Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area | NPS NOIP19AC00018

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP19AC00018

The Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number NPS NOIP19AC00018) is a discretionary National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement intended to continue and support the long-running work of the Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition across the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area (ABEL). ABEL spans roughly 25,000 square miles in central Illinois and was formally established by an Act of Congress in 2008. The core purpose of the award is to help preserve and promote the region's cultural and natural resources and the landscapes that connect to Abraham Lincoln's life in Illinois prior to his presidency, aligning directly with the mission Congress set out when it created the National Heritage Area.

The agreement is structured around six major objectives that guide the recipient's work plan and on-the-ground activities. These objectives are preservation of historic and cultural resources; interpretation that helps the public understand Lincoln-related stories and places; education initiatives that bring that history and context to schools and learners; recreation opportunities that encourage people to experience the landscape and sites; conservation of natural and scenic resources that contribute to the heritage area's character; and appropriately scaled, theme-based economic development that supports local communities while staying consistent with the heritage area's interpretive focus. In practical terms, the funding is meant to sustain an integrated program that connects sites, communities, and partners under a single Lincoln-centered narrative while also protecting the physical and cultural assets that make that narrative meaningful.

Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, the NPS expects to have substantial involvement in the funded work. The opportunity description emphasizes ongoing federal support and oversight as part of Congressional intent for National Heritage Areas. Within the NPS Midwest Region, key staff including the Chief of Heritage Areas and Partnerships, a Historian, and a Financial Assistance Manager provide routine guidance on both programmatic direction and compliance matters. The relationship is described as highly collaborative, with frequent communication by email and phone and close review of the annual work plan. NPS involvement includes reviewing and approving that annual plan to ensure it remains consistent with federal requirements and the purposes of the National Heritage Area legislation, effectively positioning NPS and ABEL as partners jointly carrying out the heritage area mission.

From an applicant and eligibility standpoint, the opportunity is limited to nonprofits with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The program is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, and is associated with CFDA number 15.939. The funding activity categories are broad and reflect the cross-cutting nature of heritage area work, spanning business and commerce, community and regional development, education, employment and training, environmental efforts, and humanities/cultural affairs. The posting indicates an award ceiling of $1,500,000 with one expected award, reinforcing that this was designed as a continuation award to support an established coordinating entity rather than a competition intended to fund multiple unrelated projects.

Key dates and administrative details in the source data show the opportunity was created on February 19, 2019, with an original closing date of March 1, 2019. Overall, the grant is best understood as federal support for a mature, place-based partnership effort in central Illinois, with NPS playing an active role in shaping, monitoring, and ensuring the continuity of a comprehensive program that preserves resources, improves public understanding, expands educational and recreational engagement, supports conservation, and encourages heritage-themed economic benefits tied to the Lincoln story.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the business and commerce, community development, education, employment, labor and training, environment, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), regional development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.939.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 19, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 01, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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