Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Inc.

Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Inc. is a non-profit organization registered in SAM.gov since 2008, serving as the coordinating management entity for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Located in Cohoes, New York, the organization is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and developing the historical and recreational resources of the New York State canal system. As a tax-exempt corporate entity, Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Inc. primarily receives federal grant awards from the U.S. National Park Service through the Heritage Partnership Program, focusing on cultural preservation, tourism development, and environmental stewardship along the historic canal corridor.

The organization has consistently received cooperative agreements and project grants that support a wide range of activities, including implementing strategic management plans, developing educational initiatives, and supporting cultural revitalization efforts. Recent federal grants totaling approximately $6.5 million have enabled the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund to conduct projects such as replacing signage, training volunteer stewards, hosting the World Canals Conference, creating visitor guidebooks, and providing subgrants for historic property rehabilitation in rural communities. The grants, predominantly from the National Park Service's Heritage Partnership Program and Historic Preservation Fund, have supported efforts to engage communities in environmental stewardship, promote recreational opportunities, preserve historic sites, and foster economic development in central New York. Key activities have included developing water trails, conducting cultural landscape inventories, supporting heritage tourism, and creating educational programs that highlight the region's natural, cultural, and recreational resources.