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In summer of 2024, we received a very special donation: $70 from a second grader named Ana. After visiting the museum with her class from Laurel School, Ana was inspired to support our work. She raised the money at her lemonade stand and donated all of her proceeds to the Shaker Historical Society. Her generosity and enthusiasm for preserving the past remind us why our mission matters, and how even the smallest gifts can have a big impact.
Since our founding, the Shaker Historical Society has been dedicated to connecting people of all ages with the rich and diverse history of our community. Thanks to supporters like you, we provided history education opportunities to over 250 students last year—our highest level of engagement since 2018—and reached more than 1,000 people through exhibitions, programs, and events.
Your support helps make these experiences possible. Whether you're passionate about educational programs, historic preservation, or inclusive storytelling, your donation ensures we can continue to share the undertold stories of Shaker Heights.
Will you join Ana in supporting the Shaker Historical Society?
Your tax-deductible gift helps us inspire curiosity, celebrate heritage, and build connections across our community. Together, we can provide students like Ana with meaningful opportunities to connect with the past as they step boldly into the future.
Thank you for being a part of our story.
P.S. Did you know that you can amplify the impact of your support with a recurring donation? Choose to become a monthly or quarterly sustainer at givebutter.com/shakerhistory.
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Internships
We believe in offering paid internships to help make SHS a more equitable and practical option for students looking to gain hands-on experience at a small museum. You can help us grow our internship program by sponsoring an internship.
Shaker Historical Society host 1-2 interns per year to help current undergraduate and graduate students gain hands-on experience through resume-building projects. Our interns have developed physical and digital exhibits, completed important collections inventories and surveys, and organized our institutional archives, among other projects.
Questions? Contact director@shakerhistory.org
Exhibitions
Exhibitions require extensive time, labor, and supplies through research, physical preparation of the galleries, and installation. You can support high-quality exhibitions at SHS by sponsoring an exhibit to help offset resources devoted to each physical and digital exhibition.
Questions? Contact director@shakerhistory.org
Collections
SHS's collections span over 200 years and items number in the thousands. The majority of our collections are not inventoried or digitized, but we have made significant progress in recent years with intern and grant support. The best way to support collections is by sponsoring an internship or donating a collections-focused grant match. Please contact collections@shakerhistory.org for more information about these opportunities.
Education
Educational support is needed on an ad hoc basis as SHS builds programs and strengthens relationships with both public and private schools through tours and classroom visits. Please contact education@shakerhistory.org for more information about current and upcoming opportunities, including our "Museum in a Box" program currently in development thanks to financial support from the Arminius Foundation.
Major Events
In 2022, we established the Shaker Soirée, a new summer fundraiser inspired by Gracious Gardens, and AppleFest, a revival of a 1990s fall festival. These continue to be our two major events each year with the goal of mid-year fundraising and "friendraising" to financially support our mission and to connect with current and potential members and to grow our audience.
We continually seek corporate, family, and individual support to make these events possible. If you are interested in supporting the Shaker Soirée or AppleFest, please contact director@shakerhistory.org to learn more.
Staff and Operations
Our programs, exhibits, and events are not possible without operational expenses. While not glamorous, these are the basic needs of the organization—the small team that carries out this work must get paid, and the museum can only be visited if we have heat and light! One of the easiest ways to support our operations is to donate to our endowment, established in the early 1970s. If you are interested in growing our endowment, please contact director@shakerhistory.org to learn more.
The Shaker Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 34-1048062. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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