The Florida Department of State aims to support projects that preserve and protect Florida's rich historical and cultural heritage. While the specific mission statement regarding their overall goals is not provided, their initiative and programs like the Abandoned African-American Cemeteries Grants demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding historically significant sites and ensuring the respectful and informed treatment of abandoned African-American cemeteries across the state.
The Abandoned African-American Cemeteries Grant Program, facilitated by the Florida Department of State, focuses on the preservation and protection of neglected African-American cemeteries throughout Florida. It offers competitive funding for:
Cemetery Research: Grants to support genealogical and historical research by research institutions, colleges, universities, and qualified nonprofits. This research is aimed at identifying and contacting descendants of those buried in abandoned African-American cemeteries. Notably, it does not cover archaeological fieldwork or surveys to locate new cemeteries.
Cemetery Protection: Funding for local governments and qualified nonprofits to repair, restore, and maintain these cemeteries. Supported activities include planning, condition assessments, creation of architectural/engineering documents, restoration of funerary resources, vegetation removal, erosion control, security installations, interpretive signage, and marking unmarked graves, in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation. Direct archaeological fieldwork is excluded except for remote sensing to determine cemetery boundaries or grave locations for planning.
Grants offer up to $50,000 with no required matching funds.