Track A: Treatment & Stabilization

Projects that produce concrete conservation treatment outcomes for one item or a tightly defined group of items, including:

• Conservation treatment and stabilization

• Preservation-ready rehousing or mounts required for the item’s safety

• Conservation documentation and treatment photography

• Specialized packing/shipping required for treatment

• Limited staff time directly required to manage the conservation project (up to 10% of total request)

Track B: Assessment-to-Treatment Bridge

Track B does not fund treatment itself; it funds the work needed to get a project ready for treatment and/or an application for Track A funding:

• A conservator or preservation specialist's condition assessment

• Development of a treatment scope, timeline, and cost estimate

• Limited documentation photography needed to support the assessment

Note: Track B applicants are not required to have a conservator selected at the time of application. APF will assist grant recipients in identifying a professional conservator(s) if desired. To learn more about finding a professional conservator, visit the American Institute for Conservation professional directory.

How Track B Leads to Track A

At the end of the 3-month Track B period, recipients will have a completed assessment including a conservator's treatment plan and cost estimate in-hand. That readiness creates an opportunity, not a guarantee, to apply for Track A funding to carry out the treatment. Track B recipients will not need to wait until the next public call for applications to seek Track A funding. 

Moving from Track B into Track A is not automatic. It depends on the scope of work the assessment identifies, the readiness of the treatment plan, and Track A funding availability. APF will support Track B recipients in preparing a strong Track A application, but it cannot commit in advance to funding every project that completes an assessment.

Who Is Eligible

Applicants must:

• Be U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations OR an organization with an eligible fiscal sponsor. PLEASE NOTE: collections associated with academic institutions and/or governments are eligible to apply.

• Have minimum paid staffing totaling 1.0 FTE

• Have an annual operating budget under $5 million

• Demonstrate artistic, cultural, or historical significance and a clear commitment to public benefit through access, education, research, exhibition, and/or community use

• Hold the item(s) in a mission-aligned collection with authority to treat (owned or documented stewardship permission)

• Agree to reasonable access for documentation and storytelling (see below; requirements differ by track)

Project Eligibility

Projects must:

• Focus on one or more specific items (or a tightly defined group of related items)

• Address conservation treatment, stabilization, or preservation outcomes (not general operations and not digitization-as-preservation)

• Show artistic, cultural, or historic significance, which may include:

  • value to local residents

  • relevance to underrepresented histories

  • connection to a site, industry, or lived community memory

  • educational use with clear audiences

• Be feasible within the track's project period: 12 months for Track A (extensions considered for complex treatment); 3 months for Track B (assessment only)

Factors That May Receive Priority Consideration 

• Rural, small-city, and/or tribal-serving organizations

• Historically under-resourced organizations, geographies, and communities

• Strong public narrative potential toward deepening community building and investment

• Community-led stewardship and interpretation of underrepresented histories 

Ineligible Requests (examples)

• Construction/major renovations; HVAC overhauls 

• Routine collections processing not tied to a defined conservation outcome

• Projects intended to benefit private collectors or for-profit entities

• Acquisition/purchase of objects

• Projects focused on architectural or built heritage

Grant Size, Match, and Cost Share

• Track A maximum request: up to $25,000 (typical $10,000–$20,000)

• Track B maximum request: up to $5,000

• No match required for either track

• Optional cost share can be listed to demonstrate readiness, but not required

• If estimated total project cost exceeds the maximum grant request to APF, applicants must demonstrate they have secured the additional funds required to complete the project or have plans to secure the funds.

Allowable Costs

Track A:

• Conservator fees (treatment, documentation, travel)

• Treatment materials and supplies

• Mounting/re-housing directly tied to the object's long-term safety

• Photography/videography needed for treatment documentation and public interpretation

• Shipping/packing (specialized, insured)

• 10% allowable for indirect costs

Track B:

• Conservator or specialist fees for assessment and scoping

• Travel directly required for the assessment

• Photography needed to document current condition

• 10% allowable for indirect costs

Non-Allowable Costs (both tracks)

• General operating costs, deficits, fundraising events

• Routine staff salaries unrelated to project delivery

• General collection digitization unrelated to treatment need

Applications are due October 30, 2026 by 8pm EDT / 5pm PDT. 

A Zoom-based information session will be held on October 6th, 2pm EDT / 11am PDT. The session will be recorded and shared via the APF website. 

Register for the zoom session here: https://us05web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9TLq57jtSRW_fVkQ2EcKZA#/registrationSubmit questions ahead of time by emailing admin@artpreservationfund.org. 

Applications will be reviewed by APF’s Grant Advisory Committee, a panel of practicing conservators and preservation leaders from across the United States and presented to the APF Board of Trustees for final funding decisions.  

As this is APF’s inaugural application cycle, Foundation representatives may contact applicants via email or phone to ask clarifying questions as necessary.

Application decisions will be communicated by December 15, 2026. Project start dates will be January 2027.

Selection Criteria

• Artistic, cultural, or historical significance, as defined by the community

• Feasibility and appropriateness of proposed approach

• Willingness and ability to participate in APF’s storytelling initiative, including strength of plans for required components. (these vary by track; see below)

Art Preservation Fund is a new entity; telling the stories of our grant recipients is essential to building a visible, public portfolio and attracting a broader coalition of preservation supporters and champions. Requirements differ by track so that Track B's shorter, lower-dollar scoping projects aren't held to the same outcomes and storytelling commitments as full treatment projects. To facilitate storytelling requirements, APF will provide grant recipients with templates and tailored guidance to facilitate sharing impact with communities.

Track A recipients must be willing to:

• Provide access to the item(s) for before/during/after documentation (photo/video)

• Participate in at least one recorded interview (remote is acceptable)

• Provide or help secure permissions for agreed-upon images and stories

• Host at least one public-facing "reveal" moment (in-person or digital)

Track B recipients must be willing to:

• Provide access to the item(s) for basic before-assessment documentation (photos)

• Provide or help secure permissions for any images used

• Share a brief written or recorded reflection on the assessment process (short-form; no recorded interview or public reveal required at this stage)

If a Track B project advances into Track A, the full Track A storytelling commitment applies from that point forward.

We will not ask grantees to share sensitive information publicly. Cultural protocols, privacy, and security needs will be honored; applicants should propose anticipated boundaries and related needs during the application process.

Each recipient will have a kickoff meeting (January 2027) with APF to align on scope, deliverables, and — for Track A — storytelling plan, consent, and permissions. 

Track A reporting:

• Midpoint check-in (short form)

• Final package within 60 days of project completion:

  • Conservation report (from conservator): methods, materials, before/during/after photos, recommendations

  • Final narrative (2–3 pages): what changed, what was learned, how the community benefited

  • Public-facing asset(s) (co-produced): minimum 12–20 edited images + captions, or a 2–3 minute video, plus a 400–800 word story suitable for web/newsletter

  • Public engagement action: at least one program, open house, talk, "reveal," or digital event within 6 months of completion (format flexible)

  • Data points (short form): attendance/online reach, number and types of partners involved, volunteer participation, press mentions

Track B reporting:

• No midpoint check-in required, given the 3-month duration

• Closeout package at the end of the project period:

  • Conservator's assessment report and treatment plan/cost estimate

  • Short reflection (1 page or less) on the assessment process

  • If applying for Track A follow-on funding, this package forms the basis of that application

It is anticipated that many Track B recipients may need further guidance identifying conservators or regional conservation centers, evaluating competitive proposals, and, following the initial assessment, identifying additional funding opportunities beyond APF where Track A funding isn't available or sufficient.

APF will be available for regular support and retains the right to "check in" on the project from time to time during and after the award period as it studies the efficacy of its program and monitors long-range outcomes.