Route 66 Road Ahead Grants Close in October

Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant to Support Women Across The Mother Road

The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership is celebrating women along Route 66 with its recently launched Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program. The grant program is one in a series of “birthday gifts” to be given to Route 66 in the years leading up to the historic road’s 100th birthday in 2026.

The Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program provides critical and flexible funding to businesses and attractions located along Route 66 that are majority women-owned or operated. It is part of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s plan to celebrate the upcoming Route 66 Centennial by helping the millions of people who live, work, and travel along Route 66 through projects that focus on promotion, preservation, research/education, and the economic development of Route 66.

In addition to direct fundraising efforts undertaken by the Road Ahead, the Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program is funded in part by a grant from the Preserve Route 66 Grant Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Applications for The Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program are being accepted through Monday, October 23, 2023, and can be accessed at: https://roadahead.route66centennial.org/

The first round of the Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program was held in 2021. In addition to this 2023 grant round, the program will administer two grant rounds in 2024. A total of $20,000 [10 awards of up to $2,000 each] is being awarded per each round of the Route 66 Extraordinary Women Micro-Grant Program.

Black Experiences Grant Program Part of Road Ahead’s Centennial Celebration

Historic Route 66 turns 100 years old in 2026, and the party is starting! The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership is helping kick off the Mother Road’s birthday celebration with the Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program. The grant program is one of the first in a series of “birthday gifts” to be given to Route 66 in the years leading up to the road’s Centennial.

The Road Ahead was awarded $250,000 by American Express to provide direct grants to help Black owned and/or operated businesses and attractions along Route 66. The funds will also support research and programs that interpret and tell the stories of Black experiences associated with Route 66. The Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program is part of the Road Ahead’s 100th Anniversary of Route 66 celebration.

Through the Centennial, the Road Ahead aims to help the millions of people who live, work, and travel along Route 66 with projects focused on preservation, promotion, research/education, and the economic development of Route 66.

Applications for The Black Experiences Grant Program are being accepted through Tuesday, October 31, 2023, and are available at: https://roadahead.route66centennial.org/

The first round of the Road Ahead’s Black Experiences Grant Program was held in 2022. In addition to this round of 2023 grants, the program will also be administered in 2024, 2025, and 2026. A total of $50,000 [10 awards of up to $,5000 each] is being awarded each year through the Route 66 Black Experiences Grant Program.

Established in 2016, with the support of the National Park Service and the World Monuments' Fund, The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s mission is to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as a national and international icon through partnerships