When California celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2000, leaders of the Native Sons did some introspective thinking about ways that the organization could more effectively recapture its fundamental mission of historical preservation. It was decided that the formation of a separate, but closely associated, foundation would permit donors who wanted to earmark their donations more flexibly and effectively within the framework of current tax laws. This also was seen as a potential medium of organizing and effectively channeling grants received from outside sources. Thus, the Historical Preservation Foundation was born. By trying various approaches until the most desirable one could be found, the foundation has developed a proclivity for helping others (such as the State Parks) more effectively preserve their archival materials, and for developing more systematic and adept means for preserving Native Sons’ own artifacts which, now that the organization itself has been in existence for more than 130 years, have become intrinsic objects of historical interest in their own right. The Historical Preservation Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization eligible for contributions which are tax deductible.
