The Recipe For Baking Up a 100 Cities / 100 Memorials Project

135 days left to submit a matching grant applications

As of the last day of January, there are only 135 days left to submit matching grant proposals for the 100 Cities / 100 Memorials program. You can get $2,000 for your local WW1 Memorial - even if you are a municipality or city office.

135 days (a little over 4 months) is still plenty of time, but there is no time left to waste to apply for the grants. Here is the short and easy recipe for cooking up a submission.

Recipe for success:

Ingredient: 

1 memorial in need of assistance 

1-3 Partnerships such as an American Legion or VFW post or DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) chapter. 

1.5 cup of city / county / parks / university permission and support 

1 Lb of Project planning 

1/2 Lb of project budget 

50 dollars for the submission fee

Preparation:

Start by connecting with your local American Legion, VFW post and/or DAR chapters. 

1. These organizations probably had a hand in the original memorial and know where they are. 

2. The American Legion and VFW are both officially supporting the program at the national and regional level 

3. They are all deeply committed to honoring our veterans and their sacrifice. They will help.

Next, get to the city or municipality or party that owns or manages the memorial. 

1. You need to get permission to do the project, but remember: 

2. You are coming to them with very compelling offer 

a. You are doing a community project they don't need to pay for or manage 

b. You can offer national exposure of your local community heritage via the WW1 Centennial Committee and this program 

c. You will be fostering a local sense of community (which these projects invariably do) 

d. You are creating a new focal point for veteran events and celebrations for years to come

Now, assess the scale, scope and ambition of your project... They are ALL valid. 

Is it simply some groundskeeping and landscaping? 

Is it a full conservation or restoration project of the memorial itself that will employ professional conservators? 

Is it a lighting project for the memorial that the city can cooperate with you on? 

Is it a phase of a bigger plan and this is just the launch? 

These are all valid approaches that have come up in the program.

Finally, write it all up with the permissions, plan and budget and get it submitted with your $50 before June 15, 2017.

NOTE: You have all the way until November 11, 2018 to actually complete the project.

Contact us if you need help.

Program Managers:

For the World War One Centennial Commission: Theo Mayer

For the Pritzer Military Museum & Library: Susan Mennenga