to CLG communities as the date nears.
One of the greatest benefits of the Certified Local Government (CLG) program is that participating communities in good standing are eligible to apply to SHPO for grants set aside exclusively for CLGs. Every year, SHPO provides at least 10% of its annual allocation from the Department of the Interior's Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to support CLGs through these grants, which can be used for local preservation projects. Such funding has been successfully used by CLGs across the state to jumpstart or supplement local preservation activities and often serves as a catalyst for additional investment.
Since the inception of the CLG program, SHPO has provided more than 150 grants to Michigan's CLGs. Brief descriptions of recent grants (2003-present) can be found here.
Only active CLGs may apply for grant funding. A local unit of government must be certified as a CLG prior to the application due date. CLGs must be in good standing with SHPO to be eligible for grant funding. This includes having an annual report on file with SHPO for the previous year. A CLG may also elect to partner with a non-profit organization or other public entity within its jurisdiction on a grant application.
A list of current CLGs can be found here.
Michigan SHPO provides grant funds to CLGs in two categories of projects, described briefly below. For additional details, see the respective grant manuals.
Only properties owned by the CLG, a non-profit organization, or other public entity are eligible for these categories.
Funds can be used for preservation planning, documentation, and education projects that enhance the ability of the CLG to move forward its preservation program and effectively identify, evaluate, plan for, protect, and celebrate important historic resources in the community.
Eligible project activities include but are not limited to:
The CLG grant application period for FY21 is closed. FY22 materials will be available in July 2021.
Interested applicants should review the FY21 Grant Manuals and related guidance below prior to completing an application. While not required, interested applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposed project with SHPO prior to submitting an application to ensure project eligibility and address any potential concerns.
Note: There are two distinct manuals and applications. One set contains the requirements for rehabilitation planning and rehabilitation projects (i.e., physical work on specific properties), while the other set contains the requirements for preservation planning, documentation (survey and designation), and public education projects.
To aid potential applicants in preparing an application for a CLG grant project, SHPO has provided example scopes of work for several types of projects below. These documents are for informational purposes only. Applicants should tailor their scopes of work to the needs and complexity of the proposed project.
In addition, an example of a completed application form is avaiable below.
