The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has announced that 35 churches will receive the Preserving Black Churches grants, a $20 million initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc.

Brent Leggs, executive director of the fund and senior vice president of the trust, said in a statement to Religion News Service, “We focus not only on the preservation of the physical buildings, but also on the profound stories embodied in their walls, landscapes, cemeteries, and beyond. Their role as centers of Black religion, culture, and service is fundamental to understanding the lived experience of Black Americans.”

Leggs added, “Our grants will help advance efforts to improve physical conditions so that these churches can open their doors and continue to fulfill their religious missions and community programs.”

Some of the churches that will receive the grants are Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, in Notasulga, Alabama, and Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Galveston, Texas, where the 1865 order that declared enslaved people freed was read. Other grantees include Black churches in New York City, Anchorage, Alaska, and Manzanola, Colorado.

The grants will cover a range, from renovations to a performing arts center to hiring staff.