[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2025-11-21

[INFO Heritage * OPRD]

Oregon Heritage News 2025-11-21
In this Issue:

  *   Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards Nomination Q&A, Dec. 2, 1pm
  *   Oregon Heritage Exchange Blog Highlight: How not to survive a museum fire
  *   Applications open for Capitol History Gateway Program exhibit grants
  *   OPB documentary following Indigenous kayakers on a historic journey after dam removal
  *   Meet 65+ Oregon Authors at the 56th Annual Holiday Cheer Book Sale at the Oregon Historical Society Dec. 7
  *   Benton County Historical Society seeks marketing and events manager
  *   End of year fundraising tips and resources
  *   AASLH webinar Dec. 11 - Strengthening History Communication
  *   OMA webinar Dec. 9 - Collections Policy 101

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Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards Nomination Q&A, Dec. 2, 1pm
2026 Heritage Excellence Awards Nomination Online Q&A
December 2, 2025, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Register here<https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/F0-j2jevQvmG1_ChDKmWlQ>.
Nominations are open for the 2026 Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards. Join us for a Q&A on Dec. 2 to learn more about the awards process and criteria, how to submit a nomination, and tips to support a competitive nomination.
Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards recognize individuals, organizations, and projects for outstanding heritage efforts. The nomination process is an opportunity to honor work that goes above and beyond expectations, serves as a model for future work, and inspires others. Special consideration is given to the development of new ideas, approaches, and innovations.
Learn more about the Excellence Awards and see a list of previous awardees here<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/pages/awards.aspx#one>.
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Oregon Heritage Exchange Blog Highlight: How not to survive a museum fire
A retrospective listicle from the Gresham Historical Society with lessons learned, best practices, and recommendations for managing disasters in your collections. Elements of fire, water, and earth's creepy critters make this multifaceted disaster response an incredible case study in why to prep. Read more here<https://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/?p=5135>.
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Applications open for Capitol History Gateway Program exhibit grants
The Oregon State Capitol has long displayed exhibits from entities throughout the state. The Capitol History Gateway Program facilitates exhibits that tell stories specific to Oregon's rich history, hosting many with interwoven themes of democracy or government. This year, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, which funds the exhibit program at the Capitol, has offered to support cultural and heritage museums wanting to tell their stories with a grant of up to $10,000.
The applications are open now at https://oregoncapitol.com/events-and-exhibits-exhibit-sponsorship-program, and the cycle closes at 11:59 p.m. January 31, 2026.
For more information, call Stacy Nalley, Public Outreach Coordinator at the Oregon State Capitol Visitor Services Department, 503-986-1392.
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OPB documentary following Indigenous kayakers on a historic journey after dam removal

OPB's "Oregon Field Guide" team joined the Tribal members that made the journey to create the documentary "First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath." Learn more here<https://www.opb.org/article/2025/11/13/first-descent-klamath-documentary/>.

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Meet 65+ Oregon Authors at the 56th Annual Holiday Cheer Book Sale at the Oregon Historical Society Dec. 7
A 56-year tradition, all are welcome to visit with more than 65 local writers from 12pm to 4pm as you sip on hot cocoa, enjoy festive treats, and get a jump on your holiday shopping! Admission is free and includes access to both the book sale and museum exhibitions.
This year, some of the Pacific Northwest's most prominent authors will be at OHS selling everything from children's books to guidebooks to mysteries to histories! Featured authors include Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jack Ohman, New York Times bestselling historical fiction author Kristina McMorris, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, journalist and podcaster Leah Sottile, and Steve Prefontaine biographer Brendan O'Meara. View a full list of participating authors at ohs.org/holidaycheer<http://www.ohs.org/holidaycheer>
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Benton County Historical Society seeks marketing and events manager
The Marketing & Events Coordinator is a core member of the Development department of the Benton County Historical Society (BCHS). A key priority for this position will be to develop and manage a marketing plan that is culturally and socially inclusive as we work to diversify our audience. With direction and editorial oversight from the Director of Development & Communication this position will plan, organize, and implement all marketing activities to consistently articulate the mission and vision of the BCHS, to drive revenue, and to promote all our activities.
This position is also responsible for creation and implementation of internal events, participation in outside events, and partnership events.
Within 6 months this position will also assume responsibility for our rental program (anticipated to be a small percentage of overall job duties). This will be discussed further during the interview phase of recruitment.
This is a deeply collaborative role. The successful candidate will excel at working in a fast -paced team environment.
Learn more about the position and how to apply here: https://bentoncountymuseums.org/news/
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End of year fundraising tips and resources
It's estimated that 30% - 40% of annual giving occurs in the last quarter, mostly in December (Nonprofit Source<https://nonprofitssource.com/online-giving-statistics/>). How are you capitalizing on this? Here are some end-of-year fundraising tips!

  *   Improve your Giving Tuesday ask with this Cheat Sheet from Donor Perfect<https://uploads.donorperfect.com/pdf/givingtuesday-cheatsheet.pdf>
  *   Core Elements of Effective Fundraising<https://nonprofitoregon.org/resources/core-elements-of-fundraising-success-trust-engagement-impact/> - Nonprofit Association of Oregon
  *   Make an ask while you share successes & impacts with the Share the News Heritage Bulletin<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/HB02_How_to_Spread_the_News.pdf> tips
  *   Think about in-kind donations<https://www.yptc.com/in-kind-donation/> too! From contractors, accounting services, gifts of buildings/lands, branding/advertising help - these donations can save your bottom line & help get creative.
Tips for telling your stories of value and impact:

  *   Take great photos because Good Pictures Tell the Best Stories<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/HB16_Taking_Good_Pictures.pdf>
  *   Engage the media: write a press release & share the news!<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/HB02_How_to_Spread_the_News.pdf>
  *   Order the Ford Family Foundation's recommended book, Between the Listening & the Telling: How Stories Can Save Us by Oregon author Mark Yaconelli<https://selectbooks.org/collection/between-the-listening-and-the-telling/>
  *   Remember, you're part of a larger heritage community. The Economic Impacts & Value of Oregon's Heritage Organizations & Events<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/Economic_Impact_Report_web.pdf> can help bolster the stories of good that you do! Use its companion communication's tool<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/Econ_Impact_Comm_tool_web.pdf> to draft ideas.
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AASLH webinar Dec. 11 - Strengthening History Communication
SESSION DATES: December 11, 2025, from 1- 4 PM ET
COST: $100 AASLH Members / $150 Nonmembers /10% discount for STEPS participants with promo code found in the online STEPS Community
OPEN REGISTRATION: 30 participant limit.
Learn more/Register here<https://learn.aaslh.org/products/strengthening-history-communication-reframing-the-value-of-history-and-your-institution-december-2025-virtual-workshop>
This half-day virtual workshop will help history practitioners at institutions of all types and sizes learn how to communicate about their work more effectively. Whether you need to write fundraising letters, make advocacy calls, speak with the media, or simply update your website, this workshop is for you. Drawing on research from AASLH's Reframing History<http://aaslh.org/reframing-history/> project, this workshop will help you communicate with public audiences more effectively and build a wider understanding of the value of history and history organizations. This workshop will include an overview of research findings, discussions about major challenges in communicating history with colleagues from around the country, and and - most importantly - an opportunity to begin crafting your own communications materials.
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OMA webinar Dec. 9 - Collections Policy 101
Oregon Museums Association Webinar
Collections Policy 101 Webinar - December 9 at 10:00AM
Know you need to revamp (or write) a collections policy, but have no idea where to start? Do you need it broken down? Melanie Deer will break down aspects of a collections policy based on John Simmon's "Things Great and Small." By the end of the presentation you will be able to identify what sections you need to include and have confidence in starting. Register online for Collections Policy 101 here.<https://www.oregonmuseums.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=IWTF8RheJS59v4VmkTSJxLLCqJQMYS81PszPFP9NCLII3Dz6NUHboEGmZAa2bIPqY7GIiSE01a7nuFTu2mGsHBPZOOKeyQflQk6dOF6I4E4%3d>
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Follow us on Facebook at @oregonheritage, on LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/company/oregon-parks-and-recreation-department/>, on the Oregon Heritage Exchange blog<https://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/>.
Oregon Heritage News is a service of Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that includes the State Historic Preservation Office. Learn more about our programs at www.oregonheritage.org<http://www.oregonheritage.org/>. The news editor can be contacted at heritage.info at oprd.oregon.gov<mailto:heritage.info at oprd.oregon.gov>.

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