RE: Local Municipal Funding

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Barron County Historical Society (museum1@chibardun.net)
Fri, 1 Nov 2019 10:03:07 -0500



From: "Barron County Historical Society" <museum1@chibardun.net>
Subject: RE: Local Municipal Funding
Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2019 10:03:07 -0500
Message-ID: <004501d590c5$7e0ce8f0$7a26bad0$@chibardun.net>

We receive $38,000. It is about a quarter of our budget.

 

 

From: localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu
<localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu> On Behalf Of Eagle River Historical Society Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2019 11:45 AM To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu Cc: Sussex-Lisbon Area Historical Society, Inc. <slahsinc@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Local Municipal Funding

 

Do you receive $38,000 or is that the total budget?

 

Karen Sailer

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 31, 2019, at 10:36 AM, Barron County Historical Society
<museum1@chibardun.net <mailto:museum1@chibardun.net> > wrote:



We receive approximately 25% ($38,000) of our annual budget from the county. We have been told to expect less in 2021, because they are anticipating budget cuts in all departments. The county administrator told the county board of supervisors that the fair grounds and the museum are basically a department, and were therefore subject to the cuts.

 

We run independently, as an incorporated nonprofit entity, but somewhere along the line, things have gotten a little muddled. We are required to send the county our meeting agendas and minutes, as they must be posted for the public. We also have a representative from the county who sits on our board. We receive other benefits from the county, as well. We are able to buy our property insurance through them, which gives us a better rate than we would pay independently. They plow our driveways in the winter. Many years ago, we were able to borrow money from them for construction of a building at a favorable rate. In addition, we are located on county land. We have a 99 year lease for $1. We own the buildings and have been able to build or move buildings in without consulting them (except where zoning regulations apply).

 

The historical society asked and received land on which to start a museum in the early 1960’s. There was no official agreement until a lease was started in the mid-1970’s. I assume that is when this unofficial relationship began. When they started subsidizing our budget, I’m not sure, but a former treasure of the historical society gave the county false financial records in order to receive more money from the county. When the other officers of the historical society found out about it, they disclosed it to the county. It was at that time that the county insisted on having one of their supervisors sit on our board, which you can’t blame them for.

 

Each August we petition the county to include us in the budget. They never let us know whether they included us or not. I suppose it is on the county website for anyone to look at. I usually just ask one of our board members, as it seems like there are always 2 or 3 who also sit on the county board (purely a coincidence). Then in January, I have to ask them to release it to us.

 

I usually send the county administrator an annual update on our activities. It’s not required, but I want them to see that we are having an impact on the communities we serve. I don’t time it to our request, as I don’t want to have to justify what we receive, but I do want them to know that we are relevant. We also invite the county supervisors to our volunteer picnic. They usually don’t come though. Just about every year, they ask me to come to a board meeting and give a short report.

 

Two of the communities in our county also give a small stipend annually.
 We also have to request that they include us in that. We receive about
$1000 from each of them. One is through their tourism board and the other is through their community United Way.

 

To get them to see you as a service organization, maybe you could ask to address their boards at a meeting. Get something in the paper about your organization. Do these things every year, so they really understand the needs of the communities that you are meeting. And keep asking. Once you finally get something, expect it annually. After a few years, ask for a small increase. Keep doing that until you get it to where you need it. Good luck.

 

Tammy Schutz

Barron County Historical Society

Pioneer Village Museum

715.458.2080

 

 

 

From: localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu
<mailto:localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu>
<localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu
<mailto:localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu> > On Behalf Of Julie Huebel Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 7:09 AM To: Sussex-Lisbon Area Historical Society, Inc. <slahsinc@yahoo.com
<mailto:slahsinc@yahoo.com> >; localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
<mailto:localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu> Subject: Re: Local Municipal Funding

 

Pierce County, WI - We receive $12,000 per year from the county. We have no official affiliation with the county government. We are associated with WHS. We own our own property, the county has no involvement in that or decision making. Sorry you haven't had luck getting county funding, I recommend to keep trying.

Get <https://aka.ms/ghei36> Outlook for Android

 

  _____

From: localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu
<mailto:localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu>
<localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu
<mailto:localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu> > on behalf of Sussex-Lisbon Area Historical Society, Inc. <slahsinc@yahoo.com
<mailto:slahsinc@yahoo.com> > Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2019 10:41:22 AM To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
<mailto:localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu>
<localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
<mailto:localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu> > Subject: Local Municipal Funding

 

Our organization once again tried, without success, to acquire municipal funding from the towns and village we serve. We are thought of as a charity, and besides the possibility of a minor property tax rate hike
(50 cents per resident per year), the respective boards don't want to open the flood gates for other such petitioners. I've expressed multiple times that we're not a charity, but a community resource, much like the local parks, highway, and fire departments.

 

My questions to all of you that do receive municipal funding support are these: Is your historical society an extension of your municipality[ies] government, ex. under your park & rec dept, or as a separate department?
   Does it have to be to receive funding?

If you're not part of the local municipality you serve and receive funding, how does the local government justify to the residents [and themselves] of the community that they should do this?

If you receive funding, do you have to petition the municipalities each and every year to be added to their annual budgets, or ?

I wonder how many Wisconsin historical society organizations receive local government funding, and to what degree of the organization's annual budget?

If you receive government funding, can you also be an incorporated entity under Wisconsin law, and an affiliate of the Wisconsin State Historical Society?

 

Apart from the above, has anyone been successful in conducting online social media fundraising events/programs, such as GoFundMe on Facebook or other?

 

Mike

 

Michael R. Reilly

Museum Director: Sussex-Lisbon Area Historium President: Sussex-Lisbon Area Historical Society, Inc.
 <http://www.kellerhistorymuseum.org/> www.slah.online
<http://www.slahs.org> www.slahs.org P. O. Box 2, Sussex, Wisconsin 53089-0002



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