The Small Grants for African Heritage Projects is a grant from the Heritage Management Organization (HERITΛGE), supported by the Mellon Foundation, that funds organizations, groups, and individuals working to protect, preserve, and celebrate heritage across Africa.

The program prioritizes projects demonstrating sustainability, capacity development, and concrete community impact—such as stabilizing historic buildings, building eco-friendly tourism infrastructure, preserving archaeological sites, or developing community-driven conservation plans. Active countries include Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Eligible applicants are organizations, groups, and individuals working with heritage in Africa. Awards range from $5,000 to $50,000. The application deadline is April 15, 2026.

Africa Grants Program - The Heritage Management Organization Organising & Scientific Committee Organising & Scientific Committee Organising & Scientific Committee Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe Archaeological Sites, Conservation & Preservation, Cultural, Local Engagement, Natural, Research, Restoration, Tourism Projects that received a grant had to demonstrate that they address one or more of three criteria: 1) Sustainability – Our focus is on projects that will have a lasting impact, much beyond the duration of the project, for example protecting heritage sites from desertification by creating green belts, preserving/stabilizing/restoring and adaptively reusing a historic building for community needs, researching the public heritage landscape, installing solar panels at heritage sites to generate income or decrease expenditure in the long term, building eco-friendly tourism infrastructure, direct interventions that strengthen social institutions, like traditional methods of mediation, etc. 2) Capacity development and network building – We encourage projects that strengthen local skills and build closer links with peer organizations in the HERITΛGE network.

Examples include on-the-job training in preventive conservation (e. g clearing or fencing sites), experience and expertise exchanges with other local NGOs on shared issues such as desertification or erosion of sites, co-operative training on museum exhibition design, etc. 3) Concrete and community impact – We encourage projects with strong, measurable incomes in terms of heritage protection and benefits to local people.

Each project should provide clear indicators of the planned impact.

These indicators will depend on the type of work carried out but some examples include increased visitation to a heritage site or program, financial benefits to the local community in terms of increased employment opportunities or local businesses created; tourism earnings; money savings by solar panel installation; the size of area protected from desertification, etc. In early 2023 HERITΛGE launched a call for concept notes for small grants ($5,000-$50,000) for organizations, groups, and individuals working with heritage in Africa.

In total 75. small African heritage projects have received funding. Our Small Grants for African Heritage projects are part of our Heritage Management Project – Africa (HerMaP-Africa) which is supported by the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place program.

They fund projects that focus on the protection of and/or promotion of local heritage for socio-economic development in the African continent.

Islamic Heritage in northern Ghana Ghana Museums and Monuments Board Cultural Heritage Promotion and Conservation of the Kaya Forests, Kenya Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health Protecting Chongoni heritage sites through community paticipation and effective governance Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Support for the Restoration and Conservation of Keana Salt Village The Present is Built on Past Heritage Protecting Heritage in the monasteries of UNESCO Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve KOZI Mud Huts – Changing the face of community-based tourism Protecting the cultural and natural heritage of Lake Bosumtwe, Ghana Restoration Work and Museum Establishment at Masee House in Kenya Restoration of Slave trade ruins in Malawi Department of Museums and Monuments Beyond the Gorillas Experience (BGE) Beyond Gorillas Experience Thimlich Ohinga WHS Ecotourism Project National Museums of Kenya Rehabilitation of Rabih’s Fort, Dikwa National Monument.

National Commission for Museums and Monuments Nigeria Uganda bark cloth revitalization Consortium; promoting communal Conservation/Protection Bukomansimbi Organic Tree Farmers Association (BOTFA) Towards the Preservation and Promotion of Matendere Ruins in Zimbabwe Great Zimbabwe University Transformation en site touristique de la résidence du président Mobutu Democratic Republic of Congo Tourist lodge for the revitalization of Kalàa Ath Abbas, Bejaia.

Renovation and innovative management of the Ondo sacred forest of Pobè Culture at the heart of Development Ecomusée Tata Somba & JEDEC ONG Restoration of Cultural Heritage Association Espoir Patrie Protecting Heritage through Promoting Culture, Ecological Restoration, Mapping and Empowerment AJEMALEBU Self Help (AJESH) Smart Sacred Forests Reforestation Project Youth Development Organization-YODO Transformation of the colonial residence in a tourism and community center Protection and promotion of DebreMariam monastery historical and religious heritage Adaptive Reuse of Old Cocoa-Shed Building as a Contemporary Art Museum Ghana Museums and Monuments Board Protection, preservation, and promotion of Fort Fredericksburg for generations Ghana Museums and Monuments Board Bustani Resort – The Taveta Cultural & Agro-Ecotourism Centre Preserving the Tradition of Handweaving in Niger Dispositif d’Initiatives pour les Métiers de l’Artisanat (DIMA) Sustainable project to strengthen Bilikisu-Sungbo heritage network locally International Christian Youth Exchange Solarization of the National Museum Onikan Digiscape Solutions Limited Restoring Ilukwe House – A Research Centre promoting Nigeria’s Heritage Legacy the Historical and Environmental Interest Group of Nigeria Restoration, Preservation and Protection of Tangale Culture and Heritage Springfield Center for Peace and Humanitarian Development The Fisher Child and other stories.

Sites of memory project The Fischer Child Projekt NPC Iziko Museums of South Africa Documentation and protection of Hillat Dongola National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) Improving community wellbeing to rescue Bagamoyo Old Stone Town Bagamoyo Old Stone Town site Fort Bullen revitalization National Centre for Arts and Culture Restoring fishing baskets in River Nchwera Banyabutumbi Cultural Heritage Organization – Kanungu Enhancing the Livelihoods of Women and Youth through Traditional Crafts Supporting women and refugees in the Rwenzoris to acquire skills and earn income from traditional basket weaving Rwenzori Sustainable Trade Center Limited-RSTC Amplified Community Action towards Restoration of Nyero Rock Painting Amuria Youth Alliance Development Organization Revitalizing The Indigenous CHEWA livelihoods Training Village in Zambia PAZESA Horticultural Community Khama III Memorial Museum Kitchen and Restaurant Khama III Memorial Museum Conservation and Enhancement of a Biodiversity Site Among the Baka People – (Sauvegarde, valorisation d’un site de biodiversité chez les Pygmées) La société des Nouveaux Commanditaires du Cameroun Documentation and Marketing of El-Quseir’s ICH for Sustainable Community Development Red Sea Center for Research and sustainable development Addis Ababa Heritage Buildings Photogrammetry Documentation Training and Exhibition Heritage Conservation Associates (HCA) Empowering Communities: Sustainable Tourism, Heritage Preservation and Economic Empowerment Project at Kome Caves The Butterfly Sanctuary Organization Preserving Haratin Bondja and Medh Musical Traditions (first stage: Adrar Region, Mauritania) Elhadj Ould Brahim (Independent Researcher) The Creation/Establishment of Cultural Space in the Rural Area of Ndiyona Constituency, Kavango East Region (Namibia).

Arts Foundation of Kavango (AFOKA) Oshikulu Cultural Village – Revitalizing Cultural Roots: Safeguarding Heritage, Empowering Communities Shivute shaNdjongolo Living Museum, Oshikulu Cultural Village Art, Culture, and Heritage of the Women of Boubon, Niger ONG Culture Art Humanite (CAH) Empowering Youth and Women in Community-based Tourism The development of Imanzi Memorial Hill IVOMO [Rwandan word that means “source of water”] Empowering Community Conservation for Sustainable Development at Engaruka Heritage Site Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Under Ministry of Resources and Tourism, Tanzania.

MG Marketing (My Gambia) in Collaboration with the Institute of Travel and Tourism of the Gambia (ITTOG) for the Local Guide Training Kubuneh-Galloya Heritage Trail Kubuneh Cultural Museum & Galloya Street Art Group Enhancing Indigenous Batwa Livelihood Through Cultural Heritage Experiences in Uganda.

Virunga Massive Community Conservation (VMCC) Restoration and revitalization of the Sarh museum Consortium for the Promotion of Initiatives and Development Formation coopérative à l’animation d’un Musée Communautaire Agricole à Agboville : Le Projet MCAA [Cooperative Training in the Animation of a Community Agricultural Museum in Agboville: The MCAA Project] Société Coopérative pour l’Innovation dans le Monde Agricole d’Agboville (SOCIMAA) Preserving Bedouin Oral Literature The Egyptian Circle of Comparative Poetics & Genre Studies Standardization Documentation and Digitalization of Museums Collections for Effective Heritage Management Yimtubezina Museum and Cultural Center Abibikwantuo (AK) Indigenous Sustainability Hub AbibiKwantuo Organization Establishment of Cultural Heritage Center in Siaya County Region, Kenya Ugenya Youth Community Development Project (UYCDP) Living the Heritage in Vieux Grand Port – Documentation and Transmission of ElleSolaire Cultural Academy Safeguarding Historical and Natural Heritage of Debis in Somaliland Safeguarding Living Cultural Heritage in the Sudan at the Time of Conflict: Documentation of Cultural Industries (Pottery and Basketry) of Sinkat Locality in the Red Sea State.

Beja Cultural Studies Center – University of the Red Sea in partnership with the Center for Darfur Heritage at University of Nyala and under patronage of the National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums at the Federal Ministry of Culture and Information.

Conservation and Promotion of Cultural Sites in the Eyasi Basin, Tanzania Dr. Pastory Magayane Bushozi / Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Building A Heritage Museum and Training on the Collection and Management of Artifacts and Oral Traditions Alamanding Foundation for Culture and Education Revamping for Rehabilitation of Genieri Community Museum Genieri Community Museum Committee Cultural Oasis: Jinja’s Sustainable Heritage Hub Youth, Free Uplifted and Limitless The Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Zambian Bark Cloth