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NEDCC Crowdfunding for Preservation Participation Details

PRESERVING Book, Photograph, PAPER AND AUDIO COLLECTIONS 

A Race Against Time

Many collections are in urgent need of conservation treatment and digitization, and America's cultural organizations still struggle to identify sources of funding to help preserve these collections.

Our nation’s collections at risk far outnumber funding opportunities currently available through  federal, state, and foundation grants. Increasingly, the responsibility for preserving our history is in ALL our hands.

Collections at risk of deterioration include:

  • Rare books
  • Manuscripts
  • Maps
  • Parchment documents
  • Historic town records
  • Photographs and negatives
  • Scrapbooks
  • Architectural plans
  • Audio recordings
  • Works of art on paper

INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH NEDCC ON A CROWDFUNDING PROJECT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

Who Is Eligible?

If NEDCC has developed a proposal and cost estimate for your object(s), or has developed a proposal for preservation services (e.g. assessment, workshop, etc.) within the last 12 months, you are eligible for the crowdfunding listing.

(Priority will be given to objects that are at the Center waiting for approval. If you are an individual who has signed a promise of gift to a cultural institution, you may also be eligible.)

Here's how it works: 

NEDCC's Role
  1. NEDCC has created a page on its website, called Crowdfunding for Preservation.

  2. We will post a brief description of your conservation, digitization, audio preservation, or preservation activity  project on NEDCC’s Crowdfunding for Preservation page.

  3. Below each project, NEDCC will post a “Donate” button that links directly to a donation page on your website (or other payment portal such as Kickstarter, etc.)

  4. NEDCC will market the projects through our popular social media feeds, and by E-News announcements.

  5. NEDCC does not receive any portion of the donations. We offer this program to help us fulfill our mission:

    https://www.nedcc.org/about/mission

  
 Your Role
  1. Provide text and photos for NEDCC’s Crowdfunding page describing the collection material or the preservation activity  you are planning; why it is important to your organization and/or to the nation; the need for treatment or digitization; and a few sentences about your institution and its mission. 
  2. If you haven’t already, we strongly suggest that you create a credit card donation payment portal on your website.  It works best if you create a page on which to  post photographs and describe the treatment, digitization, or preservation activity proposed, since traffic will come directly to your donation page.
  3. You can also set up an account with a crowdfunding platform such as Kickstarter, Go-Fund-Me, or Razoo. You will be able to post images there and further describe the need. Your other marketing can send donors to this page.
  4. You undertake promotion of your fundraising initiative through your own social media feeds, newsletters, events, news outlets, or other communications.
  5. NEDCC will help raise awareness about your existing fundraising efforts, and get the word out to a wider audience in the cultural community and elsewhere.
  6. The rest is up to you! You are in the driver’s seat and we can help guide people to your efforts. The more you promote the Crowdfunding effort the better! (Note:  NEDCC is not solely responsible for raising the funds.)
  7. Keep us posted about your fundraising success!

 

HOW CAN YOU HELP?  WHY CROWDFUNDING ? 

 

1. Become a donor: Choose a project that interests you.  

  • NEDCC will maintain a list of  a few of our clients' proposed conservation, digitization, and audio preservation projects that are in need of funding.
  • We will describe the collection's / object’s significance and provide information about the organization responsible for the stewardship of the collection.
  • NEDCC will help shine a spotlight on organizations' existing fundraising efforts through social media and E-News Announcements. 
  • This program is offered to help us fulfill NEDCC's mission.

2. Make a donation directly to the organization that cares for the collection.

  • Each organization listed has an easily accessible web payment portal on which to make your tax-deductible donation for the current project.
  • Any amount will help and your participation will make YOU an important part of the preservation of our nation’s history.
  • NEDCC does not receive any portion of the donations. Payments go directly to the organizations who care for the collection materials.

 


QUESTIONS about the program? Interested in working with NEDCC on a Crowdfunding for Preservation listing for your conservation, digitization, audio preservation, or preservation activity with NEDCC?

Contact: Ryn Marchese, NEDCC Marketing Manager

(We are also looking for examples of other creative fundraising initiatives for conservation, digitization, audio preservation, or other preservation activities, in order to inspire others to step up their fundraising efforts. Send us your link and we'll share on social media!)  


ADDITIONAL FUNDRAISING RESOURCES:

FREE Webinar Recording on YouTube: Creative Fundraising for Preservation
Learn tips and tricks for successful fundraising in this 1 hour webinar.

Read an interesting NEDCC Story
about the inspiring Crowdfunding project by the Oregon State Archives.