Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 19, 2025 — Partners for Sacred Places announces the opening of the Pennsylvania’s Faithful Fund as part of the 2025 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant round. This project is supported through a grant from the Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program (Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants) as administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
The Pennsylvania’s Faithful Fund will support and preserve historic houses of worship in rural communities in the state where they serve as crucial civic spaces — meeting places, concert venues, childcare facilities, social service providers, food pantries, and more — sometimes the only ones for miles around. Sacred places have been the heart of communities for years and the roots of these institutions run deep. Preserving these historic spaces that house valuable neighborhood resources will bolster rural economic resilience and provide a more stable foundation for the next generation.
“Rural sacred places are important worship spaces but also economic powerhouses in their communities, and many of the people benefitting from them are not congregational members,” says Bob Jaeger, President of Partners for Sacred Places. “We are thrilled to partner with the National Park Service on the Pennsylvania’s Faithful Fund, making meaningful investments in these culturally rich rural communities.”
Partners has $550,000 in grant funds available to preserve and restore historic sacred places as gathering spaces of economic and community significance in rural communities. Examples of supported projects will include:
- Roof and tower repair or replacement;
- Structural repairs;
- Facade, window, and door restoration or repair;
- Building code compliance work.
Grants will range from $50,000 to $100,000, and awardees will also receive capacity-building training. Interested congregations must be located in towns with a population less than 7,500, and their buildings must be either eligible for or on the National Register for Historic Places. The deadline for applications is November 21, 2025.
About Partners for Sacred Places
Partners for Sacred Places is the only nonsectarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to the sound stewardship and active community use of older sacred places across America. Partners provides a variety of fundraising, building stewardship, space-sharing, and community engagement services through grant-funded programs and consulting so that sacred places can live into the vital roles they play as community assets in their neighborhoods and our wider society. To learn more, visit www.sacredplaces.org.
