Endowing the Future, Preserving the Past

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 historical legacies as our award-winning photograph collection, our irreplaceable historic buildings, and our vast collection of Ozark artifacts requires careful planning and investment by the community, especially by those who care about who we are and how we got here. Our remarkable collection of photographs is a result of small actions by many folks to save a moment for posterity. Snapping a picture is a way of capturing today for tomorrow. Investing in the endowment fund also involves acting today on behalf of tomorrow.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM
Beginning with its 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. To honor in perpetuity the men, women, and children who have shaped our history, we manage an extensive collection of artifacts, an acclaimed collection of photographs, both permanent and changing exhibits, and eight historic buildings.

ABOUT THE ENDOWMENT
The Shiloh Museum Board of Trustees established the endowment fund in 1992 to ensure the long-term financial stability of the museum. The funds are administered by the Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation, a nonprofit with funds built through charitable contributions dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people in Washington, Benton, Carroll, and Madison Counties.  NWACF is a member of the Council on Foundations and has met all national standards for governance and accountability of community foundations.  Anyone may make a contribution to the Shiloh Museum endowment or may memorialize a loved one through a contribution.  Other monies are added through fund raising, matching gifts, planned giving, and bequests.  The museum’s endowment reached $300,000 in its first ten years and $500,000 in twelve more years.  It continues to grow through the care, concern, and generosity of the museum’s friends. 

YOUR LEGACY
Alongside the achievements of better-known pioneers in the area, many smaller contributors made the Ozarks what it is today. The names of those contributors may be lost to us, but their legacy lives on in the communities they helped to build. The same willingness to participate is what we ask of you. In whatever way you can, at whatever level suits you, join the museum's efforts to preserve the past for the future! Contributions can take many forms. Stocks, bonds, cash, and property can be managed by the fund. Planned giving through trusts and wills offers another opportunity to contribute. 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.

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. Interpreters visit schools and civic groups, taking artifacts and information. A healthy endowment fund will ensure that these important cultural activities will continue to be available to 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.

WHAT'S YOUR LEGACY?
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 director Allyn Lord.