The Arts Conservation License Plate Grant, also referred to as the “Moose Plate” grant, is administered by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (NHSCA) and funded by proceeds from sales of the state's Conservation License Plates. These grants support the conservation of publicly owned artworks and artistic elements of publicly owned historic cultural facilities, improvement of public access to these resources, and enhancements that make the facilities and their arts programming more accessible to the general public. The grant serves New Hampshire municipalities, towns, and eligible nonprofit organizations engaged in arts conservation and preservation work.

Projects must occur between December 1, 2025, and November 30, 2026. Applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent by May 2, 2025. Only after receiving confirmation of eligibility from the grant coordinator may an applicant proceed to submit the full application by June 20, 2025. Requests may be made for amounts ranging from $2,000 to $20,000. Although no match is required, applicants are encouraged to include in-kind or cash contributions to enhance their proposal’s competitiveness and foster stronger community partnerships.

Eligible applicants include municipalities, towns, county, state (excluding NHSCA, State Library, and Division of Historical Resources), or federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations that manage but do not own the resource in question. The grant strictly funds conservation or accessibility projects involving publicly owned artwork or artistic features of public cultural facilities. Examples of eligible projects include the conservation of murals, sculptures, historic light fixtures, or stained glass windows; improving access with ramps or lighting; and protecting publicly owned arts documents. Commercially mass-produced replacements are ineligible, and all work must be carried out by qualified professionals or traditional artisans.

For facility applicants, eligibility for the National or State Registers of Historic Places is required. Applications for such projects will not be funded until the Division of Historical Resources verifies eligibility and approves the plan. All project plans must also meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Required application materials include a one-page narrative, images showing both the site and the specific damage, resumes of involved professionals, financial documents, and documentation of ownership. If applicable, facility plans and historic structure reports must be included.

Applications are reviewed by a panel with conservation expertise using a 100-point scale based on artistic and historical significance (40 points), public benefit and accessibility (35 points), and project quality (25 points). Projects recommended for awards of $10,000 or more, or that cause the applicant to exceed $10,000 in total NHSCA funding in a fiscal year, require final approval from the Governor and Executive Council. Successful applicants are notified in Fall 2025 and must return grant agreements by January 15, 2026.

All funded activities must be completed by November 30, 2026. A final report is due within 30 days of project completion but no later than December 31, 2026. Extensions of one month may be requested in writing. Failure to submit required reports or fulfill the scope of the project may result in ineligibility for future funding. Questions about the grant may be directed to Kayla Schweitzer, Heritage & Traditional Arts Coordinator, at Kayla.M.Schweitzer@dncr.nh.gov or 603-271-0795. Accessibility support is available from Emily Killinger at emily.r.killinger@dncr.nh.gov or 603-271-0790.