In this week’s update: Two weeks left on SVCF Match Month, progress on $50K operational donations goal, KMA conference, and more!
In this update, keep up to date on what staff and volunteers at the Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum are working on to lift up the history of Lindsborg and the surrounding region. This weekly update both looks back at what happened and looks ahead at what’s coming.
For November 17-23, 2025:
- There’s two weeks left on a great opportunity to make your donation dollars stretch further! Right now is Smoky Valley Community Foundation Match Month, running through Friday, December 5!
Donations made to the museum’s endowment fund will be matched up to 50% thanks to a $100,000 Patterson Family Foundation grant to support the match month effort.
To donate under this opportunity…
Mail to: SVCF, PO Box 84, Lindsborg, KS 67456 (enclose your check along with the form HERE)
or Give Online: www.smokyvalleycf.org (credit card payment only)
Thank you!
- Ongoing we have our critical Harvest of Giving 2025 year-end fundraising event. Our topline goal is $50,000 in unrestricted donations to keep the museum lights on and the doors open in 2026. Since Sept. 22, we have brought in more than $33,000 in operational donations. In the space of four years, a major source of public funding has gone from covering half of our annual expenses to less than 8%. Because of this, it is more important than ever for generous private donors, businesses, and organizations to step in and ensure that the rare experiences at the Museum continue to be available in 2026. Learn more and make your charitable donation today at www.oldmillmuseum.org/harvest-of-giving.
- Last week, Adam and Aubrey attended the 2025 Kansas Museums Association annual conference in Great Bend – a great opportunity for learning and networking for museum staff! We also accepted a $478 KMA grant at the conference for minor – but important – repairs to the side porches of the 1904 World’s Fair Swedish Pavilion.
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In early November, we were allocated an additional $7,300 under our Community Service Program tax credits grant, going to repair the 1904 World’s Fair Swedish Pavilion!This opened up another $10,428.57 in NEW donation capacity to “Raise the Roof” with a more durable and historically accurate roof on the historic 121-year-old structure.What’s more, qualified taxpayers who give at least $250 and who file a Kansas state tax return can get 70% of their donation BACK as a fully refundable tax credit!This opportunity has been VERY popular – already the remaining capacity is now down to $6,978.57.Don’t let the opportunity pass you by! Call us at 785-227-3595 or email at oldmillmuseum@gmail.com for more details.
Overall, this opportunity has raised $244,431.15 for repairs and improvements to the Pavilion.
Contributions under the grant paid for critical structural repairs (costing $151,500), allowing us to safely reopen the Pavilion to the public in summer 2025. We are also about halfway toward the funds we will need under the “Raise the Roof” campaign to repair the Pavilion’s roof in a more durable and historically accurate way.
If you would like to help with Raise the Roof, you can learn more at www.oldmillmuseum.org/raise-the-roof.
We have several recognition reward levels available: These include recognition on our website and an invitation to a special VIP event once all of the funds needed for the roof (at $100 or more) and opportunities to have a “roof tile” with custom wording added to a permanent honor wall (at $1,000 or more)!
- Sponsorship opportunities for Millfest 2026 are now open and available!
Scheduled next year for Saturday, May 2, this is the one time annually that tours of the 1898 Old Mill IN OPERATION are available! The festival also includes, music, entertainment, arts & crafts, antique tractor show, games, demonstrations and face painting!
Giving levels to sponsor run from as little as $25 to get your name in the program to $5,000 or more to secure topline “Brought to you by…” overall event sponsorship. You can also choose to direct your donation to specific Millfest attractions, including face painting, tractor show, Old Mill tours, or music performances! See full details including how to arrange your sponsorship with the forms included below. Aubrey made direct contact with four new potential Millfest sponsors.
- We have finalized our program for Heritage Christmas 2025! See the full lineup below, and we look forward to having you here on Saturday, December 13!
- Repairs to the main museum building roof have been scheduled for spring 2026! This will be paid for from grant funding.
- We are excited to offer the first “Discover Your Past” Virtual Genealogy Workshop, set for Saturday, January 31, 2026!
Rather than the usual focus on Swedish genealogy research resources, this time the sessions will be able to apply to ANY genealogy or family research, regardless of country background! Museum members register with a $20 discount. We hope you can join us!
- We received a Heritage Grant from the Smoky Valley Community Fund, which will continue support of Tyler’s work hours in digitizing historic books and papers! Tyler continued this scanning work last week.
- Adam processed FOUR renewing museum memberships last week! Secure your membership at www.oldmillmuseum.org/members!
- Adam gave feedback to Sunflower Food Co. for continued development of bringing back the historic Smoky Valley Best pancake mix recipe!
- Lenora met for coffee with ladies at Sunflower Terrace as part of ongoing community outreach.
- Lenora spent a good portion of last week cataloging newly donated artifacts.
- Lenora continued indexing work under the museum’s agreement with ArkivDigital.
- Tyler continued working on scanning historic publications.
Thank you to our weekly volunteers!
Last week, volunteers included Jerry Hammerton, Karmon Almquist, Pete Peterson, Leland Nelson, Brad Swan, Julie-Ann Neywick, Betty Amos, Cathy Ahlstedt, Teagen Miller and Kylan Lindquist!