Criteria for Cemeteries and Sacred Sites Grants

For the purposes of this program, a cemetery or sacred site shall be considered historic if it is more than 50 years old and contains components that contribute to the historical significance of the local community.

Grant projects should focus on the following areas:

• Site identification, survey, and/or assessment

• Restoration of original markers, monuments, and architectural or decorative features

• Research, cataloging and/or inventory of historic burials

• Site interpretation, education, and/or heritage tourism

Some examples of eligible project sites include:

• Cemeteries whose creation and continuity reflect the community's history and culture

• Family burial plots that are significant to Montana history

• Sacred sites where markers, landscape, or general design exhibit artistic, stylistic, cultural, or architectural significance

• Sites whose survival is a significant reminder of an important person, culture, settlement, or event

• Sites associated with the death or commemoration of significant persons or events

In most cases, The Foundation does not fund:

• Disinterment of individual burials or groups of burials

• New construction, new monuments, and/or landscaping

• Ongoing landscaping expenses and/or grounds maintenance

NOTE:  If the property on which the cemetery or historic site is located is not owned by the organization applying for funds, a letter of support and approval from the owner(s) must be submitted with the application.