WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (Action Fund) and The Conservation Fund’s Legacy Places Initiative have announced a new partnership to advance the preservation and long-term protection of historically significant African American heritage sites across the United States. Each year, hundreds of these historic sites — witnesses to the struggles, triumphs and cultural achievements of Black Americans — are lost as buildings and landscapes sit abandoned, forgotten or dismissed.
The partnership was inspired in part by the organizations’ shared involvement with the historic Ben Moore Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama. Acquired by The Conservation Fund in November of 2025, the landmark was subsequently named one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America in 2026.
“Historic sites are more than buildings and landscapes; they are living witnesses to the community, history, and moments that have shaped our nation,” said Brent Leggs, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has been a leader in the preservation and long-term stewardship of places tied to Black history and cultural achievements. By partnering with The Conservation Fund, we are creating a stronger framework to ensure that these places are preserved for future generations.”
“Telling the full story of American history requires preserving the sites where that history was made,” said Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund. “Protecting these legacy places means more than saving structures; it means safeguarding the stories, struggles, and triumphs that continue to shape who we are today and will mold our next 250 years as a country.
Founded in 2017, the National Trust’s Action Fund is the largest privately funded resource dedicated to the preservation of sites associated with Black history in the United States. To date, it has raised over $200 million and supported over 430 preservation projects nationwide. Through its Legacy Places Initiative, The Conservation Fund has worked to identify, acquire, and permanently protect culturally significant historic properties that might otherwise be lost.
Under this new partnership, the National Trust will help advance preservation efforts and long-term stewardship for sites The Conservation Fund has secured, creating a stronger pathway from acquisition to restoration.
“This partnership represents an important step forward in protecting places that tangibly connect us to where Black people made American history. Ensuring that these sites are not only saved from loss but also properly restored and preserved is essential to safeguarding our nation’s history,” said Tiffany Tolbert, Co-Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. “By working alongside The Conservation Fund, the Action Fund is helping to create a stronger pathway for these places to remain so that communities can continue to honor their stories.”
“Each year, we lose more of the places that define our shared American history,” said Phillip Howard, director of The Conservation Fund’s Legacy Places initiative. “This new partnership between The Conservation Fund and the National Trust for Historic Preservation will help reverse that decline by bringing tried-and-true tools of land conservation to the effort to safeguard the places that shaped African American history.”
For generations, many sites central to African American history have faced neglect, underinvestment, and the threat of permanent loss. By combining expertise in land acquisition, stewardship, and historic preservation, The National Trust for Historic Preservation and The Conservation Fund are ensuring these crucial sites and the history they hold are protected for future generations.
About the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities maintain and enhance the power of historic places. Chartered by Congress in 1949 and supported by partners, friends, and champions nationwide, we help preserve the places and stories that make communities unique. Through the stewardship and revitalization of historic sites, we help communities foster economic growth, create healthier environments, and build a stronger, shared sense of civic duty and belonging. To learn more, visit SavingPlaces.org.
About the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since its founding in 2017, the Action Fund has raised $200 million and supported over 430 preservation projects, making it the largest national resource dedicated to the preservation of sites tied to Black history in the United States. With support from the Ford Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Freedom Together Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc. and others, the Action Fund is safeguarding historic places tied to Black resilience, activism, and achievement. Learn more at www.savingplaces.org/actionfund.
About The Conservation Fund
For more than 40 years, The Conservation Fund has protected at-risk lands and places of exceptional cultural and environmental value. Its work has addressed critical challenges including climate resilience, wildlife conservation, rural economic development, and food access, while ensuring that protected places continue to serve communities and contribute to a stronger, more sustainable future. To learn more, visit: conservationfund.org
