Ohio will send $366,970 in state grants to 80 cemeteries in 49 counties to help preserve historic grounds, improve safety and pay for exceptional maintenance projects, the Ohio Department of Commerce announced. The awards come through the department’s Cemetery Grant Fund for fiscal year 2027, with individual grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000.
The money goes to properly registered cemeteries, excluding for-profit corporations, and can also help cover training for cemetery personnel. In Ashland County, three cemeteries are among this year’s recipients: Savannah, Hayes and Lulu Falls. More than 4,100 cemeteries are registered with the department’s Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing statewide.
Demand for the program grew this year. The division received 208 applications for the fiscal 2027 round, up 21 percent from the 172 submitted in 2025, as small township, village and association cemeteries looked for help with projects that local budgets often cannot absorb on their own.
“We’re proud to partner with our cemetery partners across Ohio to help protect and maintain these important historic and cultural spaces,” said Daphne Hawk, superintendent of the Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing. “Each of these cemeteries plays a meaningful role in telling the story of its community, and this funding helps to ensure they remain safe, secure, and welcoming for generations to come.”
The annual program is funded through burial permit fees rather than general tax revenue, with $9.50 of every $10 collected going toward the Cemetery Grant Program. That structure means the grants recycle fees paid at burial back into the upkeep of the grounds where Ohio families are laid to rest.
Beyond registering cemeteries and awarding the grants, the division also administers the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission, which works to resolve complaints against registered cemeteries through mediation and conciliation.
For the 80 recipient cemeteries, the awards set up maintenance and preservation work in the months ahead, from repairing aging infrastructure to improving safety for visitors. Cemetery operators who did not receive a grant this cycle can apply again in the next annual round.
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0