NMHS Awarded $25,000 Challenge Grant

Press Release

North Manchester Center for History Meets $25,000 Matching Challenge.

The North Manchester Historical Society was recently awarded a $25,000 grant for the restoration of the façade of the NM Center for History, 122 E. Main Street. In order to receive the full amount of the dollar-for-dollar match, donors had to make gifts totaling $25,000 between June 20 and September 30, 2016. No qualifying contribution could be more than $2,500. All of the monies received were to be used for the $225,000 façade restoration project, which is the largest project the Historical Society has undertaken since it purchased its museum building 15 years ago.

The Historical Society received $69,465 toward its façade program during the matching period. Of that amount, $39,465 qualified for the matching grant, well exceeding the required amount for a full match.

“We are humbled by the extent to which our long-time friends have come through for us,” said Mary Chrastil, President of the NM Historical Society. “Many had already made earlier gifts to the façade project, and had also purchased commemorative pavers. About 80% of our challenge donors had supported us in the past and chose to give again to meet the challenge.

“The structure of the challenge turned out to be a real blessing. The grantors structured the gift to help us grow. Many smaller gifts were encouraged rather than one or two large gifts. It spurred us to reach out to a new set of potential supporters, who we hope will support us in the future.” Twenty-one percent of the gifts were from new donors. Because the challenge period was only three months long, it created a sense of urgency that motivated supporters. One-third of the qualifying total was given by friends who increased their typical level of giving by a significant amount.

“We are so grateful to the grantors, who created a generous and meaningful challenge, and to those who helped us meet the challenge.”

The NM Historical Society is very happy to be part of the recent downtown improvements. The façade restoration included removing a c. 1969 façade and restoring the building to it c. 1925 condition. The NM Historical Society worked closely with SRKM Architects and Indiana Landmarks to ensure that the renovation is likely to meet the standards allowing the building to be named part of the North Manchester National Historic District. The Center for History was specifically excluded from the district because of its c. 1969 façade.

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2016 Facade Restored