After much deliberation and a review of all we want to accomplish over the next 5 years, we are putting out a call for additional directors for our board.
We are the Friends of the Manor Charitable Trust, a non profit corporation formed in January 2023 and headquartered in Jamestown PA with a mission to preserve history through ongoing education and infrastructure improvements to our wonderful “Grand Old Princess.” Verified as an Underground Railroad safe house by the Pennsylvania Historic Commission and built in 1856 by Dr William and Susan Gibson, the Gibson House Manor (210 Liberty Street, Jamestown PA 16134) currently has local board members in good standing and realizes to accomplish our goals, we need your help to expand to a national board with fundraising and historic preservation experience. We have three goals over the next five years:
- Historic Education: to bring groups and families from across the US and Canada to learn about how slavery started and ended in Pennsylvania through fascinating tours with our historic education staff. Our goal is bringing 5000 people to the Manor in 2024/2025. If you are passionate about accurate history in a gracious setting, and have the time to help us recruit groups to come to the Manor, this committee is for you.
- Historic Membership: attract 1000 families from across the United States to support the Manor through unlimited tours and reciprocity with other historic venues including the Heinz History Center and the Smithsonian Institution. We’d like to recruit 1000 members by 2027. Bring your network and your negotiating skills. We need board members who can recruit new businesses and organizations from their personal networks who love history.
- Historic Preservation Fundraising: raise $100,000 per year from grants and public and private events every year to build a historic education center for school tours, group tours, private tours and public tours including professional quality videos, sound system, technology and living history re-enactors and tour guides who help make underground railriad and civil war history come alive. If you are capable of raising serious money to save our national treasure, this is the committee for you.
If any of this interests you, here are our criteria for serving:
- You must commit, first, to the Capital Campaign at a Founder Level ($10,000 or more suggested) and pay your pledges per the contract you agree to. All contributions to the Capital Campaign are handled by our chair, Anita Brattina, who commits never to disclose the amount pledged. Pledges can be paid over 5 to 15 years. All funds are then applied to our Irrevocable Trust at the Community Foundation of WPA and EO. You represent all our donor/investors, so you have to walk the walk.
- You must absolutely love history. Honestly, we are kind of geeky about it. If you are curious about historic homes and love to discover new information about history, and read about history and talk about history, you will love us and you have found your happy place.
- You must work tirelessly to help us succeed by picking your committee and helping them succeed. You want to do historic education? Call on some schools or hotels or book clubs. You want to help with fundraising? Help us apply for large grants or introductions to large foundations that care about historic preservation. You want to help with Membership? Call on corporations and hotels and institutions in your area to promote our many programs.
If you are considering joining our board regardless of where you live and work, please call or text our chair, Anita Brattina through the Manor at 724.456.4983. Anita will schedule time to meet with you and learn more about how you want to help. Thank you in advance for your support!
Signed
-Marguerite Scullin, vice chair and Secretary
-Jim Brown, Treasurer
-Anita F Brattina, Friends of the Manor Charitable Trust, Chair
August, 2024
Personal cell 412.721.3186