The following entities are eligible to apply:
The HSPG Program provides funds to acquire, repair, rehabilitate and develop historical sites. All HSPG projects are limited to work on “vertical infrastructure,” which is defined in Iowa Code Chapter 8.57 as “land acquisition for construction, major rehabilitation of buildings, all appurtenant structures, utilities, and site developments.” Activities that are not directly related to vertical infrastructure cannot be funded with HSPG monies or the associated cash match.
All HSPG projects must involve work on “historical sites.” For the purposes of the HSPG program, the term “historical site” means a property that is (1) listed or (2) declared eligible by the State Historic Preservation Officer for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, or (3) a facility in which Iowa’s history or the heritage of Iowa’s people is interpreted. Historical sites shall relate to the human occupation of Iowa, but may be of prehistoric or historic age.
To find out if a property is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, visit the National Register website.
If the property is not yet listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but has been evaluated as eligible for the National Register by the State Historic Preservation Officer, then you will need a Certificate of National Register Eligibility. Learn more about the National Register of Historic Places.
A property that is not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places can receive HSPG funds if the facility is used to interpret Iowa history or the heritage of its people. Thus, a museum housed in a modern building is eligible to receive HSPG funds if the museum’s mission focuses on state or local history.
All HSPG projects are expected to follow appropriate professional standards. If a property is listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, then any work on that property must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Applicants must demonstrate knowledge of, and the intention and ability to adhere to, these Standards. In particular, applicants must be familiar with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Copies of these standards and guidelines can be found at www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/rhb .
If a property is a facility in which Iowa’s history or the heritage of its people is interpreted, then any work on that property should adhere to applicable national standards and technical guidelines generally accepted by the museum profession. The facility should be designed to provide care for collections on a long-term basis. Guidance regarding museum practices can be found at the following links:
American Association of Museums
Applicants must provide one dollar of cash match for every dollar of HSPG funds. Applicants are not required to have their match dollars in hand at the time of application, but the match dollars must be available, as appropriate, so that the project can be completed within the contract period.
HSPG monies are awarded as reimbursable grants. Once a grantee has a fully signed contract, project work may begin. At intervals throughout the project, the grantee may request reimbursement by submitting documentation of project progress, and copies of invoices, etc., showing project expenditures. Upon receipt of adequate documentation, the State Historical Society then reimburses the grantee for amounts as specified in the grant contract.
When reimbursement requests are made, a grantee must be able to document the expenditures made with match dollars as well as those made with grant dollars.
All expenditures (both grant dollars and cash match) must be made during the contract period. Expenditures made before a fully signed contract is in place cannot be reimbursed; nor can they be counted as match.
Contact kristen.vandermolen@iowa.gov.
