Thanks to the generosity of over 450 individuals and 60 organizations, the Making History Matter fundraising campaign raised over $1,000,000!
Five years ago, the AASLH Council voted to prioritize this campaign to strengthen AASLH and help history organizations and the people who work in them. One hundred percent of Council supported the campaign. We aimed to achieve this goal in 2026, the nation's 250th anniversary. The moment arrived, and in Providence at the 2026 Joint Annual Conference we were able to declare victory and celebrate this success together with many of you. We are grateful.
One quarter of the funds have gone and will go toward inclusive practice and small-museum programming. Three-quarters of the amount raised will go to the AASLH Endowment in support of the future. Along the way, we established funds within the campaign to honor the memory of three colleagues: Jim Vaughan, David Donath, and Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko.
In fact, AASLH raised over $3.5 million in support of the mission between September 2021 and September 2026, including the more than $1 million raised for the campaign.
We are grateful to all our supporters, beginning with the Campaign Committee members who launched and guided the effort including Michelle Banks, Norman Burns, Anita Durel, John Durel, John Fleming, Jim Gardner, Fran Levine, Burt Logan, Jennifer Saunders, Janet Vaughan, and Campaign Chair, Erin Carlson Mast.
Doug Evelyn, Carl Nold, Vicky Kruckeberg, and Sandra Clark
A special warm thanks as well to the leading contributors whose gifts started us off and added momentum at key moments in the campaign: Denny O'Toole, Jamie Bosket & the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Norman Burns & Conner Prairie Foundation, Janet Vaughan, the Lawrence S. Rockefeller Fund, the Nissan Foundation, and Carl Nold & Vicky Kruckeberg, Andrea Lowery & the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Sandra Clark, the Kammen Family Foundation, the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation, the James Ford Bell Foundation, John Herbst, and Sarah Jencks. Your generosity was instrumental to the campaign's momentum and success.
We also are grateful to the additional major donors who gave between $5,000 to $15,000, demonstrating the depth and breadth of support within AASLH's membership: Max & Mary van Balgooy, Katherine Kane & John Kelsey, Rich Cooper & The Levine Museum, Erin Carlson Mast, Gale Peterson, Melissa Bingmann, Christy Coleman, John Dichtl, Michael Staenberg, NxtLevel, John Fleming, Ken Turino, Burt Logan, Jim Gardner, 1220 Exhibits, Woodstock Foundation, Tom Pfannenstiel, Donna Sack, Sal Iannuzi, Michelle Banks, Doug Evelyn, David Janssen, Barbara Franco, Anita & John Durel, Allison Wickens, and Brent Glass.
There were hundreds of additional friends and supporters making stretch gifts that meaningfully advanced the Making History Matter Campaign for AASLH. Your support shows that AASLH can only fulfill its potential when we are actively engaged in the work and committed to pushing forward in the work that lies ahead, together.
Thank you all!
Erin Carlson Mast John Dichtl
AASLH Chair AASLH President & CEO
