Purpose and Background:
The Maine Steeples Project supports local efforts to assess and restore church steeples of historic, cultural, and community significance to cities and towns in Maine. The program seeks to match local resources devoted to restoring steeples.
The Maine Steeples Project is a collaborative project of Maine Preservation, the Maine Community Foundation and a donor-advised fund at the foundation. Maine Preservation, a statewide resource and advocacy group for historic preservation activities, provides technical assistance to the project, and the Maine Community Foundation administers the grant programs.
Eligibility requirements for the Maine Steeples Project can be found below and information about other MaineCF grant programs can be found here. For those churches located in Hancock or Washington County, please review the guidelines for the Belvedere Historic Preservation Grant Program in particular. Maine Preservation has additional resources related to historic restoration on its website.
We anticipate that this grant program will be available through 2015. The annual budget currently includes total grants up to $15,000 for assessments, typically awarded to four to seven churches per year in amounts not to exceed $4,000 each, and up to $55,000 for restoration projects, typically awarded to one or two churches per year in amounts not to exceed $40,000 each.
Eligibility Requirements
Organizations seeking to apply for grant support from the Maine Steeples Project must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Steeples must be part of a building that is an active or former church with historic, cultural, and community significance in need of restoration and/or repair located in a Maine municipality or township with fewer than 50,000 people.
- Church buildings must be owned by a religious institution and/or a local nonprofit organization or municipality.
- The church congregation’s or organization’s membership must also be prepared to:
Step One: Pre-Assessment
Organizations interested in applying for Maine Steeples Project grants can contact Jennifer Southard at the Maine Community Foundation by e-mail or by phone at (207) 761-2440 for general information about the grant program. Qualifying organizations will then be directed to our partner, Maine Preservation, and asked to complete a Steeple Project Information Form (PDF | RTF) and also arrange a site visit with one of its preservation advisors. We want to encourage restoration efforts that follow the best practices of historic preservation whenever feasible. Proper assessments are a critical first step in this process and Maine Preservation’s technical expertise and experience can greatly assist in this effort.
Step Two: Assessment
Steeple Assessment Grants are available for groups needing financial assistance in this process. The maximum award amount for the assessment grant is $4,000. A minimum of a 10% match of the total cost is required. For example, if the total cost of an assessment is $3,000, an organization’s minimum match would be $300 ($3,000 x .10) and its grant request could be for $2,700 ($3,000 x .90). Typically, assessments cost between $2,500 and $4,000 and may take several months to schedule.
After a preservation advisor from Maine Preservation has completed a site visit, an application for an Assessment Grant (see bottom of this page) may be submitted to the Maine Community Foundation. We accept applications on a rolling basis and decisions are typically made within one month of receiving a complete application.
Assessment Requirements
Building assessments should be a minimum of three to five pages of text, plus 10 or more photos and drawings or sketches. Below is an outline of the information we expect will be included in an assessment, which should be of the entire steeple. A successful sample assessment is available for reference, although we recognize every assessor will have a different style of presentation. Please review the Assessment Requirements below and share them with the person/firm you intend to hire so that whoever you select to do the assessment understands the scope of work that is expected.
- Historic overview – date(s) of construction and date(s) of major remodeling(s) and a brief statement of the historic/community significance of the building.
- Description of specifics of building design (include photos and drawings or sketches)
- Foundation material and footing structure; drainage design
- Steeple or tower: description of form; roof and flashings; framing materials; cladding; fastenings; stages; openings; details; presence of bell and mount, if any lightning protection
- General description of any other part of the building that would impact the restoration of the steeple.
- Description of Current Conditions (Include photos keyed to drawings or descriptions)
- Foundation – description of structural conditions of the church that may affect the steeple
- Steeple or tower: description of roof and flashings; structure/framing; sheathing and cladding; paint; stages; openings; bell and mount
- Recommendations (list section by section per above; recommendations should be in accordance with The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and other National Park Service Guidelines. If a deviation from the standards is being considered, please explain why.) Major recommendations should be keyed to a set of drawings and/or photos showing the proposed work.
- Cost Estimates: Detail each component of the proposed work; indicate possible phases of work.
Please send one electronic copy to Jennifer Southard (preferred) or one paper copy of the assessment application and requested additional information to:
Maine Steeples Project
Maine Community Foundation
1 Monument Way, Suite 200
Portland, ME 04101
For further information, please contact Jen at (207) 761-2440.
Notification of Assessment Grants
The Maine Community Foundation will notify all applicants of the decision made by the committee. Grant confirmation letters for Assessment Grants will mention the anticipated grant award amount. Actual payment of the grant will be made after a copy of the assessment and a final invoice for the assessment is received by MaineCF (electronic or paper copy is acceptable). Assessments should take place within six months of receiving a confirmation letter.
Review of an Existing Assessment
If a church or nonprofit has had an assessment done in the past three years, the organization may send three hard copies or one electronic copy to MaineCF so it can be reviewed to determine whether or not it meets current assessment criteria. We will review the existing assessment to determine if it has the minimum required information and, if not, what specifically still needs to be addressed and how we would currently rate the assessment. The review process may take one to two months, so please plan accordingly.
Step Three: Steeple Restoration Grant
Organizations may not apply for Steeple Restoration Grants without a thorough written assessment of the steeple by a qualified individual.
Churches or nonprofits with an assessment that meets our Assessment Requirements should select a steeplejack/restoration contractor to do the work. Organizations that don’t already have a detailed cost estimate from the person who will do the restoration work, must request a detailed estimate for steeple work based on the assessment recommendations before submitting an application for a Steeple Restoration Grant. The maximum grant amount is $40,000. A minimum 50% match of the total cost is required. For example, if the total cost of the restoration work is $70,000, an organization’s minimum match would be $35,000 ($70,000 x .50) and its grant request could be for $35,000 ($70,000 x .50). However, if the total cost were $120,000, the match requirement would be $80,000, since the program’s maximum award is $40,000.
Application and Selection Process
To apply for a Steeple Restoration Grant, the church/nonprofit should submit a Steeple Restoration Application to the Maine Community Foundation by November 1. Decisions will be made by December 15.
Steeple restoration funds will be distributed to grantees in two equal installments. The first payment will be made when the grant application is approved. Quarterly status reports are required for the duration of the grant period and will be reviewed by the Maine Community Foundation and Maine Preservation. The second payment will be made after successful completion of the project and after timely receipt of all quarterly status reports. We expect that all matching funds will be raised within 12 months of the initial grant award letter and that the project will be completed after an additional 12 months.
Funding Considerations for Restoration Grants:
In making grant awards, the following ranking system is used:
- Historic, cultural, and community significance of the church building (multiplier 5)
- Quality of the assessment (multiplier 5)
- Applicant’s ability to manage and execute the project within the stated schedule and budget (multiplier 4)
- Applicant’s ability to raise matching funds and leverage new sources of support to complete the project (multiplier 4)
- Extent of outreach to, and support from, local community for the proposed restoration project (multiplier 3)
- Commitment to ongoing maintenance (multiplier 3)
- Understanding of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and justifiable explanation of any variances if they might not be followed (multiplier 3)
- Need for the project and financial resources of the membership to successfully undertake restoration work (multiplier of 2)
Please send one electronic copy to Jennifer Southard (preferred) or one paper copy of the assessment application and requested additional information to:
Maine Steeples Project
Maine Community Foundation
1 Monument Way, Suite 200
Portland, ME 04101
For further information, please contact Jen at (207) 761-2440.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are not an operating church, but are using a former church building. Can we still apply?
Yes, as long as you are a nonprofit entity or municipality and you meet other eligibility requirements. This fund can’t be used for private sector renovations.
We would like to have an assessor review our whole church, including the steeple. How should the costs be handled?
Ask the assessor to prorate a price for the steeple section and use that for a quote/cost.
Our steeple has been removed. Does this grant program apply to us?
If you plan to either re-use the original steeple or reconstruct a steeple that meets historic preservation guidelines, you can still apply for an assessment grant that would address the structural issues of the steeple (if able to be re-used) or the plans for its reconstruction if the base where the steeple would be remounted.
We have a local carpenter on our building committee who has reviewed the steeple and suggested work to be done. Can we skip to the restoration grant?
No. All applicants need to start at Step One. We would also recommend that your local carpenter review our Assessment Requirements and sample assessment to determine whether this is a type of assessment that he/she feels able to complete. It may also be possible for your local carpenter to work in collaboration with an experienced assessor or steeplejack. Please contact Maine Preservation for referrals as necessary.
For the match, do we need to raise new money or can we use existing funds?
Existing funds are fine.
Our steeple is a small part of our church. Will it still qualify?
Yes. However, if you have any questions, you can send a digital picture of your church and we can share a response on a case-by-case basis.
Maine Steeples Project Grant Forms
RTF versions: Assessment Application | Steeple Restoration Application | Quarterly Report
PDF versions: Assessment Application | Steeple Restoration Application | Quarterly Report