Legacy of the Plains Museum’s revenues come from independent sources, including annual memberships, museum admissions, fundraising events, gift shop sales, rentals, grants and corporate sponsorships. Donations and memorial contributions are another important part of our revenue mix. We’re fortunate to have a community of generous supporters to help fund many activities at Legacy of the Plains.
Your donation is completely tax-deductible. Our federal tax ID number is 47-0724415. You may send a check to:
Legacy of the Plain Museum
2930 Old Oregon Trail
Gering, NE 69341
If the donation is for a memorial, please note the honoree’s name on the memo line.
Operations
Legacy of the Plains must raise a minimum level of funding each year to cover our basic operating expenses including utilities, insurance, building and grounds maintenance, and salaries for our minimal staff, which consists of a full-time executive director, full-time archivist, a part-time receptionist, and a part-time janitor. Additional funds are needed to purchase supplies for collections care and educational events. A goal of the museum is to increase income to enable us to add staff as we grow and to provide a wider range of services to visitors, school groups, and the community at large.
Capital Campaign
We have recently completed the construction of the museum’s Exhibit Hall which features interactive exhibits and state-of-the-art displays appropriate for all ages that are engaging and relevant to our visitors. These significant achievements are being made possible by the support and partnership of various community supporters.
The Legacy of the Plains Museum Board of Directors, staff, and members thank the many generous contributors to our campaign. Granting agencies and corporate donors publicly pledging to the project to date include:
- Platte Valley Companies (PVC) — $250,000
- Scotts Bluff County Tourism Committee – $245,000
- Valley Bank and Trust — $100,000
- First State Bank – $100,000
- Oregon Trail Community Foundation – $30,000
- Pinnacle Bank – Mitchell – $25,000
- Scottsbluff-Gering Rotary – $15,000
- Cooper Foundation — $10,000
Individual donors are honored on “square acres” on our “plat map” donor board in the museum lobby.
We have ambitious plans for our exhibits and visitor amenities that will make Legacy of the Plains a major tourist draw. You can help by contributing to the capital campaign. For more information about the capital campaign, call one of our campaign co-chairs: George Schlothauer or Jan VanNewkirk.
A portion of the building construction was supported through a zero-interest loan from the City of Gering through the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795 3272 (voice) or (202)720-6382 TDD). USDA is an Equal Opportunity provider, and employer.