History Affiliates
Yesterday was history! What can we do with it today? There are hundreds of small history and heritage organizations in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and they face many similar challenges—a lack of funding, inadequate marketing resources, and a need to attract more visitors, members, and volunteers. To support these organizations in addressing these challenges, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania recently created the History Affiliates program. The planning phase of this initiative, which concluded last year, was funded by the Barra Foundation. Extensive needs assessment with organizations in the planning phase documented the considerable need for and interest of history organizations in a program that could connect organizations, aggregate resources, and offer leadership in addressing the issues of capacity and sustainability, which increasingly challenge individual organizations, as well as the sector as a whole.
When the full History Affiliates program is rolled out in 2012, it will offer services to support small to mid-sized history organizations including a new website that combines access to many resources in one place, an expanded monthly newsletter, mentoring of organizations through AASLH’s StEPs Program, two professional development workshops a year, a tiered membership program that offers a discounted menu of services, and an annual awards luncheon that recognizes the accomplishments of the region’s history organizations. In this era of increased demands and shrinking funding for small history organizations, it is more crucial than ever that history and heritage organizations communicate and coordinate efforts. Although the Southeastern Pennsylvania history and heritage community is a large, varied, and geographically diffuse group, we believe that through History Affiliates we can better communicate and work together to strengthen our organizations, as well as the Greater Philadelphia history community.
If you would like to be involved in the planning of the History Affiliates program or would like more information, please contact Prudence Haines at 215-732-6200 ext. 243 or phaines@hsp.org.
