Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program
Last verified by NonDilute: 2026-06-08. Official notice and agency instructions control.
If your nonprofit, school, or local government preserves or interprets a WWII Japanese American confinement site, this NPS program funds research, restoration, and public education directly.
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What this is
The National Park Service awards $5,000–$500,000 grants for projects that identify, research, restore, and interpret the ten major Japanese American internment camps (Manzanar, Tule Lake, Heart Mountain, etc.) and other WWII confinement sites. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, schools, tribal governments, and state/local agencies. Projects must directly benefit one or more designated historic confinement sites and serve to educate present and future generations about this period of U.S. history.
Who can apply
Nonprofits (501(c)(3)), educational institutions (public and private), tribal governments (federally recognized), city/county/state governments, and school districts are eligible. Projects must benefit one of the ten War Relocation Authority sites (Manzanar, Tule Lake, Heart Mountain, Granada, Gila River, Jerome, Minidoka, Poston, Rohwer, or Topaz) or other Secretary-of-Interior-designated Japanese American confinement sites from WWII.
Eligible applicant types
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- State governments
- Private institutions of higher education
- County governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- Independent school districts
Full description — from the agency
The Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program provides financial assistance to organizations and entities working to preserve historic Japanese American confinement sites and their history, including: private nonprofit organizations; educational institutions; state, local, and tribal governments; and other public entities, for the preservation and interpretation of U.S. confinement sites where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. The authorizing legislation for the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program identifies up to $38 million for the entire life of the grant program for projects to identify, research, evaluate, interpret, protect, restore, repair, and acquire historic confinement sites in order that present and future generations may learn and gain inspiration from these sites and that these sites will demonstrate the Nation"s commitment to equal justice under the law (Public Law 109-441, 120 Stat. 3288; as amended by Public Law 111-88). Projects funded through the Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program must benefit one or more historic Japanese American confinement sites. The term historic confinement sites is defined as the ten War Relocation Authority sites (Gila River, Granada, Heart Mountain, Jerome, Manzanar, Minidoka, Poston, Rohwer, Topaz, and Tule Lake), as well as other historically significant locations, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, where Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. These sites are specifically identified in Confinement and Ethnicity: An Overview of World War II Japanese American Relocation Sites, published by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Western Archaeological and Conservation Center, in 1999. This document may be seen at www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/anthropology74 and at other internet sites.
Topics: japanese american confinement sites · wwii internment camp preservation · historic site restoration · cultural heritage grants · war relocation authority sites
Public-source funding discovery only. This summary is generated from public agency data and may be incomplete or stale. NonDilute is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government agency. Official notices and agency instructions control. NonDilute does not determine eligibility, provide grant-writing advice, or guarantee funding.