Tourism Cares Grants

Do you have a capital project that can leverage more dollars to get more dollars (matching)? Does your heritage site have a role for visitors and tourists?

You might be eligible for the TourismCares grant.

Check out details here:

http://www.tourismcares.org/RelId/606053/ISvars/default/Worldwide_Grant_Program.htm

The deadline for a letter of inquiry is Friday July 31, 2009.

Funding for Heritage Efforts

From www.grantstation.com:

Significant Cultural Heritage Projects Supported

National Park Service: Save America's Treasures Grants
Save America's Treasures Grants, administered by the National Park Service in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, are provided to preserve our country's cultural heritage. Grants are available for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and collections, including documents, sculpture, and other works of art, and on nationally significant historic properties, including historic districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects. The grants require a dollar-for-dollar, non-federal match. The minimum grant request for historic collections projects is $25,000; for historic property projects the minimum grant request is $125,000. Applications must be submitted online by May 22, 2009. Visit their website for program details.

SurveyLA Launches April 4th

Attend "MYhistoricLA," a special event to kick off SurveyLA, the City of Los Angeles' first-ever comprehensive survey of its historic resources, on Saturday, April 4 at the Central Library in Downtown Los Angeles.

Join historians frpom around the City and share your knowledge of L.A.'s hidden gems, view a screening of the SurveyLA video, attend lively panel discussions with city officials, preservationists, community organizers and developers regarding this historic survey.

Saturday, April 4
11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Los Angeles Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium
630 W. 5th St., Downtown

85% of the City has never been surveyed to identify significant historic places.The City needs need your historical knowledge about L.A. City neighborhoods to help conduct the survey.

For more information visit http://preservation.lacity.org/survey or call the Office of Historic Resources, Department of City Planning at (213) 978-1200.

L.A. Heritage Day: A Smashing Success!

Thanks to over 65 heritage groups and almost 1000 attendees, the Los Angeles Heritage Alliance's 2nd Annual L.A. Heritage Day was a great success! As the event got underway, the clouds parted to reveal a day of networking, marketing, and promotion. There was a general energy throughout Heritage Square Museum as heritage groups and history fans shared a passion for the Los Angeles region and its past... and future!

We had two informative panel discussions; one focused on preservation strategies from a city's perspective and the other presented funding and fundraising strategies.

A special thanks again goes out to the LAHD steering committee members -- John Bwarie of the L.A. Heritage Alliance, Carmela Gomes of Highland Park Heritage Trust, Laura Meyers of West Adams Heritage, Cindy Olnick of The Los Angeles Conservancy, Brian Sheridan of Heritage Square Museum, and Valerie Yaros of Hollywood Heritage -- and of course the L.A.H.D. sponsors: Project Restore, Preservation Arts, and Spectra Company.

Though it may have been a bit windy on March 22, the rain subsided and the day was welcoming to all attendees!

Click here what others said about the event and even more event photos can be found here.

And so, the planning starts for the 3rd Annual Heritage Day!

Pictures on this page courtesy of John Freeman.

California’s Living New Deal Project Needs Your Help!

California’s Living New Deal Project needs local experts' help to reveal the impact of the New Deal on Southern California. The project, launched last year, needs information & images related to WPA projects constructed in L.A.
From their site:

"In order to identify New Deal projects in local communities we are asking interested historical societies, libraries, museums, and individual citizens to help provide information. If you know of a New Deal project in your community please complete [this form].

Once your information is received, we will confirm the project and conduct further research if necessary. Once the New Deal project is verified it will be added to the California’s Living New Deal Project website map."

About California’s Living New Deal Project:

California’s Living New Deal Project is a collaborative venture documenting and interpreting the impact of New Deal programs on the State. We invite you to join the California Historical Society, the California Studies Center, and U.C.Berkeley's Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library in identifying and discussing these indispensable public buildings and sites. Through this rediscovery, we will explore the history of the New Deal and consider timeless questions of civics in a living democracy.

Free Workshop for Non-Profits on Volunteers

The current nationwide economic downturn is taking a significant toll on California’s nonprofit sector. But you can lead your organization through these tough times and have greater impact than ever! California Volunteers, in partnership with Bank of America, the Taproot Foundation, and local partners across the state, has developed a series of FREE one-day conferences providing nonprofits access to key training and resources to help them effectively manage – and THRIVE – during the economic downturn.

Learn About:
-Leveraging the Full Spectrum of Volunteers
-Financial and Operational Tactics for Tough Times
-Knowing Your Donors and Strategic Implications for Today
-Data to Inform Your Strategy – State and Local Perspectives
-Resources to Help You Succeed
More information & Registration can be found at http://californiavolunteers.org/index.php/nosub/st.

California Preservation Foundation Conference: Register Now!

The California Preservation Foundation, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of California's diverse cultural and architectural heritage, is hosting its34th Annual California Preservation Conference, "The Culture of Leisure--Rethinking the California Dream", April 16-19, 2009, in Southern California.

If you want to get in on this exciting statewide event, get your spot on the coolest tours, participate in cutting-edge workshops, and attend unforgettable events, register now online at their website: http://www.californiapreservation.org/.

LAST CHANCE FOR ROOMS: A new block of rooms were added at the Spa Hotel! The Coachella Valley Music Festival occurs on the same weekend and rooms in the area are being booked now. Click here. Rooms are only held through 4/2/09!

The mission of The California Preservation Foundation is to "provide statewide leadership, advocacy and education to ensure the protection of California's diverse cultural heritage and historic places."