“There's a need that's not being addressed,” Smolenyak says. “A grant a month doesn't make a colossal difference, but each restored cemetery, set of rescued records or indexing project makes a difference.... It's also a way for me to give back to the genealogical community and to honor my ancestors.”

Past recipients include an Indiana library's record-indexing project, the DeadFred photo-reunion Web site <www.deadfred.com> and a Los Angeles family history teacher who wanted to purchase Tony Burroughs' Black Roots for her teenage students.