The NEH Challenge Grant (Revisited)

Many AAC, CMC, and Friends members have asked about special projects we're working on in the Library. If you look at the blog sidebar called "Adopt a Preservation Project," you will see we are preserving film, building an intern program, and applying for grants, just to name a few.

In May, we submitted our application for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Challenge Grant. NEH challenge grants help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements and support for their humanities programs.

Winning the grant means the Library's entire collection would grow significantly, we would preserve rare and fragile materials, digitize and automate library services, improve programming and outreach, increase fundraising capabilities, be eligible for other grants, and establish a general library endowment of nearly $600,000 over the next five years.

The NEH Challenge Grant requires matching of actual and in-kind donations to the Library before federal funding is released. We have already raised $130,000 of the $1.3 Million we must obtain over the next five years to meet the grant requirements. Please consider helping the Library meet this challenge. You can sponsor one (or more!) of the above projects by clicking here.

The timing is perfect for the NEH Challenge grant. We are in the process of sending out our annual Friends of the Library appeal letter. This is our big annual fundraiser that helps to offset the Library's annual operating expenses. Be sure to keep an eye out for it as all of these donations can be used toward the NEH Challenge Grant. Make sure to indicate that your donation is to be pledged toward the grant.

We would love for you to be a part of this effort. Contact Gary Landeck (glandeck@AmericanAlpineClub.org) or Beth Heller (bheller@AmericanAlpineClub.org) if you would like to know more about the grant and make a contribution.