NHN is very pleased to announce the results of the first cycle of NHN’s microfunding program. The proposals represented a geographic range from Northern California to the Olympic Peninsula. Approaches to history ranged from from oral history projects to field trips to quilting workshops.

The proposals were reviewed by members of the NHN Project Committee, and by three history professionals who served as outside reviewers. The Project Committee presented the top-scoring proposals to the NHN Board. The NHN Board approved funding for the top two proposals, which earned enthusiastic support from our reviewers:

Project:”Digitizing Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association’s irreplaceable oral history recordings to preserve them for the future.” Organization: Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Association Project Director: Laurie Tucker, vice-president and Collection Committee chair
With their $240 award, the organization will convert videotapes of oral histories on the archaeology and ethnography of Vashon Island intoo digital files

Project: “Hoover-Minthorn House Museum Material Culture Analysis”
Organization: Hoover-Minthorn House
Project Director: Sarah Munro, Director
With their $250 award, the organization will hire a consultant to catalog a collection of 19th century agricultural and household artifacts.

We received many more outstanding proposals than our budget allowed us to fund. Because the response to this program was so positive, we are planning to run a second funding cycle in 2014.