Cemetery Grant Application

APPLICATION YEAR: 2026 DEADLINE: 07/31/2025

Please gather all information prior to the application entry.
Once you start the application, the information entered CANNOT be saved and if you exit out of the application you will lose all information entered.
The application must be answered completely to be considered for grant funds and submitted no later than: July 31, 2025 11:59 PM

The following document link is provided to assist you with the application:

GRANT INSTRUCTIONS

All questions concerning the Cemetery Grant should be forwarded to: Emma Wilson at (614) 466-4100 or CemeteryGrants@com.state.oh.us.

PURPOSE OF GRANT

The Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing (REPL) is pleased to announce the availability of grant funding in State Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 for eligible applicants to defray the costs of exceptional cemetery maintenance or training cemetery personnel in the maintenance and operation of cemeteries. The grant cycle is July 01, 2025* to July 31, 2025. Exceptional maintenance shall be construed broadly to cover non-routine, non-repetitive maintenance. Reasonable maintenance, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code (ORC) section 4767.09, done in the day-to-day operations of a cemetery is not considered exceptional for purposes of awarding grants. The amount of funding available for grant cycle FY 2026 is $104,000.

I. Cemetery Information

Name of cemetery

Is cemetery currently registered with the state of Ohio?

Cemetery Type License Lookup

Cemetery registration number

Cemetery physical location

Street

City

State
Ohio

Zip

Phone

Select County *

Year cemetery established

Total number of acres

Percentage of cemetery that is full or sold

Percentage of cemetery that has inventory available for purchase

Explanation of percentages of cemetery full/sold/inventory available

Approximate number of interments in cemetery in last two years

Date of most recent interment in this cemetery

Name of Owner/operator

Owner/operator registration number

Number of registered cemeteries operated

Name of applicant's representative

Number of cemeteries maintained that have not had a burial in more than 25 years and are not registered with the Division

Owner/Operator mailing address

Street

City

State

Zip

Phone

Contact information for all grant program correspondence

Name of representative

Street

City

State

Zip

Phone

Owner/operator's federal tax identification number

Owner/operator's Ohio tax identification number

Ohio secretary of state charter number

Upload Internal Revenue service tax exempt certificate

Upload W-9 Form *

II. Brief History of Cemetery and Past Major Maintenance Completed

Brief history of cemetery and past major maintenance completed

Upload additional files explaining brief history of cemetery and past major maintenance completed

III. Project Description and Purpose

Provide a statement about the problem/issue your proposed grant project would correct. Include an explanation of the existing problem or issue, the scope of work needed, project goals and anticipated outcome.

Provide a detailed project summary including why the project is exceptional maintenance. Be specific, e.g. number of memorials reset, type of equipment needed, etc. Factors that may create exceptional maintenance: your operating budget, number of cemeteries maintained under your operating budget, scale and type of project, damage caused by adverse weather conditions or other elements of nature. Photos/maps/drawings/surveys should be included. For trainings include a copy of the agenda, syllabus or other content material and name and contact information of the provider. Explain how the training relates to the maintenance and operations of the cemeteries.

Provide an explanation of the proposed grant project's benefits and the usefulness of the project in the cemetery.

Upload additional files concerning your project including photos

IV. Project Budget, Amount Requested, and Matching

Project budget

Amount requested (up to $2500)

Upload detailed project budget

Funding Requested/Received from Other Sources: (List source and amount e.g., grants, donations, loans)

How will grant funds be accounted for separately from other sources of funding?

If the estimated total cost of the project is more than the grant amount requested, how will the applicant pay for the remainder of the project?

V. Cemetery's Annual Operating Budget

Operating budget. If your budget comes from the general revenue fund, you must include the specific operating budget of the cemetery taken from the general fund.

Upload detailed operating budget *

Is this operating budget for all cemeteries operated or only cemetery applying for the grant?

Upload additional files explaining operating budget

Expenses for operations and maintenance

Are expenses listed for all cemeteries operated?

Provide explanation of expenses

Upload additional files explaining expenses

Do you have an endowment or perpetual care trust?

Balance of endowment or perpetual care trust

Do you have a preneed merchandise & service trust?

Balance of preneed merchandise & service trust

Are you a local political subdivision?

Were there any Findings and/or Findings for Recovery in your most recent audit conducted by the Auditor of State?

Please attach a copy.

VI. Required Signature

I hereby affirm, under penalty of law, that all of the information submitted in this application is true, correct, and complete. I am aware that intentionally making a material misstatement in connection with an application for financial assistance is grounds for the denial of the application, may require the funds to be paid back, and possible criminal actions.

Applicant acknowledges that Ohio has an obligation to ensure that public funds are not used to subsidize private discrimination. Applicant recognizes that if they refuse to hire or do business with an individual or company due to reasons of race, color, gender, ethnicity, disability, national origin, age, or any other protected status, the Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing may refer the conduct to appropriate authorities, and may disqualify Applicant from cemetery grant funds.

I understand I must submit a written report to the Board within thirty days after the grant cycle ends detailing how the funds were spent, copies of paid invoices and canceled checks, the number of memorials straightened and repaired, etc. along with photographs of the before/after photos of work completed.

Fiscal officer/authorized representative printed name

Signatory's title