About Partners in Preservation
Partners in Preservation Program
Launched in 2006, Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awarded $5.5 million over a five-year period toward preserving 56 historic places throughout the United States. American Express renewed its commitment to Partners in Preservation in 2010 by pledging $10 million toward the program over the next five years.
Through this partnership, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United States and to preserve America’s historic and cultural places. The program also seeks to inspire long-term support from local citizens for the historic sites at the heart of their communities.
The seven-county Twin Cities area has been selected as the location of the 2011 Partners in Preservation program.
The Twin Cities are the sixth location to participate in the Partners in Preservation program and receive funding from American Express. The program previously made grants for preservation projects in San Francisco, Chicagoland, New Orleans, Greater Boston and Seattle-Puget Sound.
Your vote can help give away one million dollars to preserve historic places in the Twin Cities.
From September 20 through October 12, 2011, local residents and people across the country are encouraged to vote for their favorite historic place from a diverse slate of 25 sites throughout the seven-county Twin Cities Area.
Votes can be cast at facebook.com/partnersinpreservation. Additionally, people can post personal stories and share photos throughout the program. The winner of the public vote is guaranteed grant funds. The remainder of the $1 million in grants will be given to a number of the other sites after review by American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and an advisory committee. The committee, co-chaired by R.T. Rybak and Chris Coleman, mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, respectively, is composed of Twin Cities civic and preservation leaders.
Twenty-five historic places are selected from a competitive pool of applicants to compete for funding for preservation projects.
Each year, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation review hundreds of project proposals before selecting the participating diverse 25 Partners in Preservation projects. The prospective grantees, each of which is a nonprofit organization or a government agency, complete formal grant applications, and are then reviewed towards specific criteria that includes their historic significance and accessibility to the public, demonstration of community support and organizational excellence, and evidence of a coherent and sustainable preservation plan.
The 25 sites will be announced when voting kicks off on September 20, 2011.
To find out more about Partners in Preservation, please contact us:
Media Requests:
E-mail: pr@nthp.org
Technical Assistance:
E-mail: webwork@nthp.org
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a nonprofit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, eight regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories. Connect with us on www.facebook.com/NationalTrustforHistoricPreservation, www.twitter.com/PresNation and www.youtube.com/PreservationNation.
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Historic preservation has long been the hallmark of American Express’s involvement in the community, reflecting the company’s recognition of the importance of cultural sites and monuments as symbols of national and local identity, and the role that their preservation can play in attracting visitors and revitalizing neighborhoods. Learn more at www.americanexpress.com and connect with us on www.facebook.com/americanexpress, www.twitter.com/americanexpress and www.youtube.com/americanexpress.
