From breaking ground on March 31, 2007 for the $1.8 million facility, to moving the last artifacts in 2009, we completed a long-awaited project. The 60,000 item Horner collection, which until the spring of 2008 had been hidden away in the basement of Gill Coliseum on the Oregon State University campus, has been merged with the Society's 60,000 objects to form one of the largest museum collections in the mid-Willamette Valley, housed in a modern building that is the envy of the museum community.

About $125,000 is still needed to purchase compact shelving* for all the smaller objects in the collections -- about 75% of the entire collection.

Successful grants have come as challenge grants: these funds must be matched in order to release funding from the donors. The Oregon Heritage Commission has challenged us to raise $20,000; the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation will release $25,000 if the entire project amount is raised. Recently Pete and Rosalie Johnson promised an additional $10,000, if it can be equally matched.

This is where you come in. We would like to encourage you to personally invest in the future of this collection. As donors to the collection, we know that you would like to see your gift preserved in perpetuity, so your descendants and citizens in the future can appreciate and learn from your family history. But, preservation costs money, and now more than ever, we need your involvement and your investment.

We have an amazing opportunity to build on the success of 2009, but we cannot do it without your support.Government, corporate, and foundation support is spotty. Of the dozens of well-written grants we've produced, only a small percentage appeal to the priorities of funders in this recession. So, supporters like you become even more critical. With your help we can preserve your valuable gifts long into the future.

A gift of $1,000 from ten donors will match the Johnson challenge.

A gift of $10,000, payable over the next three years, will purchase an entire row of shelving and will help us meet all our challenges.

With a gift of $10,000, we will provide you with an opportunity to name an entire row of compact shelving. Your name or the name of your honoree will be placed on a plaque at the end of the unit, where it will remain. No gift will be renamed in the future.

As a place of public pride, it is an honor for us to preserve your precious objects. This specialized museum shelving will last for many lifetimes. This is a one-time investment.

Just as we look back and appreciate your highly-prized possessions of the past, we hope that future generations will look back at the donors and supporters of the Benton County Historical Society and say, "Those folks got it right!"

On behalf of the Museum staff and Trustees, thank you for your consideration of this meaningful gift to the Benton County Historical Society & Museum. We look forward to a bright and successful new year.

Sincerely,

Irene Zenev
Executive Director

P.S. Please know that your tax-deductible gift, in any amount, is appreciated.
If you cannot give $1,000, please consider $250, or whatever amount you can give.

[ Secure online donations through Network For Good]