We award grants for trail stewardship, education, bicentennial sign replacement, and the Montana sign maintenance fund.
Maintaining the historic Lolo Trail has been one of the projects funded in part from the Lewis & Clark Trail Stewardship Endowment (LCTSE).
Trail Stewardship Grants (LCTSE)
The Lewis & Clark Trail Alliance through its Trail Stewardship Advisory Committee solicits applications beginning March 1 for projects that will have a demonstrable, positive impact along the pathways followed by the Expedition.
Grant requests must be submitted no later than September 30 of each year. Grant applications that are not received by the cut off date and are not submitted using the online application will not be considered for an award.
Charitable distributions for this grant program are provided by the Lewis & Clark Trail Stewardship Endowment: A National Council of the Lewis & Clark Expedition Bicentennial Legacy Project.
Application forms
- Application Process and Guidelines (PDF, updated 1 Feb 2025)
- Grant Application (Google Forms)
- Grant Final Report Form (Google Forms)
Related documents
- Past Grant Awards
- Interpretive Sign Guidelines
- National Council of the Lewis & Clark Expedition LCTSE Fund Agreement (PDF)
- LCTHF Board Policy for Trail Stewardship (PDF)
Burroughs-Holland/Bicentennial Education Fund
One of the Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance’s [LCTA] missions is to support scholarly research, education and youth activities about all aspects of the Corps of Discovery, the Native American peoples who helped them, and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Every year, the LCTA’s Education and Scholarship Committee offers small grants for projects that directly benefit K-12 education and/or scholarly research in topics related to the LCTA’s goals and/or to the original grant sponsors’ intentions.
A portion of the money in this fund comes from the estate of the late Leandra Zim Holland; funds in that account were earmarked for scholarship and research. Chuck Holland has graciously agreed to move that money into a single scholarship and education fund; we will be sending him a thank you, and keeping him apprised of our work.
Bicentennial Sign Replacement Grants
The Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance, in partnership with the National Park Service, is offering grants for the replacement of existing signs placed during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. These funds are restricted to replacement of existing signs in their current location (signs cannot be moved to a new site).
To apply, use the existing Trail Stewardship Grant application procedures and guidelines. Note that with this grant program, governmental entities may apply.
Montana Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Interpretive Sign Maintenance Fund
To commemorate the 2005-2006 Lewis and Clark Bicentennial in Montana, the Montana Governor’s Bicentennial Commission provided funding to various entities across the state to develop and install Wayside Interpretive Signs along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail in Montana. The Commission granted $50,000 to the Lewis and Clark Trail Alliance to establish a grant program to help maintain the signs that were installed during the Bicentennial. This fund has been established and is called the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Montana Interpretive Sign Maintenance Fund.