Scores and Comments

19.c.ps.170.546

Halifax Historical Society, Inc.

Application Details
Proposal Type	General Program Support - Discipline-Based
Request Amount	$32,297
Total Score	598.000
Average Score	85.429

Panelist Scores

Panelist	Excellence	Impact	Management	Accessibility	Total
Baker Tiffany	32	27	17	10	86
Colvin Richard D.	32	25	16	8	81
johnson jeremy	34	23	17	8	82
Nagy Rebecca	36	27	17	10	90
Santiago Caroline	40	24	20	10	94
Tomor Michael	32	23	19	8	82
Wilson Jennifer	32	25	18	8	83

Comments
Baker Tiffany - Score: 86.000
Activities appear achievable and comprehensive. While two of the major goals are to attract younger audiences for membership and to also encourage more school engagement, the funds requested in the grant do not specifically address either of these issues. The "History Matters" newsletter and the history journals, for example, continue to target the existing audience. The reviewer applauds the efforts to improve lighting in the gallery spaces and obtain the necessary supplies to improve the archival conditions for the photographs and other archival materials, which are clearly in use and valuable as a local archival resource. Would like to see more information about upcoming exhibits that would be funded by the grant. The established intern program is a valuable resource both for partnerships and as an education impact.
Colvin Richard D. - Score: 81.000
{No comments provided.}
johnson jeremy - Score: 82.000
{No comments provided.}
Nagy Rebecca - Score: 90.000
The proposal would be stronger with additional details on goals. With goals of 75 new members and 10 new corporate sponsors it would be helpful to know what membership now is and how many corporate sponsors the Society currently has. Similarly, more details about economic impact and the benefit provided to bring tourism dollars to the county would be helpful. Audience numbers are modest but partnerships seem productive and programs are diverse in themes and audiences served. Board is taking responsibility for endowment income (how much is it?) and increasing revenue.
Santiago Caroline - Score: 94.000
For being stated as the oldest history museum in the county and the steward of the entire Halifax collection, the attendance figures should be higher. It seems appropriate that the dollars would be used toward marketing.
Tomor Michael - Score: 82.000
HHSM requests general program support in order for the Museum Director to carry out his/her responsibilities and support some exhibitions and exhibition preparation. The Halifax Historical Society Museum institutionalizes the history of the reason. Their primary goals though are to expose their visitors/users to Halifax and the importance of history as an educational tool. More information on those would have been helpful. There was somewhat of a disconnect on the nature of a Timeline, although they do discuss dates of exhibitions most recently opened. How many artifacts are exhibited and how many are in the collection of the five case changing exhibition area to tell the story of the region back to 5,000 BCE would have been helpful. This organization clearly could have benefited from some help from the DCA staff. I note the comments related in the Additional Impact statement. Marketing for this group is very grassroots, and it appears the Director would benefit from some coaching on Facebook, as self-declared. Overall, the information presented and the low number of users and visitors, it was hard for this reviewer to ascertain the projected impact of the organization of the use of the proposed funding. As stated, the HHS is "playing it safe" with their budget and financing. Nothing alarming about this very modest organizational budget. Alternates to not having ADA access to the second floor other than photographs could be rotating some of the exhibitions between floors. Some guidance of ADA explanations would be helpful to this organization.
Wilson Jennifer - Score: 83.000
Like all local historical societies, what the HHSM is doing is vital to the community as well as to posterity. It would be really interesting to see less reliance on printed materials in the digital age, which may account for the fact that the institution is not attracting more younger visitors and members. Your oral histories and other A/V projects are a step in the right direction.