6 Tips to

GET YOUR FRIENDS INVOLVED IN YOUR PRESERVATION PROJECT

1. Tell them what you’re doing.Explain to your friends why you are embarking on your preservation project and why your work is important to you. If your friends understand that, they might make it a priority too.

2. Share your inspiration.Showing them what inspired you to begin your project could, in turn, motivate them to provide support in any way they can. They may even start thinking about a project of their own.

3. Use social media to share your progress.Blogs, Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope are a few great options to share your progress. There’s a chance that seeing updates will make your friends as excited as you are—and who knows, they may volunteer to help you out.

4. Give them a tour of your project site.Being able to see in real life what you’re so excited about will likely inspire their curiosity and excitement too.

5. Show them how easy it is to get involved.Preservation projects benefit from a variety of different perspectives and technical skills, so even if your friends have little experience, they can easily contribute. 

6. Have a party.A party is a great way to christen that rehabilitated barn or kick-start the historic foundation you founded while giving thanks to the friends who supported you. Celebrating your finished work is also a great way to inspire others to participate in future projects.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America’s historic places. Preservation Tips & Tools helps others do the same in their own communities.

For more information, visit SavingPlaces.org.

Ted Eytan/Flickr/CC BY-SA-2.0; UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden/Flickr/CC BY-ND-2.0; Ted Eytan/Flickr/CC BY-SA-2.0; Stefano Montagner/Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND-2.0; Jeff Warren/Flickr/CC BY-SA-2.0; Meriwether Lewis Elementary School/Flickr/CC BY-NC-ND-2.0; bfick/Flickr/CC BY-2.0.