Holiday Fund

Help write Jamestown and southern Chautauqua County's story - please support the Holiday Fund!

Happy Holidays! We take this moment to thank you for your support of the Fenton History Center. You are the backbone of this organization, a part of the ongoing work of the Fenton History Center. Whether your personal interest is the services from the research center, the educational programming in local schools and tours of the Fenton, the telling of the community's story through exhibits and events or the collection of artifacts tied to our rich past - considerable financial resources are required.

The Fenton History Center, the Board of Trustees and staff rely on your membership and donations to help meet the Center's ongoing expenses. The critical work of the museum and research center staff is not fully funded by memberships alone. The Fenton relies on the generosity of its members and the community to meet the gap between income and operating expenses.

We hope you were able to attend the recent Saints and Sinners Lake View Cemetery Tours in October. A great group of volunteers, actors and workers came together to highlight an area jewel - the Lake View Cemetery. We hosted over 500 curious local residents of all ages. It was heartening to see the genuine interest in our local people and their life stories.

After the tours ended, there was a glowing letter to the editor in the local paper stating, "I would like to thank the Fenton Historical Society for their recent guided tour of the Lakeview Cemetery. On a warm, beautiful fall evening my daughter and I were guided through the cemetery and learned many amazing facts regarding the history of Jamestown. We should all be proud of the history of Jamestown." This tells us we are doing our job! Your support makes the events like the Cemetery Tour possible

On behalf of the Board and staff, we are asking for your continued financial support of the Fenton History Center through the Holiday Fund to keep the doors are open and the staff available to serve members, visitors, students and researchers. Please consider making a donation in honor or memory of a loved one, cherished friend or special event.

As a not-for-profit, 501(C)(3) organization, the Fenton History Center greatly appreciates your financial support at any level of giving. The Governor's Circle recognition begins at the $1,000 level with special recognition and thanks in the Fenton's newsletter, Annual Report and on a prominently displayed plaque at the Center. Please consider becoming a member of the Governor's Circle. You may wish to visit the membership page for information about other membership opportunities.

The Fenton is now able to take your contribution by check, cash, or by credit card at our online museum shop. In addition to your personal contributions, there are other ways you can show your financial support:

• You may donate stock or appreciated securities directly to the Fenton History Center and avoid paying any capital gains tax that would have been due had you sold the stock.
• A new law, The Pension Protection Act of 2006, enables certain IRA owners to help their favorite non-profit organizations now through December 31, 2007 without onerous tax complications. (Please check with your CPA or accountant as to eligibility.)
• Your employer or company may support a matching gifts program.

For more information about any of these options, please call Joni Blackman, Director at the Fenton History Center, (716) 664-6256.