Friends Alliance Award Information and Guidelines

Guidelines

Projects may highlight one or more of the following activities:

  • Civic Engagement: for promoting and advocating for a THC State Historic Site to public entities, to maintain or elevate the site as a recognized community asset.
  • Outreach: for creatively engaging diverse community stakeholders to support the
  • Stewardship: for augmenting a site’s operational capacity by supporting special programs or projects, hiring site staff, fundraising for additional maintenance or preservation needs, and/or providing in-kind services or
  • Education: for creating or participating in programs that engage school groups or school-age children.
  • Community Impact: for creating or participating in projects that result in a demonstrable positive impact on the local community.

Nominations may be submitted by site staff, by friends group members, or by any member of the public. Nominations may not be made by the FTHC Board of Directors or staff, or by Austin Headquarters-THC staff.

Award Restrictions

  • Only one friends group or individual may be awarded per year.
  • Nominations will only be considered for Historic Sites friends groups, supporting nonprofits, or volunteers that are registered, in good standing with the site, and in the case of nonprofits or fiscally sponsored groups, have a current Memorandum of Agreement with the THC.
  • Nominations for a volunteer may be considered regardless of their affiliation with a friends group or supporting nonprofit.
  • If a friends group, supporting nonprofit, or volunteer was awarded a Friends Alliance Award in the previous year, they are not eligible for an award in the immediate subsequent year.
  • The nominee’s contributions must be consistent with THC programs, policies, and preservation recommendations.
  • Nomination instructions and submittal information is provided below. 

Nomination Instructions

Each nomination must:

  • Complete the nomination information requested
  • Write a concise, single-paragraph synopsis of the achievement(s). Refer to the guidelines for the types of activities that are suggested for the nomination.
  • Write a detailed description, no more than 2 double-spaced pages (approx. 500 words), with the following information:
    • Describe the project or program that the friends group/nonprofit/volunteer completed. Refer to the above guidelines, if applicable.
    • Include the date the project or program was completed.
    • Include a description of how or why the friends group/nonprofit/volunteer’s activities are exceptional and why the nominee should be eligible for the award.
  • If the nomination is for a friends group organization or supporting nonprofit, on a separate page, list the current board roster.
  • Submit the nomination online (by Monday, September 30, 12:00p.m.

Optional: Each nomination may include supporting documentation to illustrate the nomination, such as press releases, brochures, newsletters, etc., though supporting documents are not required. Supporting documentation should be copied and sent as email attachments with the nomination. Letters in support of the nomination will not be accepted.

Supplemental Information (required):

  • Write a concise, single-paragraph synopsis of the achievement(s).
  • Write a detailed description, no more than 2 double-spaced pages (approx. 500 words), with the following information:
    • Describe the project or program that the friends group/nonprofit/volunteer completed. Refer to the guidelines on page 1 for examples of activities that may be highlighted.
    • State when the project was completed.
    • Include a description of how or why the friends group/nonprofit/volunteer’s activities are exceptional and how the nominee meets the award criteria.
  • Attach a current board roster if nomination is for a friends group or supporting nonprofit.

Nominations may be submitted via email by the published due date.

For questions, call Angela Reed at 512-463-5925, or email angela.reed@thc.texas.gov.