It's not too late to make a year-end contribution to Four Rivers! Join us as we expand to include even more heritage partners, including museums, historic homes, trails, and parks. Thank you for your support!
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MHAA FY2023 Grant Round Now Open! |
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The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA), an independent state entity under the Maryland Department of Planning, is now accepting applications for FY23 grants under the Maryland Heritage Areas Grant Program. This grant program assists and encourages the preservation of historical, archeological, natural, and cultural resources while supporting economic development through heritage tourism across Maryland. Eligible projects must take place within the boundaries of one of the 13 certified heritage areas.
Eligible applicants for MHAA funding include nonprofit organizations and local, state, and federal government entities. Businesses and individuals are not eligible to participate. MHAA grants can fund both capital (acquisition, new construction, and historic preservation) and non-capital (planning, education, interpretation, and events) projects that support heritage tourism and education.
According to Four Rivers Executive Director Carol Benson, “This year’s MHAA grant round will be more challenging than ever, for a variety of reasons, including our expectation that we will have more new partners applying due to our boundary expansion. We specifically encourage new partners to apply, and we are anticipating developing new materials and means of technical assistance to support them. The application process is not arduous, but it has features that apply to our program specifically. Please send an e-mail to to set up a phone call or zoom meeting to help get your project off the the right start!”
Applicants must submit an Intent to Apply form through the MHAA’s financial incentives website by January 28, 2022, and full applications are due in spring 2022 (each local heritage area has a separate deadline).
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First Webinar Tomorrow! MHAA's Webinars for Project Grant Applicants - LINK to Register
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Four Rivers Heritage Area is Getting a New Name! |
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As you know, the Four Rivers Boundaries have expanded!
One of the defining aspects of the Maryland Heritage Area Authority Program is its emphasis on Interpretive Themes. With our new boundary expansion, we have greatly augmented the theme of African American Heritage, and we have extended our maritime theme of “Commerce to Recreation” to a land-based version, focused on railroads and trails. Finally, we have added distinctive new natural experiences, some of which will help us share the Native American story of our area. We will be better able to provide diverse, quality heritage tourism experiences and leverage new investments in Anne Arundel County.
As part of this exciting change, we have undertaken a "rebrand," including a new name that is reflective of our new Heritage Area.
What will our new name be? Save the Date because our big reveal is coming soon! We will be having a zoom meeting on Thursday, January 6 at 4:30 p.m. to make our announcement. Please send an e-mail to heritage_area@aacounty.org to receive the zoom invitation to this meeting. Thanks -- we look forward to having you join us!
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Virtual Event - Marketing Best Practices: Digital Marketing 202
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Wednesday, December 15
1:00pm
Organization: Maryland State Arts Council
Join Rebecca Teaff of Redstart Creative to review how to evaluate your social media strategy, review analytics, employ Search Engine Optimization (SEO), purchase paid ads and build live video strategies.
This session will include deep dives into behind the scene analytics, terminology and an in-depth look at both organic and paid SEO.
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Webinar: 9 Steps to Crafting a More Effective Email Appeal
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Wednesday, December 15
1:00pm
Organization: Network for Good
Writing emails can be difficult. Writing emails that stand out in the sea of your donors’ inboxes is even harder, especially when you’re deep in the trenches of year-end!
That’s why it’s crucial to lean into the data to tell you what’s going to work better in your email appeals to bring in more donations this giving season and build lasting donor relationships.
In this webinar, you’ll learn 9 steps to craft a highly effective email appeal. The tactics you’ll learn include:
- Choosing the right sender
- Optimizing your email subject line & preview text
- Structuring your donation appeal copy
- Crafting a call-to-action to increase donation
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Shop the Eleventh Hour Midnight Madness |
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Join Midnight Madness this Thursday, December 16 from 4 pm until 11 pm for Eleventh Hour holiday shopping.
Downtown Annapolis Partnership proudly presents Midnight Madness—a Historic Downtown Annapolis holiday tradition that encompasses the charm and character of our most beloved memories of Norman Rockwell and Charles Dickens. We will adorn the streets and participating storefronts with holiday decorations, trees, garland, snowflakes, bows, and lights to create a Downtown Winter Wonderland.
Residents and visitors are invited to stroll along Main Street, West Street, Maryland Avenue, State Circle, Market Space and Dock Street from 4 PM until Midnight to support our local businesses. When we Shop Local, we reinvest in our community and help our downtown businesses thrive. Check out all the stores, galleries, and boutiques throughout the downtown area.
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Extended! "Gifts from the Arts" Holiday Show |
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The Muddy Creek Artists Guild is excited to announce "Gifts from the Arts" Holiday Art Show and Sale has been extended. The pop-up gallery show will continue this weekend, December 17–19, at the Main Street and South River Colony Shopping Center (179 Mitchells Chance Rd, Edgewater, MD). The show is free and open to the public.
"Gifts from the Arts" is a professional art gallery experience featuring works that explore a variety of subjects, including the local Chesapeake Bay region, in an array of different media including painting, pottery, photography, jewelry, and textiles. As with every MCAG show, this is a wonderful opportunity to engage with local artists and shop for unique, local artworks and gift items.
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Share Your Story: African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund |
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When all Americans have the opportunity to learn from African American historic places—from the people who lived and died there, and from the stories these places still embody—they encounter a more diverse and inclusive narrative that advances our understanding of ourselves as a nation.
If you or someone you know has a historic place such as a site, museum, or landscape representing African American cultural heritage, share your story by submitting a Letter of Intent for a grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund today.
Grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund are designed to advance ongoing preservation activities for historic places such as sites, museums, and landscapes representing African American cultural heritage. The fund supports work in four primary areas: Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, and Programming and Interpretation.
Grants made from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund will range from $50,000 to $150,000. In 2021, the National Trust awarded $3 million to 40 projects.
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Request for Proposals: Contractual Architectural Historian/Historic Preservation Specialist |
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Anne Arundel County’s Cultural Resources Section (CRS) in the Office of Planning & Zoning (OPZ) is seeking applications from a recent graduate or qualified student currently enrolled in a Historic Preservation graduate program or related program to undertake an in-depth audit and analysis of Anne Arundel County’s Inventory of Historic Resources which is comprised of properties and districts on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties, the National Register of Historic Places, and National Historic Landmarks.
The goal of this project is to conduct a data audit of the Inventory to ascertain various information and metrics on the resources, including but not limited to if they are extant or demolished, their architectural style, date of construction, their local significance, and the status of documentation on file. This effort is essential because it will help guide future research and documentation projects.
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Historic Annapolis Seeks Proposals for HR Consultant |
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Historic Annapolis is seeking proposals for a part-time Human Resources Consultant to support the organization through activities related to human resources. These include, but are not limited to, recruitment and hiring; integrating diversity, equity and inclusion into personnel practices; overseeing the performance evaluation process; arranging staff training sessions; and assisting with any grievances, disciplinary actions, or staff departures that may arise. Please submit proposals with fee structure and resume to Lucy Mikhailova, Senior Vice President Finance and Human Relations, at lucy.mikhailova@annapolis.org by December 20, 2021.
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Four Rivers Adopts New Priorities Document to Assist Grant Applicants |
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At its November meeting, the Four Rivers Board of Directors adopted an Updated Priorities Document, a planning document designed to assist grant applicants in our heritage area with aligning their projects with our priorities. We expect this document to improve the clarity of applications in our heritage area.
As always, please contact the Executive Director, Carol Benson, with any questions about the application process, at heritage_area@aacounty.org. Thank you, and best of luck with this year’s grant applications!
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Four Rivers Heritage Area | 410-222-1805 | heritage_area@aacounty.org | fourriversheritage.org |
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