To advocate for the preservation of Alexandria’s historic buildings, districts and neighborhoods and to inspire residents and visitors to discover and celebrate the city’s architectural and physical heritage through education, advocacy, technical and easement advice, grants, awards and a historic plaque program.
A $100,000 grant to City of Alexandria (Murray Dick Fawcett) stands out in the Historic Alexandria Foundation’s most recent giving, showing that the funder can make at least one major mission-support award alongside its smaller preservation grants. The foundation’s work is centered on Alexandria’s historic buildings, districts, neighborhoods, and the city’s architectural and physical heritage. Its stated approach includes education, advocacy, technical and easement advice, grants, awards, and a historic plaque program. Recent support also reached Lee-Fendall House Museum and Athenaeum, both in Alexandria, through grants of $5,000 each. That mix suggests a local funder that backs preservation-oriented organizations as well as projects tied to historic stewardship and interpretation. The foundation’s active programs reinforce that focus: one grants program supports preservation, conservation, restoration, research, and related projects in the City of Alexandria, while its awards programs recognize restoration, conservation, stewardship, and façade rehabilitation. Across the grants data, the pattern is tightly tied to Alexandria history rather than broad regional philanthropy. The foundation’s stated mission and current grant activity align around protecting and interpreting the city’s historic fabric.
Historic preservation is the foundation’s core field. Through the Historic Alexandria Preservation Fund, it supports historic property restoration, repair, maintenance, and improvement, along with conservation and research. The program also covers museum artifact conservation and scholarly work on Alexandria’s architectural and cultural history. That preservation mission appears in recent support for City of Alexandria (OHA), which received $5,000 to further the organization’s mission. The foundation also supports institutions that interpret Alexandria’s past, including the Athenaeum, which received $5,000. Another clear thread is stewardship of historic properties. The HAF Preservation Awards program recognizes outstanding restoration, conservation, and stewardship projects in the City of Alexandria, and its nomination-based structure shows that the foundation uses both grants and recognition to advance preservation. Scholarship Fund of Alexandria and History Revealed Inc. also each received $5,000 in the latest grants list.
$130K
$2.3M
$169K
$241K
Most grants fall between $5K and $5K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$5K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in VA.
Mary S Sterling
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The typical grant size is $5,000, with the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile all at $5,000. Recent giving shows a single larger award of $100,000, but the broader pattern is a set of small, fixed-size grants. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its active grant program accepts unsolicited applications, and its recognition programs are nomination-based. The recent grants list shows Alexandria recipients across more than one organization type, suggesting repeated local support rather than one-off project funding alone.
Giving is entirely local and entirely in Virginia. All recent grants went to recipients in Alexandria, including City of Alexandria entities and several museum and heritage organizations. The foundation’s active grant program is also limited to the City of Alexandria, Virginia, and the recent country distribution is 100% U.S. This is a geographically concentrated funder with no visible out-of-area pattern in the supplied grants.
Its active grant program supports preservation, conservation, restoration, research, and related projects that enhance preservation in the City of Alexandria. The stated focus also includes historic property restoration, repair, maintenance, improvement, museum artifact conservation, and historical, architectural, archaeological, and scholarly research.
The typical grant size is $5,000. The p25, median, and p75 are all $5,000, which indicates a very tight grant-size pattern. The recent grants list also includes one much larger award of $100,000.
Yes. The Historic Alexandria Preservation Fund accepts unsolicited applications, and both Preservation Awards programs say individuals, businesses, or organizations may submit nominations for Board consideration.
Its giving is local and concentrated in Alexandria, Virginia. All recent grants in the supplied data went to recipients in Alexandria, and the geographic scope of giving is listed as local.
The awards programs recognize outstanding restoration, conservation, and stewardship projects in historic properties. One program also includes historic façade and building rehabilitation, all within the City of Alexandria.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Alexandria (Murray Dick Fawcett) | Alexandria, VA | $100,000 | 2024 | To further the mission of the organization |
| City of Alexandria (OHA) | Alexandria, VA | $5,000 | 2024 | To further the mission of the organization |
| Lee-Fendall House Museum | Alexandria, VA | $5,000 | 2024 | To further the mission of the organization |
| Athenaeum | Alexandria, VA | $5,000 | 2024 | To further the mission of the organization |
| Scholarship Fund of Alexandria | Alexandria, VA | $5,000 | 2024 | To further the mission of the organization |
| City of Alexandria (Alex Archeology) | Alexandria, VA | $5,000 | 2024 | To further the mission of the organization |
| History Revealed Inc | Alexandria, VA | $5,000 | 2024 | To further the mission of the organization |
City of Alexandria (Murray Dick Fawcett)
$100,000To further the mission of the organization
City of Alexandria (OHA)
$5,000To further the mission of the organization
Lee-Fendall House Museum
$5,000To further the mission of the organization
Athenaeum
$5,000To further the mission of the organization
Scholarship Fund of Alexandria
$5,000To further the mission of the organization
City of Alexandria (Alex Archeology)
$5,000To further the mission of the organization
History Revealed Inc
$5,000To further the mission of the organization