Where to Find Grants/Donations?

[M. Sarsfield]

Guys,

For those of you who have been successful in getting someone else to pay for your boat repairs, please list the groups/agencies/foundations/etc. that you have successfully gotten large donations from for your respective sub. I don't care about the neighbor that gave you $20 in the fish bowl at the cashier's counter.

Thanks!

[AVGWarhawk]

Fortunate for the Torsk we have the Baltimore Maritime Museum that oversees procurement. There are several ships in the harbor they look after. Most of the money is gotten from obviously the city of Baltimore as handed out by the BMM. We are fortunate to have a group sale on tickets meaning the Torsk, Constellation, and Taney can all be accessed with one fee. Not to mention the aquarium is a huge attraction and most visit after seeing the aquarium. Other than that, there is hat, shirt, patches etc for sale that get a wee bit for the Torsk.

Currently, who is the overseer of the boat? Let start there. Once found, what type of money is alotted to the boat for the year? What can they give you? For instance, we need a new flag on the turtle back, we go the BMM and we get a flag in a week or so, cost goes to the BMM. Things like that. Perhaps the local government body who oversee the boat is dormant to the wants and needs of the boat because no one has been asking. I would be very suprised if no one knows anything. Someone schedules the inspections and pays the utilities on the boat. I'm betting the boat is part of the museum foundation in the local town. That is best place to start.


Oh, that $20.00 in the fish bowl can get a lot of things if spent right Never under estimate the fish bowl.

[M. Sarsfield]

The boat is part of the Muskogee War Memorial Park, which is owned and run by the city of Muskogee, OK. Based on her current condition, it doesn't seem like the city puts a lot of money into her.

They do have a grant writer that is slowly learning the ropes, if I understood correctly. In years past that have tried applying for a grant from the History Channel's Save Our History Foundation, but they didn't quite qualify because of the boat's ownership and tax code status. However, I have contacted THC recently to get the whole scoop on that.

[AVGWarhawk]

Contact the city. Find out who allocates the funds. Then find out were the funds have gotten off to. Good idea to contact THC. Perhaps they have changed the rules since the last request. Do your very best to get in front of people who are known as the penny pinchers. I suspect a lot of letter writing is coming your way. Expect a month or two before a response.



Just remember, Rome was not built in a day but through perseverance, they got it done!

[shoot-kill-win]

The funds have not gotten off to well, the Batfish was just audited over the summer and the new park manager could not find finance records for I believe two whole years that previous managers were responsible for, it was horrible because now he has to start from scratch (but he has done a wonderful job), and the city of Muskogee does not give the BAtfish enough money to do anything, all money taken in through admission is used to fund the heating and electricity, and a little left over for t-shirts and stuff. Recently over a month by showing a donation jar and telling people what all we plan to do with the donations and how the city has not helped, the Batfish was able to raise enough money to build another room (sort of they walled half a room off), and buy some tools for the new decking.

[AVGWarhawk]

Very odd that the city is not much help. I do recall reading the Batfish story in the book called entitled Final Patrol. There was much political red tape and loans/grants for getting her to where she is. Apparently these loans and grants a bit shady from what I remember. Time to forward a letter to the Muskegee War Memorial to see if they can provide more funding. The worst they can say is "no". Attempt to show you have a viable group of people wanting to keep her up and make improvements.

[M. Sarsfield]

The War Memorial is responsible for her upkeep and they are a good group of folks keeping the boat "afloat". Despite the city, the Memorial is pursuing other avenues for volunteer labor and funding. Rick is in charge of the place, at the moment, and is an employee of the city. He's up against a lot and told us about some of the hurdles at yesterday's meeting.

In other news, some company wants to build a full working scale model of the C.S.S. Hunley and then donate her to the Muskogee War Memorial. I don't know how serious anyone is about this, but I think it would attract a lot of visitors from far and wide, if they knew that we had Hunley II.

[AVGWarhawk]

Anything at all to attract the visitors is a help. Just have to keep up with the folks who handle funding.