A New Approach to Sustainability – The Power of Donor Partnerships
Past Matters, Fall 2025, Published 10/21/2025
Greetings!! We are thrilled to bring you this Fall issue of Past Matters, which offers another glimpse into the work we do and reflects our ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing the stories and histories of all Texans.
In previous issues, we have talked about organizational sustainability, and what that looks like for a nonprofit organization of our size and scope. The answer to that is organizational strength and endurance, and of course financial sustainability.
The small, but mighty, staff of the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission works hard towards our overarching goal of building sustainability in all of our endeavors. Early this year, our board leadership led and completed a succession plan for the organization that will allow us to minimize the impacts on our operations in the event of a transition of any sort—a focus on organizational sustainability. Additionally, we continue our traditional fundraising for capital projects, education, and stewardship initiatives of the Texas Historical Commission (THC), while also supporting the THC by creating and implementing additional out-of-the-box strategies in pursuit of its mission.
And as we successfully identify and secure resources to support preservation priorities at the THC’s historic sites, and for THC programs and initiatives, one thing is crystal clear: building financial sustainability for our organization, at multiple levels and with a varied set of sources, is critically important AND is becoming exceedingly challenging.
The traditional model for nonprofit fundraising—investing in building strong relationships with our donors—still holds true. However, it is imperative that we approach our resource development work with a fresh perspective, going a step or two further, to build partnerships with you, our donors and supporters.
Your support comes from a place of passion and a deep desire to preserve the varied stories of Texas and ALL Texans. It represents a huge impact on how present and future Texans and visitors to our great state see the story of Texas. As a measure of our respect and gratitude for your support, it is therefore our responsibility and our commitment to present you with quality opportunities, through well thought through projects and programs, that allow you to make that impact. And we promise to do this, not just by requesting your support, but more importantly by asking for your feedback and your ongoing partnership as a “Friend of the Friends.”
Towards that goal, we ask that you save the date January 22nd, 2026, at 6:00 pm, for a virtual Friends of the Texas Historical Commission Donor Open House, where we look forward to hosting a conversation with you, our core partners and supporters, on what we are doing well and where we can continue to improve. A more formal invitation is forthcoming, and we hope you will join us.
While we embark on this more intentional focus on our relationship with you, I also want to take a moment to underscore the importance of legacy gifts – once in a lifetime transformational gifts made by donors like you – which can elevate and transform an organization forever. These gifts are inspiring, not only to us as the organization that benefits from them, but also for our donors and their families.
Research shows that planning for legacy gifts is not just the purview of high net-worth individuals. The majority of donors who make planned or legacy gifts to organizations are not among the wealthiest. With so many giving “vehicles” available – including bequests to Qualified Charitable Deductions (QCDs), life insurance and IRA beneficiary designations, gifts of assets (stocks and securities), Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) or other more complex options – planned giving makes philanthropy accessible to people of all income levels. While some planned gifts may be deferred, gifts of assets can be put to work immediately, allowing a donor to be personally involved in making a huge impact.
As you prepare for your end-of-year giving, or possibly planning your estate, we urge you to consider this opportunity to shape your legacy based on your personal values. If you would like additional information about options available to you , reach out to us HERE. We are always happy to connect with you, to answer questions or provide more information.
Thank you for your faith in us and the work we do – we are deeply grateful! Your gifts help us preserve the stories and histories of all Texans, so we can continue to build community through storytelling. We look forward to your continued support!
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the staff of the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission—warm regards and best wishes!
Anjali Zutshi, Executive Director