What Preservation Buffalo Niagara does

Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the only full-service, professionally staffed historic preservation organization in Western New York, operating for over 40 years from its headquarters in Buffalo, NY. The organization serves homeowners, congregations, developers, and community stakeholders across Buffalo and Niagara Falls through a portfolio of programs including Historic Tax Credit Assistance (covering NYS homeowner, commercial, and barn rehabilitation credits), the Historic Home Loan Fund for low-income homeowners, the Vacant Rental Improvement Program in Niagara Falls, and the Save Our Sacred Sites initiative for threatened religious properties. PBN also runs advocacy campaigns (White Elephant Tax Credit Enhancement, Section 106 protections), educational programming (Guaranty Building Tours, E.B. Green Bike Tours, Jane's Walk, the Lenses exhibit), and cultural heritage initiatives such as the Green Book Site and Gay Places projects. Annual Preservation Awards ceremonies serve as both recognition events and fundraising vehicles, with the 2026 edition held at the Richardson.

The organization is funded through a diversified nonprofit revenue model comprising individual and corporate donations, real property donations, membership dues, event revenue, and grants from sources including the New York State Council on the Arts ($25,000 in 2025), National Trust for Historic Preservation, the 1772 Foundation, and Empire State Development. PBN states that 92 cents of every donated dollar goes directly into preservation work. Its go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on events, workshops, newsletters, social media, and direct technical assistance delivered through named staff (Bernice Radle as Executive Director, Emily Jarnot as Preservation Planner, Brandon Kennedy as Architectural Historian). Major infrastructure development is underway: PBN relocated offices to 444 Forest Ave in October 2025 and is renovating 72 Sycamore Street (the Eliza Quirk House) into its first permanent home and a Preservation Resource Center. Operational scale is modest, with approximately 11 employees, and PBN operates exclusively within the United States, serving Western New York.

Name

Preservation Buffalo Niagara

Legal name

Preservation Buffalo Niagara

Website

https://preservationbuffaloniagara.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Preservation Buffalo Niagara is a 40-plus-year-old nonprofit preservation organization serving Western New York, providing historic tax credit assistance, financing programs, landmark designation support, and advocacy to homeowners, congregations, developers, and community stakeholders in Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Historic preservation services
• Historic tax credits
• Preservation advocacy
• Community preservation programs
• Historic home financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program offering discounted pricing on events and direct connection to preservation work. Members receive benefits including discounted event pricing and insider access to preservation initiatives.
2. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and annual appeal campaigns. The organization states that 92 cents of every dollar donated goes directly into preservation work.
3. Real Property Donations: Accepts donations of real property including houses. Donors receive tax benefits including potential income tax deductions and avoidance of capital gains taxes.
4. Grants and Government Funding: Receives grants from organizations including the New York State Council on the Arts ($25,000), National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1772 Foundation, and Empire State Development. Funding supports programs like Save Our Sacred Sites and Historic Home Loan Fund.
5. Event Revenue: Preservation Awards ceremony and other events serve as fundraisers. Events include open bar, appetizers, dinner, and programming that supports PBN's advocacy, education, and preservation work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Preservation Buffalo Niagara is a full-service nonprofit historic preservation organization that delivers technical assistance on New York State Historic Tax Credits, administers direct financing through the Historic Home Loan Fund and Vacant Rental Improvement Program, advocates for landmark designation of historic churches and cultural sites, and provides preservation education through workshops, architectural tours, and the annual Preservation Awards across Western New York.

Product overview

Preservation Buffalo Niagara operates as a full-service, professionally staffed nonprofit preservation organization offering a portfolio of programs and services focused on identifying, protecting, and promoting historic architecture in Western New York. The core offerings include Historic Tax Credit Assistance (homeowner, commercial, and barn rehabilitation credits) with associated workshops; educational programs such as Guaranty Building Tours, E.B. Green Bike Tours, and the Lenses exhibit; financing programs including the Historic Home Loan Fund for low-income homeowners and the Vacant Rental Improvement Program for Niagara Falls; and advocacy initiatives like Save Our Sacred Sites (church landmarking), the Green Book Site Initiative (African American heritage), and White Elephant Tax Credit advocacy. The organization also administers annual Preservation Awards recognizing excellence across the region. A major ongoing project is the Eliza Quirk House at 72 Sycamore Street, which will become the organization's first permanent home and a Preservation Resource Center for hands-on training and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Historic Tax Credit Assistance Program Technical assistance and advisory service helping homeowners, commercial property owners, and barn owners navigate and apply for New York State and federal historic tax credits for qualifying rehabilitation work on historic properties.
• Historic Tax Credit Workshops Free educational workshops (virtual and in-person) that walk homeowners through the Historic Tax Credit application process for the NYS Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Credit, led with Preservation Studios and the NY State Historic Preservation Office.
• Historic Home Loan Fund (HHLF) Direct financing program offering loans and technical assistance for the preservation, improvement, restoration, and rehabilitation of locally designated homes to income-qualified low-income homeowners in the City of Buffalo, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Save Our Sacred Sites Initiative Initiative providing local landmark designation support, National Register nominations, Sacred Sites funding assistance, and preservation advocacy to congregations and faith communities facing church closures, mergers, or demolition threats in Western New York.
• Vacant Rental Improvement Program – Niagara Falls Grant program covering expenses for repairing and renovating vacant apartments in Niagara Falls, NY, providing up to $50,000 for units serving tenants under 80% Area Median Income and up to $75,000 for units under 60% AMI, for residential and mixed-use properties with 5 units or fewer.
• Guided Tours Program Public architectural tours showcasing Buffalo's historic architecture, including Guaranty Building Tours, E.B. Green Bike Tours, and Jane's Walk community walking tours, offered as paid member and public experiences.
• Lenses Exhibit Collaborative exhibit that examines Buffalo's architectural heritage through diverse perspectives, highlighting underrepresented communities and challenging traditional preservation narratives.
• Green Book Site Initiative Research and documentation project that identifies, maps, and advocates for the preservation of remaining Green Book sites in Buffalo — locations that served African American travelers during the Jim Crow era.
• Preservation Awards Annual recognition ceremony and fundraising event honoring excellence in historic preservation across Western New York, with award categories covering commercial, residential, neighborhood preservation, preservation craft, leadership, and unique preservation projects.
• Eliza Quirk House / Preservation Resource Center Restoration and development of the historic 72 Sycamore Street property as Preservation Buffalo Niagara's first permanent home and a future Preservation Resource Center offering hands-on workshops, technical assistance, and educational exhibits.
• Local Landmarking Initiative Service supporting property owners and congregations through the local landmark application process for a $2,500 fee covering research, writing, photography, and public hearings required for Buffalo local landmark designation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million spent on East Side Commercial Building Stabilization in one year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• East Side AvenuesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in East Side Commercial Building Stabilization Fund helping stabilize and preserve historic commercial buildings across Buffalo's East Side.
• Preservation StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBN partners with Preservation Studios to organize and lead pro bono Historic Tax Credit workshops for homeowners throughout Western New York.
• Hallie Wright (Preservation Studios)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHallie Wright, Preservation Planner at Preservation Studios, helps organize and lead pro bono Historic Tax Credit workshops for homeowners.
• NY State Historic Preservation Office (NYSHPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBN works with NYSHPO on Historic Tax Credit applications, National Register nominations, and preservation planning. Francis Stern from SHPO available to answer homeowner questions at workshops.
• ReUse ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBN recognizes ReUse Action as a valuable community resource for old home lovers and those needing materials on a budget. The salvage nonprofit on Buffalo's East Side provides reclaimed building materials for historic restoration projects.
• Jakob Saeli (Cornell High Road Fellow)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJakob Saeli, a Cornell High Road Fellow, led Phase One of the Green Book Site Initiative in summer 2025, identifying 16 remaining Green Book sites in Buffalo through archival research and mapping.
• Preservation League of New York StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBN participates in advocacy campaigns organized by the Preservation League including Historic Homeowner Tax Credit restoration efforts and White Elephant Tax Credit legislation.
• BSKmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRobert T. Coles Sponsor for the 2026 Preservation Awards, helping make the celebration of preservation excellence possible.
• Carmina Wood DesignmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRobert T. Coles Sponsor for the 2026 Preservation Awards. Led the American Lofts at Silo City project which won Best Commercial Project Erie County.
• Hodgson RussmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRobert T. Coles Sponsor for the 2026 Preservation Awards.
• Lawley InsurancemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRobert T. Coles Sponsor for the 2026 Preservation Awards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Preservation Maryland: Statewide Maryland preservation nonprofit providing advocacy, grants, and technical services. Highly comparable in organizational scope, though it operates at a larger geographic scale than PBN.
• Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia: Mid-Atlantic regional preservation nonprofit offering advocacy, technical assistance, and education for historic properties. Operates at similar scale and programmatic breadth as PBN, but in a different metro market.
• Landmarks Illinois: Illinois statewide preservation advocacy and grant-making organization. Comparable in operating model, advocacy focus, and reliance on a mix of state, foundation, and individual donor support.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The largest and most established national preservation organization, providing grants (including one to PBN), advocacy, and the '11 Most Endangered' program. Acts as an umbrella funder and policy voice in the same space PBN operates locally.

Direct peers

• Preservation League of New York State: Statewide nonprofit that advocates for preservation policy, runs educational programs, and partners with local organizations across New York. Highly comparable to PBN in mission, advocacy posture, and grant-driven funding model.
• Partners for Sacred Places: National nonprofit focused specifically on the preservation of historic religious properties. PBN's Save Our Sacred Sites initiative is a direct functional analog, serving overlapping faith-community constituencies.
• New York Landmarks Conservancy: NY-focused preservation nonprofit offering technical assistance, grants, and advocacy for historic properties statewide. Closely mirrors PBN's mix of advisory services, landowner support, and policy advocacy.
• Cleveland Restoration Society: Northeast Ohio preservation nonprofit offering technical assistance, advocacy, and heritage education for historic buildings. Closely comparable to PBN in mission and Rust Belt urban context, with similar programmatic breadth.
• Preservation Detroit: Detroit-based nonprofit preservation organization of comparable size and mission, focused on advocacy, education, and technical assistance for historic properties in another Rust Belt city — making it a strong functional and demographic peer to PBN.

Others

• The Buffalo History Museum: Buffalo-based heritage institution operating a museum, research library, and educational programs tied to the same Western New York historic context PBN serves. Not a direct preservation-services competitor, but a closely adjacent regional heritage peer and potential collaborator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PreserveBN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/PreservationBuffaloNiagara
• Facebookfacebook.com/PreservationBuffaloNiagara
• Instagraminstagram.com/pbnsaves
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/preservation-buffalo-niagara

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Preservation Buffalo Niagara