Preserving Our Past, Pioneering Our Future Challenge a Success
The recent Preserving our Past, Pioneering our Future challenge campaign, mounted to provide additional educational and archival programs of the Willa Cather Foundation, has successfully concluded, significantly surpassing its original goal.
The challenge was offered by two anonymous donors who hoped to generate an additional $60,000 in annual support from new and additional gifts in the last five months of 2010. The initiative raised $76,316 and encouraged 201 new donors and 187 previous contributors to join the Foundation.
"Willa Cather is not only a Nebraska icon but a great American treasure," said departing Foundation President Jay Yost. "We are grateful that so many people across the country recognize her contributions as one of America's greatest writers and will help us share her story."
In addition to supporting the ongoing educational programs of the Foundation, the new resources generated by the campaign will be used to bring recently donated archival material into the collection and to expand familiarity with the author among Nebraska's school children.
"It is critical that everyone who appreciates Cather's importance help the Foundation promote and protect her legacy," said Susan Maher, Foundation President-elect. "The Foundation's archival materials present a fascinating portrait of one of America's greatest authors and give us an invaluable toehold into late-19th and early-20th century American life. Preserving them is paramount. With everyone doing whatever they can, we can accomplish remarkable things, as this recent campaign has shown so dramatically."
For more information about the Willa Cather Foundation, contact Jay Yost at john.a.yost@citi.com , Susan Maher at smaher@d.umn.edu or Ashley Olson at aolson@willacather.org .