Municipal, County, and Regional Planning (MCRP) grant requests may range from $5,000 to $75,000. Grant applicants are eligible for a 3:1 funding match in which the Trust may provide up to 75% of total project costs, not to exceed $75,000. The applicant must demonstrate the ability to match 25% of the total project cost for which the grant is requested.

MCRP grants do not need to demonstrate ownership or have lease requirements. The signature of the chief elected official of each municipality in which the project area is located will be required if the applicant does not own, in fee simple, the resources to be impacted.

If the applicant does not own the property, the Municipal Consent form should be included as Attachment B on the USB drive.

If the proposed activity is a register nomination for a historic district, consent is required from the Mayor of the municipalities within the proposed district, not from every property in the district. 

All applicants must also submit the signed Applicant's Governing Body/Board Resolution and Assurances form with each application. It should be included as Attachment A on the USB drive. 

• Individually listed in the NJ or National Register of Historic Places
• Contributing resource to a historic district listed in the NJ or National Register 
• Certified eligible for listing by the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer

Properties must be listed or certified eligible for listing by August 1, 2024 in order to be considered for funding in this grant round.

• Preparation of Design Guidelines.
• Preparation or revision of Local Historic Preservation Ordinances. See the NJ State Historic Preservation Office’s guidelines for Certified Local Governments and the Municipal Land Use Law for more information on what should be included in a Historic Preservation Ordinance.
• Preparation of historic preservation components to a municipal or county Master Plan. 
• Preparation of an architectural survey to identify historic properties using the NJ State Historic Preservation Office’s approved guidelines and format.

Please see the Grant Guidelines for a list of ineligible activities. Contact Trust staff if you do not see your proposed activity listed. 

The following criteria will be used to evaluate and rank applications for these grant funds:

• Degree to which the project promotes stewardship and maintenance of historic resources by private owners.
• Degree to which the project fosters the goals and objectives of the New Jersey Comprehensive Statewide Historic Preservation Plan.
• Project concept and team, including: the quality and appropriateness of the project, proposed consultants, budget, and schedule. Consultants must demonstrate that they meet or exceed accepted professional qualifications in their respected fields.
• Organizational ability, including: the degree to which the applicant involves the community in the preservation planning process and the availability of matching funds
• Public benefit, including: the degree the project represents innovative design or programming, demonstrated community support for the proposed project and future preservation, distribution of funds throughout the state and to a variety of projects, and ability of this grant to make a difference in the quality of this project.

Below are links to the application attachments for the Municipal, County, and Regional Planning grant application:

Municipal Consent

Applicant's Governing Body/Board Resolution

Project Expenditure Worksheet