The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is accepting applications for its Veterans Cemetery Grants.
Donor Name: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/01/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Cemetery Grants Program was established in 1978 to complement VA’s national cemeteries. The program assists states, territories, and tribal governments in providing gravesites for Veterans in those areas where NCA cannot fully satisfy their burial needs.
VA has awarded grants totaling $992 million to establish, expand, improve, operate and maintain 122 Veterans cemeteries in 49 states and territories including tribal trust lands, Guam, Saipan, and Puerto Rico. In fiscal year 2024, VA grant-funded Veterans cemeteries provided more than 43,000 interments.
Grants may be used only to establish, expand or improve Veterans cemeteries that are owned and operated by a state, territory or tribal government on trust land. Aid is granted only to states, U.S. territories and federally recognized tribal governments, not to private organizations, counties, cities or other government agencies.
Funding Information
$60,000,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- States, territories, and tribal governments are eligible to receive grants to establish, expand or improve State or Tribal Veterans cemeteries. The term “state” means each of the several states, territories and possessions of the United States, including Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are also eligible to receive grants. The term “tribal government” refers to the 574 federally recognized tribal governments.
- Cities, counties and other state subdivisions, including multi-agency organizations are not eligible for grants. Private organizations are not eligible to receive grants.
- Applicants must own the land on which the cemetery is to be established. The state is responsible for the provision of land. Land may be purchased, transferred from another agency or donated. Tribal government applicants must use tribal trust land.
- Eligible applicants must provide assurance that they possess legislative authority and adequate appropriations to construct the project to be built with grant assistance.
- Cemeteries must be operated solely for the interment of service members who die on active duty, Veterans and their spouses and minor children, unmarried adult children who were physically or mentally disabled and incapable of self-support, and eligible parents of certain deceased service members.
- Grants are awarded to establish, expand or improve state and tribal Veterans cemeteries.
- New cemeteries must be capable of providing acreage for at least 20 years of service.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
