Set Up Guide

Historic Building Preservation Fundraiser

Program Overview: Every community deserves to protect and preserve the historic spaces that tell its story. A Historic Building Preservation Fundraiser makes this possible by uniting individuals, families, and local businesses to invest in a shared future. From restoring facades and repairing roofs to updating interiors and preserving cultural artifacts, this kind of project ensures that community history is honored while remaining useful for generations to come.

Set Up Guide for a Historic Building Preservation Fundraiser

1. Outline Different Ways to Join the Cause

The first step in any successful fundraiser is giving people clear, meaningful ways to contribute. With a preservation project, it’s important to show donors how their support safeguards history while enhancing community pride.

Set Donation Levels: Establish realistic tiers that reflect the high costs of historic restoration. For example, $250 could help restore windows, $1,000 might contribute to roof repairs, $5,000 could support structural stabilization, and $25,000+ could underwrite major restoration work. Linking donations to visible results inspires donors to give at higher levels.
Allow Custom Amounts: Not every donor fits into the set tiers. Allowing flexible contributions ensures that individuals, families, and local businesses of all sizes can participate meaningfully in the project.
Set a Fundraising Goal and Show Progress: Share a clear goal, such as raising $250,000 to fully restore the building, and display progress through a visual tracker. Public milestones keep momentum strong.
Share Impact Examples: Use historical photos, stories from community members, or architectural renderings to show how donations will preserve the past and create a functional community space for the future.

Tips for

Successful Fundraisers

Celebrate Progress Together: Use campaign milestones to unite the community around preserving a landmark everyone values.
Recognize Every Gift: Share donor recognition in newsletters, plaques inside the building, or through local media to make each supporter feel appreciated.
Show the Impact: Share before-and-after visuals or updates on each completed phase of restoration to inspire ongoing giving.

2. Keep Giving Simple and Accessible

Donors are more likely to give when the process is quick, convenient, and trustworthy. Offering multiple ways to participate ensures broader support across different groups.

Easy-to-Use Donation Pages: Build a donation page that is clear, mobile-friendly, and easy for donors of all ages to navigate.
Multiple Payment Options: Offer credit/debit cards, ACH transfers, or cash/check payments. This flexibility accommodates both digital givers and those who prefer traditional methods.
Instant Digital Receipts: Provide automated receipts to give donors confidence and help them keep records for tax purposes.
Collect Donor Details: Capture names, family or business affiliations, and contact information to personalize thank-yous and ensure proper recognition.
Secure and Convenient: Ensure that all contributions are processed safely and reliably to build trust in the campaign.

Did You Know?

Preservation projects that show before-and-after visuals can boost participation by 30%, helping donors see their impact clearly.

3. Building Trust Through Transparency

Strong organization is key to ensuring that a restoration fundraiser builds confidence and inspires future support. Donors need to see exactly how their contributions are used.

Track Contributions Clearly: Record donations by donor, amount, and type.
Coordinate Donor Communication: Share thank-you notes, provide milestone updates, and highlight completed restoration projects to keep donors engaged.
Report and Stay Transparent: Show exactly how contributions are spent, such as structural repairs, restoration of historic details, or community space updates. Transparency strengthens credibility.
Recognize All Donors: Acknowledge every contribution, whether with a thank-you note, a donor wall, or a plaque in the building. Recognition ensures supporters feel their role in preservation is honored.