American Express TakePart Grant Winners Announced
It's been just over a week since the American Express TakePart grant competition ended, and here at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, we've been eagerly awaiting word on the outcome of the voting. As you know, we were neck-and-neck with another organization, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), throughout most of the 12-week online vote—and so, we've decided to let them tell you how it all turned out.
Hey National Trust Supporters! At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, it gives us great pleasure to tell you that, because of you and your votes, the National Trust for Historic Preservation won $200,000 in the Members Project from American Express and Take Part! And it gets even better… Because the intense competition in our category ended in a tie between our two organizations, the generous people at American Express have awarded $200,000 to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, too.
Now, we already knew a great deal about your venerable organization—your work on issues of sustainability, rural heritage and land conservation, to name a few. But during the course of this competition, we were terrifically impressed by one thing above all else—you! National Trust supporters clearly rock! Your amazing dedication and the value you place on preserving our cultural heritage was inspiring.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and National Trust supporters have a kinship there. At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we see the unused rail corridors as literal pathways to our cultural past. By preserving these unused and often abandoned lines as public rail-trails—keeping them from being swallowed up and lost to parking lots and subdivisions—we're re-stitching the transportation fabric of our country.
Our supporters care deeply about these connections. Whether it's through our Urban Pathways Initiative to bring trails to underserved communities, our Active Transportation Campaign to double the federal investment in trails, or simply our free TrailLink.com website where you and millions of others can find descriptions and maps for 19,000 miles of trail—we see how, together, our work and yours helps create healthier places for healthier people.
Congratulations on this well-fought and truly impressive win!
Jennifer Kaleba
Vice President of Communications, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Thanks, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy! We're so pleased to share this win with such a worthwhile organization—not to mention a fierce competitor! We learned a lot of things while campaigning for this grant, not the least of which was the value of social media as a tool to engage our audience. In that spirit, we will use the award to expand our online education programs and reach new, younger, and broader audiences with preservation's message of sustainability and economic vitality. In addition, these funds will allow us to expand existing projects and priorities.
Many thanks to all who took the time to vote!
Please note, a new round of the Members Project has begun, and many worthy causes are still competing. Cast your vote now!
