Endowment
Endowing the Future, Preserving the Past
Beginning with our name, the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History seeks to preserve our Ozark heritage. Shiloh was the name of the pioneer community that became Springdale in the 1870s. As a regional history museum located in downtown Springdale since 1968, we offer a gathering point for residents, scholars, school children, community groups, heritage seekers, and newcomers to the area. We work every day to honor the people who have shaped our history.
The Shiloh Museum Board of Trustees recognizes a critical link between long-term financial security and its ability to preserve the past for the future. Preservation of such legacies as our award-winning photograph collection, our irreplaceable historic buildings, and our vast collection of artifacts requires careful planning and investment by the community, especially by those who care about who we are and how we got here.
ABOUT THE ENDOWMENT
In 1992, the museum’s board of trustees established an endowment to ensure the long-term financial stability of the museum. The funds are administered by the Arkansas Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists people in making smart giving decisions as well as providing nonprofits a place to hold their endowments. The Foundation’s board members, financial advisors, and managers develop and maintain investment strategies that maximize returns within acceptable risk tolerances. To donate directly to the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History Endowment, contact Museum director Angie Albright at 479.750.8165 or use the ARCF online portal.
Anyone may make a contribution to the Shiloh Museum endowment or memorialize a loved one through a contribution. We also grow the endowment through fund raising, matching gifts, planned giving, and bequests. The museum’s endowment reached $300,000 in its first ten years. It is currently valued at more than $2,000,000. It continues to grow through the care, concern, and generosity of the museum’s friends. We are thankful for each contribution to preserve the area’s past for current and future generations.
YOUR LEGACY
Many well-known pioneers spurred growth in the area, but other smaller contributors made the Ozarks what it is today. Although the names of these pioneers may be lost to us, their legacies live on in the communities they helped to build. Their small contributions undeniably made our community what it is today. Therefore, we ask you for that same willingness to participate in the ongoing history of the museum and the area. In whatever way you can, at whatever level suits you, join the museum’s efforts to preserve the past for the future!
Your gifts and contributions can take many forms. Stocks, bonds, cash, and property can be managed by the fund. Another opportunity to contribute is through planned giving through trusts and wills. Many donors choose the museum endowment as a way to honor the memory of a friend or family member.
All donations are tax deductible. For more specific advice, consult your financial and tax advisors. We promise you will be remembered. The museum recognizes donors through a quarterly newsletter, in a permanent record book, and through other public acknowledgements.
Thank you for choosing to honor our past and preserve it for future generations.
OUR FUTURE
Every year, thousands of visitors of all ages peer through the Shiloh Museum’s unique window on our past. They attend programs, view exhibits, visit the historic buildings, and conduct research. Our museum interpreters visit schools and civic groups, taking artifacts and information to share with them. A healthy endowment fund ensures that these important cultural activities will continue to be available for generations far removed from the area’s early history. The goal is for the endowment to underwrite the expansion of programs and facilities, to enable additional acquisition of important artifacts, and to secure the museum’s place as a “step stone” into the past and a “footbridge” into the future.
Now you can take your place in history through a gift—large or small—to the Shiloh Museum Endowment Fund. For more information on the endowment or to make a contribution, contact museum director Angie Albright.