Mission

Since 1989, the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation has been in the vanguard of historic preservation practice and theory. The mission of the Fitch Foundation is to support professionals in the field of historic preservation, and to achieve this we provide mid-career grants to those working in preservation, landscape architecture, urban design, environmental planning, decorative arts, architectural design and architectural history.

Grantmaking Focus

Considered the father of historic preservation education in the United States, James Marston Fitch (1909-2000) noticeably shaped the field of historic preservation from its nascent years as a discipline in the 1960s to the highly developed professional practice we know today. Through his writings and teachings, he had a profound influence on those interested in creating, preserving and chronicling the built environment. As Professor Fitch said in his book, American Building: The Environmental Forces That Shape It (Oxford University Press, 1999), “The ultimate task of architecture is to act in favor of human beings.”

At his core, James Marston Fitch was committed to training professionals to protect and curate our built environment, and to create the support structures necessary to strengthen the field. The Fitch Foundation continues to pursue that goal through direct support to practitioners pursuing innovative original research. Projects should address a demonstrated need and make a meaningful contribution to the field of historic preservation in the United States. Historic preservation is a multidisciplinary field which benefits from a diverse range of perspectives and approaches. Therefore, beyond preservation itself, we support investigations rooted in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, urban design, environmental planning, architectural history, and related fields of inquiry. As an incubator for preservation theory and practice, the Fitch Foundation seeks to push the field forward and demonstrate the ongoing relevance of preservation for the future. Public dissemination of Fellows’ work is key to making this case. As such, research projects conceived with a clear plan for a realistic and widely accessible final work product will be prioritized.

Grant Types and Timelines

James Marston Fitch Mid-Career Fellowship: Annual grant cycle opens Fall 2026 for Spring 2027 award, and annually thereafter. This grant is disbursed over a one-year project period. 

Robert Silman Award (applications accepted in odd years): Biennial grant cycle opens in the Fall for Spring funding, offered every other year. Upcoming Silman application cycles are projected to open Fall 2027, Fall 2029, and Fall 2031, with funding to commence the following spring, respectively. This grant is disbursed over a two-year project period. 

Richard Blinder Award (applications accepted in even years): Biennial grant cycle opens in the Fall for Spring funding, offered every other year. Upcoming Blinder application cycles are projected to open Fall 2026, Fall 2028, and Fall 2030, with funding to commence the following spring, respectively. This grant is disbursed over a two-year project period. 

Additional Grant Opportunities: Additional funding opportunities will be offered at the discretion of the Fitch Foundation with specific timeline noted. The first cycle of the HBCU Preservation Catalyst Grant will launch in Fall 2026 for Spring/Summer 2027 funding.