Idaho Heritage Trust

What Idaho Heritage Trust does

Idaho Heritage Trust, Inc. (IHT) is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in April 1990 as the lasting legacy of Idaho's Centennial Celebration, with Governor Cecil Andrews signing House Bill 514 into law to formally establish it. Headquartered at the Historic Governor Morrison Home in Boise (211 W. State St.), the organization provides matching grants ($5,000-$15,000 per award, averaging $5,000) and free technical assistance to public organizations — including 501(c)(3) nonprofits, cities, counties, and state/federal agencies — for the preservation of historic buildings, theatres, archaeological sites, and artifacts across all 44 Idaho counties.

IHT's core offerings include the Heritage Grant Program, the Historic Theatre Revitalization Subgrant Program (administered in partnership with the National Park Service's Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program), Archaeological Research Funding, and a Technical Assistance Program staffed by licensed architects and a civil engineer specializing in historic preservation standards (including the Secretary of the Interior's Standards). Supplementary products include the 'Explore Your Heritage' interactive map of historic sites and the Sharing Stories content platform. Grant applications are processed through an online Grant Portal, with seven Regional Committees reviewing applications and providing recommendations to the Board of Directors.

IHT's revenue model is hybrid: it receives royalties and specialty-plate fees from Idaho license plates (the Scenic Idaho plate trademark was assigned to IHT in 1991, and the new Heritage Specialty Plate launched in April 2026 routes $25 for new plates and $15 for renewals directly to IHT), accepts tax-deductible donations (cash, monthly, tribute, and donor-advised fund), and acts as a pass-through for federal preservation funds. Since 1990, IHT has distributed over $7 million in grants across 900+ projects, leveraging recipient matching contributions to exceed $10 million in total preservation investment, with more than half of grants going to communities under 5,000 residents.

Name

Idaho Heritage Trust

Legal name

Idaho Heritage Trust, Inc.

Website

https://idahoheritagetrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Idaho Heritage Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1990 that provides matching grants ($5,000-$15,000) and free technical assistance to public organizations across Idaho's 44 counties for historic preservation, funded by license plate royalties, donations, and federal pass-throughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Historic preservation grants
• Heritage conservation services
• Historic theatre restoration
• Archaeological research funding
• Preservation technical assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. License Plate Royalties and Specialty Plate Fees: Previously funded through fifty-cent-per-plate royalty fees from the Scenic Idaho license plate trademark. Since April 2026, the organization receives funding from the new Limited Edition Specialty 'Heritage' License Plate, with $25 for new plates and $15 for renewals going directly to IHT.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization accepts cash donations, monthly giving, tribute/memorial gifts, and donor-advised fund contributions. Donations are 100% tax-deductible.
3. Grant Awards as Matching Funds: Grants must be matched dollar-for-dollar by recipients, meaning over $10 million has been invested in preservation when factoring in grantee contributions, effectively leveraging IHT's disbursements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Idaho Heritage Trust is a nonprofit preservation organization that awards matching grants ($5,000-$15,000 range, average $5,000) to public organizations across Idaho for historic building, theatre, and artifact preservation, paired with free technical assistance from licensed architects and engineers. It also funds archaeological research and testing, and operates an interactive heritage map and storytelling platform. All grants require a 1:1 cash match from recipients, and the organization reaches all 44 Idaho counties through seven Regional Committees.

Product overview

Idaho Heritage Trust operates as a nonprofit preservation organization offering a coordinated portfolio of grant programs and technical services. The core offerings include the Heritage Grant Program (providing $5,000-$15,000 matching grants for historic preservation), the Historic Theatre Revitalization Subgrant Program, and a free Technical Assistance Program offering expert consultation. Supplementary services include Archaeological Research Funding, the Explore Your Heritage interactive mapping platform, and the Sharing Stories content initiative. The organization also manages the Heritage Specialty License Plate program as a funding mechanism. The Grant Portal serves as the unified application gateway for all programs. Together, these products form a comprehensive preservation support ecosystem serving all 44 Idaho counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heritage Grant Program Matching grant program providing $5,000-$15,000 awards to public organizations (nonprofits, cities, counties, state/federal agencies) for preservation of historic buildings, artifacts, and archaeological sites. Requires a 1:1 cash match and is reviewed bi-annually.
• Historic Theatre Revitalization Subgrant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $7 million awarded to 900+ projects across Idaho's 44 counties since 1990
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Park Service (NPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Historic Theatre Revitalization Subgrant Program is supported by the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Program funded by the Historic Preservation Fund as administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. NPS provides federal funding through this program which IHT helps distribute to Idaho preservation projects.
• Idaho State Historic Preservation OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresentatives from the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office perform technical reviews of grant applications to ensure scope of work meets Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Properties.
• Idaho State Parks and Recreation DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartment representatives participate in grant review process alongside Idaho State Historic Preservation Office.
• Idaho State Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on archaeological permitting and provides resources for National Register nominations. Also provides the Esto Perpetua Award recognizing preservation contributions.
• Idaho Department of TransportationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReleases and distributes the Idaho Heritage Trust 'Heritage' Specialty License Plate through all Idaho DMV locations and online. Revenue from plate fees ($25 new, $15 renewals) goes directly to IHT.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Main Street America: National nonprofit coordinating the Main Street Approach for downtown and commercial district revitalization including historic preservation; complementary to IHT's Rural Main Streets and Historic Theatre programs which explicitly target Main Street economic revitalization.
• Preserve America: Federal initiative administered through the Department of the Interior and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation that designates heritage tourism sites and supports community preservation — comparable to IHT's role channeling federal preservation funding (e.g., NPS pass-through) into local projects.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit that saves historic places, operates preservation grant programs (including the National Preservation Awards and Preserve America grants), and provides technical resources — directly comparable to Idaho Heritage Trust's grantmaking, technical assistance, and advocacy model at the national scale.

Direct peers

• Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia: Regional preservation nonprofit that distributes grants, provides technical assistance, and runs advocacy programs for historic sites — comparable operating model to IHT but at a regional rather than statewide scope.
• Preservation League of New York State: Statewide New York preservation nonprofit providing grants (including the Preserve New York grant program), technical assistance, and advocacy — a long-running analog of IHT's grant-plus-technical-assistance model.
• Colorado Preservation, Inc. Statewide nonprofit that provides preservation grants, technical assistance, advocacy, and educational programming in Colorado — a near-analog of IHT operating at the same single-state scope with similar grantmaking, advocacy, and stewardship services.
• Preservation Utah: Utah's statewide historic preservation nonprofit operating preservation grants, endangered site programs, and educational events — comparable single-state mission, grantmaking focus, and advocacy profile to Idaho Heritage Trust.
• Montana Preservation Alliance: Montana-based nonprofit offering preservation grants, conferences, and workshops focused on rural and historic sites — directly comparable to IHT's rural preservation emphasis, matching-grant model, and state-scope mission.
• Idaho State Historic Preservation Office: State government partner that performs technical reviews of IHT grant applications against the Secretary of the Interior's Standards; serves the same grantee base in Idaho and shares overlapping mission of historic preservation funding and standards enforcement.

Others

• National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund: Federal grant program that funds IHT's Historic Theatre Revitalization Subgrant Program; acts as upstream funder and standards-setter rather than a direct competitor but shares the preservation grantmaking function.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/idahoheritagetrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idaho-heritage-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Idaho Heritage Trust