Local History Affiliate Program
Join Wisconsin's Local History Community!
Wisconsin was the first state in the country to emphasize the power of local history.
In 1899, Reuben Gold Thwaites, director of the Wisconsin Historical Society, traveled by train to Green Bay and Ripon to participate in the affiliation of Wisconsin's first two local historical societies. Since then, more than 450 additional local history and cultural organizations with nearly 60,000 members have organized and affiliated with the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Affiliated local historical societies and the Wisconsin Historical Society have a special relationship defined in the Wisconsin Statutes. The Society offers organizational and educational assistance to local affiliates. The local affiliates, in turn, share in the mission and responsibility of preserving Wisconsin's history.
The Society encourages all non-profit community history and cultural organizations, including publicly funded museums and tribal museums, to consider formal affiliation.
Local History Affiliate Directory
The Local History Affiliate Directory provides information on over 450 local history affiliates of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Where possible, it lists facilities, open hours, and contact information.
Note: Please call or email the local society before visiting the address listed in the directory. In some cases, addresses indicate the physical location of the society; many societies, however, do not own buildings and the address only represents an officer contact or post office box.
Update Directory
Update Local History Affiliate information including your organization’s email address, officers, and board members anytime during the year.
Update NowAnnual Report Filing
To maintain affiliate status, local history affiliates must submit an annual report. After January 1 of each year, local history affiliates can access the previous year's annual report filing system online.
America's Black Holocaust Museum, a WHS Affiliate
Benefits of Affiliation
- Apply for mini-grants to support collections care and access projects
- Elect to have endowment funds managed by the Wisconsin Historical Foundation
- Vote at Wisconsin Historical Society membership meetings and elect regional representatives to the Local History Affiliate Committee
- Receive Columns, the Wisconsin History Society's newsletter, and the Wisconsin Magazine of History
- Be listed in the Society's directory of local historical organizations and other marketing tools
- Reserve a Resource Center table at the annual Local History & Historic Preservation Conference
- Use the Wisconsin Historical Society logo and receive an affiliate window cling
- Receive discounts from Gaylord Archival
Eligibility Requirements
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Organization Type
The organization must be a non-profit community history or cultural organization, publicly funded museum, or tribal museum.
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Location
The organization must be legally located in Wisconsin.
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Membership
Membership in the organization and programs must be open to any interested person for payment of reasonable dues.
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Approval
The organization's board of directors or organizational leaders must vote to apply for affiliation, and the Wisconsin Historical Society's Board of Curators must approve the affiliation.
Ready to start your journey to apply for affiliation with the Wisconsin Historical Society? Fill out the application below.
FAQs About Affiliation
Learn more about affiliation and what it can do for your local history organization.
Affiliation is a formal relationship, provided for under Wisconsin state law. The members or board of directors of a historical society must vote to apply for affiliation, and the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Board of Curators must vote to approve affiliation. Affiliation is initiated with the submission of an Affiliation Application and Questionnaire to Local History Outreach staff.
No. There is no initial fee to become an affiliate or on-going dues to stay an affiliate.
No, the Wisconsin Historical Society has no authority to settle disputes between an affiliate and a third party.
A non-profit organization must include articles on dissolution in its bylaws. The Internal Revenue Service requires these stipulations for any private non-profit that wants to be tax-exempt. These articles set out a procedure to handle the distribution of assets. Should the organization ever dissolve, either voluntarily or involuntarily, the Wisconsin Historical Society will provide guidance if requested. If an affiliated organization dissolves, it is most likely that a similar nearby organization(s) will receive these assets.
Yes, an affiliated society may vote to terminate its affiliation. Alternatively, the Board of Curators may vote to terminate affiliation if an affiliated historical society fails to follow the policies established for affiliated historical societies.
There is no cost to get services from Local History Outreach staff.
The affiliation program of the Wisconsin Historical Society dates to 1898. Society director Reuben Gold Thwaites proposed several initiatives to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Wisconsin statehood. One proposal was for a new state law allowing the Wisconsin Historical Society to have auxiliaries. The state legislature passed the law authorizing the Society to accept auxiliaries and prescribe provisions in the bylaws of county and local historical societies in order to qualify as auxiliaries. The basic language of the law passed in 1898 remains in force and is contained in s.44.03 of the Wisconsin Statutes. The Wisconsin Historical Society’s policies and procedures for the affiliation program have evolved throughout the 100 plus years since the acceptance of auxiliary societies was first authorized. The Society now uses the term affiliated historical organization and accepts county, local and specialized historical organizations as affiliates. The Society currently has over 450 affiliates.
Questions about Local History Outreach?
We're here to help you get the information you need. Please reach out to our team using the email below.
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