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Program of Work

Fiscal Year 2020-2022

The Austin History Center Association (AHCA) helps tell the story of Austin by supporting the Austin History Center in its mission to procure, preserve, present, and provide the historical records that make up Austin's unique story.

Strategic Planning Goals

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TraditionaL Program Goals

FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING GOALS

Our Mission

The Austin History Center Association (AHCA) helps tell the story of Austin by supporting the Austin History Center in its mission to procure, preserve, present, and provide the historical records that make up Austin's unique story.

Strategic Planning Goals

1.  Collaborate for the timely completion of the repairs to the original Austin History Center building, as well as the required code and archival upgrades to the Faulk Library building.  These are basic infrastructure requirements of the Austin History Central Campus. Under the management of Library Facilities staff, this should be completed per current City Capital Improvement Plan schedule by the fall of 2022, subject to change.

Assigned: AHCA Facilities Expansion Committee-Candace Volz, Chair

2.  Initiate a funding effort, based on the January 2019 Gensler REIMAGINING THE FAULK vision project, to undertake a formal programmatic Master Plan for the 1933 and 1979 buildings in conjunction with the Austin Public Library and AHC staff, history related organizations and the community at large. With a goal to raise 50% of the necessary Austin History Central Campus Master Plan monies via a post-bond construction partnership with the City, and also utilizing $42K of AHCA monies as a match, fund raising should be completed by May 31, 2021. This is subject to the adoption of a new master agreement between AHCA and the City of Austin/Austin Public Library and will need to be compatible with APL Facilities’ selected architects and their scope of work.

Assigned: AHCA Facilities Expansion Committee

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3.  Based on the Austin History Central Campus Master Plan (2023), convene very select discussions on a community capital campaign (2025-27) to integrate the 1933 Austin History Center and the 1979 John Henry Faulk buildings into a state of the art archival research and museum campus to become the centerpiece of a new Downtown Historical Corridor in west downtown and be incorporated in the Downtown Way finding Plan 

Assigned: AHCA Strategic Planning Committee (New)-Mayor Ron Mullen

4.  Partner with the Downtown Austin Alliance on the ownership of Our Austin Story.  This will include external linkage of the expanded archival/ museum campus to Wooldridge Park Square and striking signage to signal the public re: History Campus and the new Historic Corridor.  These new unfunded AHCA concepts will require consideration with the City.

Assigned: AHCA Strategic Planning Committee

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5.  Explore the creation of a Downtown Historic Corridor focusing on the History Central Campus, Bremond Block, Wooldridge and Republic Parks among other early elements of Austin’s Central City. This could include converting the Seaholm Intake on Lady Bird Lake into an extension of the Austin History Center, establishing a physical and visible history anchor on the water and re-inserting powerful history exhibits at the Airport and Convention Center, especially as they expand and change in the next decade.
Assigned: AHCA Strategic Planning Committee

 

TraditionaL Program Goals

1.  Identify, select, conduct and complete 10-15 Oral Histories on key Austinites by March 1, 2021 and complete all oral history submissions to AHC by May 15th, 2021.  If personalized books are developed for each participant, complete and provide these family heirlooms by May 1st, 2021. Raise any required monies necessary for the completion of each OH (est. $400 per participant).  This program has approximately $3000 of carry over funds from FY19-20. Any grants for oral history will be for all costs related to workshops, interviews (including production of transcripts and commemorative books for interviewees), and public access.  An outreach subcommittee will formulate an ongoing list of groups and individuals also doing oral histories to reach out to propose ways to share information with each other and the public.

Assigned: Oral History Committee-Cynthia O’Keeffe, Chair

 

2.  Conduct a review of the Waterloo Press Program including reviewing and focusing process of publishing by AHCA, royalty agreement, marketing and distribution, inventory management and a business plan each year to include securing underwriting of any book to be published by Waterloo Press/AHCA. Purge & liquidate non-valued inventory prior to May 31, 2021 and relocate saleable inventory from SafeSite by December 2020.Assigned: Waterloo Press Committee-Chair-J. Fotini Mangos/Editor-Kathleen Niendorff

3.  Produce three Austin Remembers newsletters in September, January and April of the fiscal year.  These Newsletters will be provided via email, online via AHCA web site. A print on demand will be available for the Newsletter. Transition the Austin Remembers newsletter from a three-times-a-year printed and mailed newsletter to a quarterly-produced digital version hosted on the AHCA website, distributed via email, and integrated with the AHCA social media, PR, and marketing efforts.Assigned: Communications Committee-Geoff Wool, Chair

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4.  Conduct the 12th Annual Eberly Luncheon Fundraiser on February 5th, 2021.  The luncheon is being initially planned in a virtual, online format.
Assigned: Eberly Luncheon Committee- Rita Kreisle, Chair
 

5.  Develop marketing, public relations and social media plan during the fiscal year with more emphasis on AHCA’s Instagram account, press releases around key newsworthy announcements or happenings and public speaking engagements to tell the AHCA story for member recruitment. Work with Communications committee and others to bring consistency to the visual design and writing style of public-facing AHCA materials, which will inform development of a new AHCA web site in the fall of 2020 built on WIX platform, and templates for social media and email distribution of AHCA information, including the Austin Remembers newsletter.
Assigned: Marketing, PR & Social Media Committee-Lori Duran/Dave Helfert, Co-Chairs & Communication Committee Chair-Geoff Wool
 

6.  Develop a corporate membership program with the focus to market a package of corporate benefits to local and national businesses and their employees.  The goal will be to shift vital financial support of the association from “one event annually” to a more consistent cash flow and revenue base throughout each fiscal year. Define specific corporate membership benefits at several levels and publish a new corporate application by November 2020.
Assigned: Corporate Membership Committee-Chair-TBD
 

7.  Seek to expand individual and family memberships from 530+ to 625 members in good standing by May 31, 2021 while retaining 60% of members at May 31, 2020.
Assigned: Membership Committee-Jeffrey Dochen, Chair
 

8.  Conduct one Membership Spotlight & Awards Event in the spring of 2021 with the principal goal to generate new revenue by membership recruitment and enhance renewal rates from existing members. Reactivate the Katherine Drake Hart Award (give award for 2007, 2019 and 2020) during the fiscal year
Assigned:  Membership Committee, Annual Meeting & Awards Committee—Chair-Charles Peveto, Spotlight Committee—Chair-TBD

 

FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING GOALS

  1. Develop a focused bequest plan from existing members and community leaders to the Austin Community Foundation/AHCA codicil directed to the AHCA 1983 Endowment Fund
    Assigned: Finance Committee-Chair—Joe Pacheco
     

  2. Recruit two members to become LIFE/LEGACY MEMBERS of AHCA with the membership fee directed to the Austin Community Foundation/AHCA 1983 Endowment Fund.  The Life/Legacy membership funds annual interest (4%) will transfer to the AHCA operations budget each June from Austin Community Foundation.
    Assigned: Membership Committee-Jeffrey Dochen
     

  3. Develop a written investment policy for the Association and establish a financial growth goal for the 1983 Endowment to significantly contribute to the annual operations of AHCA by June 2024.  A goal for May 2021 is to approach $70,000.
    Assigned: Finance Committee
     

  4. Implement new accounting support & payroll; enhance QuickBooks operations, new membership software, and online tools (Greenvelope) for positive interaction with the membership.  Seek expense cost containment in day to day operations, printing, design, etc. Focus the association for financial stability through FY20-21, redirect insurance coverage to a local broker and establish a clear board succession plan via an aggressive recruitment and nomination process of the expanded membership base and increase contributions for the needs of the Austin History Center, if possible.
    Assigned: Executive Committee-Chair- Lee Cooke
     

  5. Finalize a formal agreement with City of Austin/APL, comply with annual conflict of interest policy, By-Law compliance, adopt personnel policies, review fiscal policies and establish a clear board succession plan.
    Assigned: Executive Committee
     

  6. Conduct review of Executive Director and conduct periodic evaluation sessions as they relate to general duties and completion of Board annual goals. Formalize AHCA personnel policies and procedures.
    Assigned: Executive Committee

 

Community Outreach by AHCA:

  • Preservation Austin Representative—Charles Peveto

  • Austin Library Commission Representative—Lee Cooke

  • Travis County Historic Commission Representative—Bob Ward

 

Special Assignments of AHCA:

  • Nomination Committee—Chair-Charles Betts

  • Volunteer Coordinator—Sarah Toombs
     

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