The National Fund for Sacred Places , a program of Partners for Sacred Places with the National Trust for Historic Preservation , works to help many of America ’ s most significant congregations advance the care and use of their historic properties . The only program of its kind in the country serving purpose-built houses of worship , the National Fund is more than a grant program . It also provides wraparound services including a $ 5,000 planning grant , capacitybuilding training , and tailored technical assistance to support capital project planning and fundraising — all designed to ensure that each congregation is able to reach its fundraising goal and complete a once-in-a-generation capital project .
Now in its sixth year , the National Fund for Sacred Places has streamlined the grant program so that participating congregations can move through the program — and successfully complete their capital projects — in a timely manner . Partners has worked to ensure that incoming congregations are well-positioned to undertake the work they are proposing , and has strengthened its technical assistance for each faith community .
In addition , each congregation that applies to the Fund — over 300 in 2021 alone — is given an opportunity to receive feedback on its readiness for a major project . Partners ’ goal is to have an impact on each and every congregation that comes to the Fund for assistance .
We are pleased to announce that the following congregations have completed their projects this year : 16 th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham , Alabama ; National City Christian Church in Washington , D . C .; and St . Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia .
16 th Street Baptist Church
16 th Street Baptist Church is known around the world for what happened on Sunday , September 15 ,
16th Street Baptist Church lobbied for the creation of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument , which emcompasses four city blocks and seven sites . Mark Sandlin
1963 , when members of the Ku Klux Klan planted dynamite under the steps of the church , killing four young girls — Addie Mae Collins , Denise McNair , Carole Robertson , and Cynthia Wesley . 16 th Street Baptist was targeted due to its prominent location — just blocks from Birmingham ’ s City Hall and commercial district — and its close association with the Civil Rights movement . Throughout the 1960s , the church was the site of mass meetings and rallies .
16th Street Baptist Church , which draws tens of thousands of visitors per year , is a member of the Alabama African American Civil Rights Historic Sites Consortium . Mark Sandlin
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