End of the Year ~ Gift of History
Please remember the DeKalb County History Center as you plan your end of the year giving!
The year 2018 has been an exciting one for the History Center! Thanks to the support of our board, donors, members and volunteers here is a brief list of what we were able to accomplish:
• March – Marked the official transition from the Sycamore History Museum to the DeKalb County History Center.
• August – Broke ground for a new facility that includes a program room, the Joiner History Room, exhibit area and storage space all under one roof.
• September – Launched a new website that provides a wealth of resources connected to DeKalb County, including information from our “History Partners.
• October – Received an Award of Excellence from the Illinois Association of Museums for the exhibit “Adventures To and From Sycamore.”
This is an addition to hosting our regular Brown Bag/Local Lore programs, field trips, day camps, and guided tours for thousands of visitors. In looking to the future, we are preparing to move into the new buildings, fund raising for the Capital Campaign, and meeting with a variety of groups throughout the county in preparation for the traveling Smithsonian exhibit “Crossroads: Change in Rural America” that will open on May 11, 2019.
While we are anxiously awaiting the new building and planning for the Smithsonian exhibit, we also need your help. The History Center would like you to consider contributing to our Annual Giving Campaign. Funds raised through the Campaign are dedicated for the new project; we still need to cover our regular operating expenses. Please consider a donation to support the History Center as part of your end-of-the-year giving, or by becoming a sustaining member through an automatic payment (contact Michelle at michelle@dekalbcountyhistory.org for details). Those who are are 70 1/2 or older with an IRA account that has a Required Minimum Distribution, you may want to consider a Qualified Charitable Distribution. By donating directly from your IRA account, your gift will not be considered taxable income. Gifts can be mailed to DeKalb County History Center, P.O. Box 502, Sycamore, IL 60178 or on-line through this link: https://www.dekalbcountyhistory.org/donate/