Mini-Grants from the EMHR were used in 2024 by the Wyoming County Cultural Center to offset costs for staging Tunkhannock’s River Day celebration (above) in July. The EMHR is a regular participant in the event. The Clifford Township Historical Society was a 2024 EMHR Partnership Mini-Grant winner. The funds were used to welcome Frank LittleBear (below) for a Native American presentation during their Park Fest.
The Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) will be distributing Partnership/Mini-Grants again this year to help 501(c)3 non-profit organizations start or complete projects that enhance the heritage value of their respective communities. Public education institutions, counties, municipalities and municipal agencies within the EMHR’s coverage area are also eligible for funding. Applications will be accepted from Monday, March 24 through 4 pm on Monday, April 28.
Qualifying organizations in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties apply each spring to fund projects related to historic preservation, outdoor recreation development, special purpose studies, interpretive way-finding signage, public engagement and educational programming, environmental conservation, and certain building rehabilitation projects. Successful applicants have used the mini-grants for trails projects, park improvements, increasing public access to heritage sites, mural projects and more. Organizations may also apply for grants to assist with costs of implementation projects.
“The EMHR is proud to offer this annual grants program to our heritage partner organizations across the four-county region,” said EMHR executive director Cain Chamberlin, who noted that the EMHR has $50,000 in grants available. The EMHR receives numerous applications each year and, because there are limited funds available, it becomes a very competitive grant process. The Grants Review Committee looks for those projects that parallel and will further the mission and the objectives of the EMHR. “Our Committee members are always impressed with the variety of projects proposed through Partnership/Mini-Grant applications,” Chamberlin noted.
This year, applicants will be required to meet with Chamberlin or EMHR grants program coordinator Vanessa Billing-Seiler prior to submitting to ensure their project qualifies. Applicants must be registered and paying members of the EMHR. Grant amounts can range from $500 to $10,000 with a 100-percent match required. In other words, if the total project cost will be $16,000, the organization can apply for up to $8,000. An applicant’s match can be in the form of cash-match or in-kind match, or a combination of the two, meaning volunteer hours and donated professional services can be utilized.
Applications will be evaluated by the EMHR Grants Review Committee in May, and successful applicants will be notified by email or letter by May 23. Work on projects may begin after contracts are signed in early June and projects must be completed by Sept. 4, 2026 with proper documentation submitted to the EMHR. Administrative assistant Marci Dake and grants program coordinator Vanessa Billings-Seiler are more than happy to answer questions from applicants prior to submission and during the course of the project itself.
In 2024, the EMHR awarded organizations and municipalities $66,986 for 12 projects. Winners included Monroe Borough, Athens Parks and Recreation, Bradford County Historical Society, and the Wyalusing Valley Museum in Bradford County; Loyalsock Foundation in Sullivan County; Forest City Borough and Clifford Township Historical Society in Susquehanna County; and the Wyoming County Cultural Center in Wyoming County.
The EMHR Partnership/Mini-Grants program is made possible with direct support from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. For more information, interested readers should log on to www.emheritage.org and click on Grants. Questions may be directed to Billings-Seilers at 570-265-1528 or vbillings-seiler@emheritage.org.
Monroe Borough in Bradford County was awarded an EMHR Partnership Mini-Grant in 2024 for repointing the brickwork on the Monroeton Public Library, which was originally constructed as a schoolhouse in 1887.
Signage along an ADA-accessible pathway to The Landing in Sullivan County was enhanced in 2024 with an EMHR Partnership Mini-Grant secured by the Loyalsock Foundation. The Landing is another part of the Summit Center for Wellness being constructed for the Sullivan County community for educational and public use.