Preservation Awards Application FAQs

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Preservation Awards application process!

FAQs

How can I make my application stand out to the jury?

Tell a compelling, succinct story that demonstrates the impact of your project. The Preservation Awards convey the value of historic preservation to a wide audience. Successful applications make a persuasive case for the importance of their project’s story, encompassing its:

Historical context
Specific goals and challenges
Benefits to the people in the community
Lessons learned

Describe the project’s scope of work clearly and completely. If you are nominating a project with multiple components, please include an explanation of each of the project’s elements. Remember to coordinate with other members of the project team, if needed.

Use a range of descriptive, high-quality images and videos. The media assets that accompany the application are often the only way that the jury can visualize a project. In addition to historic views and before/after shots, please include photographs of the project in process and other images with people in them, as these will help bring the story to life. Detailed instructions are included in the application itself.

What types of projects are eligible?

Projects must be located in Los Angeles County and completed by the time the application is submitted. Construction projects should meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and cultural landscape projects should follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes.

The following are eligible for a Conservancy Preservation Award:

Construction projects: restoration, rehabilitation, or adaptive reuse of a historic property
Preservation plans, programs, policies, or studies
Educational programs in historic preservation: courses, publications, conferences, etc.
Grassroots preservation efforts by an individual or group
Cultural landscapes (eligible for the Royce Neuschatz Award)

I would like to nominate a person or organization for an award. Are there any special guidelines?

Anyone can nominate a person or organization for a Preservation Award. Please follow the guidelines for the project narrative as they apply. For example, you should describe important accomplishments and components of the person or organization’s work, as well as the significance of their contributions to the preservation field and any challenges they may have overcome.

In your narrative, be sure to make a case for the timing of the application. If the person or organization is celebrating a significant milestone, for example, you should highlight the relevance of the award in its given year.

Will Conservancy staff or jury members visit the project site?

Conservancy staff may visit the site before the jury convenes, but not necessarily. If we need to arrange site access, we will contact the person who submitted the application. Jury members do not typically visit the project sites, which is why a compelling narrative and high-quality images and video are essential to a good application.

I am submitting the application on behalf of my company, organization, etc. What are my responsibilities?

The person submitting the application will be the Conservancy’s primary contact for the award cycle. They are responsible for ensuring that the application is complete and for notifying other members of the project team of the award. All applicants will be notified of the jury’s decision.

When should I expect to hear back about the status of my application?

Applications for the 2024 Preservation Awards are due on Friday, December 8, 2023, by 5:00 p.m. We will confirm that your application is complete within a week. If we need to coordinate a site visit, we will follow up separately.

We will notify all applicants of the jury’s decisions in spring before we publicly announce the award recipients.

Will the Conservancy accept late submissions?

It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure the Conservancy receives both the application and payment by the deadline.

The Conservancy reserves the right to disqualify any application that we do not receive by the 5:00 p.m. deadline, even if it was submitted but not received due to technical or delivery error.

Does the Conservancy have guidelines for submitting photographs or video?

All applications must include at least 20 hi-res images and/or video (40-50 media assets preferred).

Media assets should include historic views, before/after shots, construction photos, and other images with people in them, as this imagery helps bring the story to life.

In addition to the presentation, applicants must submit three to five high-resolution (300 dpi) color images of the completed project. If your project is selected for an award, these high-resolution photos will be used on our website and other promotional materials. By providing these photos, you are granting the Conservancy permission to share them in both digital and print formats. Please refer to the application for detailed requirements and submission instructions.

Want to learn more about high and low resolution? Check out this article.

How do I submit my application materials and photos?

In 2023, the Conservancy is implementing a new application process. Applicants must submit the application and pay a $150 application fee online, and provide a link to a file-sharing service (such as Dropbox or Box) that includes:

Project team list (Click here for MS Excel template)
Slideshow presentation with project photos (Click here for MS Powerpoint template)
Folder with labeled media assets (photos and video)
3-5 hi-res images of the completed project
Photo credits for images and video submitted

IMPORTANT: Application materials must be labeled with your project’s name, not LAC or L.A. Conservancy. Applicant must secure permission to publish media assets submitted with the application.

If you have a question not answered here or in the application, please get in touch with us at advocacy@laconservancy.org.