In this week’s update: Match Month starts today, Harvest of Giving year-end fundraiser, Millfest Sponsorship, 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 3-9, 2025:
- The Smoky Valley Community Foundation Match Month starts today – November 10 – and runs through December 5! There will also be an official “kickoff” event this Saturday on November 15.
Donations made to the museum’s endowment fund starting today 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)
or Drop off your donation with the giving form HERE at Hemslöjd–201 N Main (enclose your check)
Thank you!
- We are also kicking off today our 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. We are also seeking museum memberships and donations to “Raise the Roof” on the Swedish Pavilion as a part of Harvest of Giving. Learn more and make your charitable donation today at www.oldmillmuseum.org/harvest-of-giving.
- 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.
(Adam and Aubrey worked last week on preparing for and requesting Millfest Sponsorships.)
- We had a great Swedish Genealogy Virtual Workshop last Saturday, November 8 with 38 registered participants!
Did you miss signing on? No problem, coming up soon, 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!
- A big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to or supported our Community Service Program tax credits grant, as we have now FULLY used this grant opportunity through the Kansas Department of Commerce!
We have now completed our grant – originally awarded to the museum in summer 2024. Overall, this opportunity has raised $240,541.15 for repairs and improvements to the Pavilion. Individuals and families who donated generously after staff phone calls to them put us over the top.
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. This also brings us 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)!
Finally, it is possible that in November the Department of Commerce may reallocate tax credit grant funds from other organizations that have not fully used their grant to us. If this happens, we may be able to offer more tax credits under the grant for donations made before December 31, 2025. Keep following us here for more information if that becomes available!
(Adam worked last week to send one donor their approval documentation.)
- We are seeking two more music performances for Heritage Christmas. Please CONTACT US if you are part of a group that would be willing to volunteer to perform. In other Heritage Christmas news, last week Adam got the Heritage Christmas poster flyer prepared and also got as much done as possible on the event’s program.
- Adam processed one renewing and one new museum memberships last week! Secure your membership at www.oldmillmuseum.org/members!
- Aubrey sent out thank-you letters to recent donors.
- Aubrey worked on planning for the Smithsonian Democracy in Dialogue program.
- Aubrey worked on several grant and donation requests for different projects and operational support.
- Aubrey attended the Cultural Directors Meeting.
- Aubrey started planning work for a spring 2026 volunteer workday.
- Staff and the Board of Directors held a short “retreat” last week about the museum’s branding and marketing plan.
- Lenora met for coffee with ladies at Sunflower Terrace as part of ongoing community outreach.
- Lenora is working on final reports and a final close-out visit to complete the museum’s $250,000 SPRINT Grant.
- 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, Leland Nelson, Betty Amos, Karmon Almquist, Pete Peterson, Julie Ann Neywick, Teagen Miller and Kylan Lindquist!