Dear Friend,
Since 1996, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, one of the oldest NHAs in the country, has celebrated and preserved the story of American agriculture and its global significance. Today we are in need of help, so we are reaching out to those who understand the value of preserving our nation’s agricultural story and heritage – people like you.
Like many entities that rely on federal funding, Silos & Smokestacks is facing funding uncertainty from Washington D.C. On top of the current uncertainty, federal funding for Silos & Smokestacks has not increased in over 20 years. In fact, in real dollars, Silos & Smokestacks now receives the equivalent of half of the funding we did 20 years ago.
Yet, with no increase in funding for all those years, by any measure – Silos & Smokestacks continues to contribute millions in economic impact, millions of annual visitors, and thousands of volunteer hours. In 2024 Silos & Smokestacks leveraged our federally appropriated dollars 6:1 for the benefit of Iowa and the agriculture story! That is a great return on investment. For more details on the impact Silos & Smokestacks has click HERE.
Our successes over nearly 30 years is why it is now so difficult to be facing the withdrawal of federal funds – funds that meet the basic operating costs of Silos & Smokestacks. That is why we need your help to get through these current difficult fiscal events. We want to keep our staff in place to do the good work of sharing the agriculture story. We want to continue to provide support to the 118, and growing, heritage area sites that make up Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area. And we want to ensure an accurate, entertaining and educational experience for all who visit the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area to learn about American agriculture.
We have relied on gifts from many of our friends and donors over the years and we are so grateful for those. We’ve been able to be successful for nearly 30 years because of this generosity. But now, with our funding in jeopardy, we face an uncertain future.
We need your help. Please consider a generous and impactful gift today to keep our doors open, our staff employed, and the story of American agriculture alive for future generations.
Maybe now is the right time for you to consider leaving a bequest to Silos & Smokestacks, or making another type of large gift. Contact me at (319) 234-4567 and we can set up a time to talk about it. Remember, as a 501c3, all contributions to Silos & Smokestacks NHA are tax deductible.
Now is the critical time to help.
You can make a secure online gift HERE.
Or mail a gift to us at:
Silos & Smokestacks NHA
305 W. Park Ave, Waterloo, IA 50701.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Cara Miller, Executive Director
Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area
