Update from the Black Horse Inn Fundraising Task Force

September 24, 2007 (updated December 7, 2007)

Prepared by John V. Alviti, Chair of the BHI Fundraising Task Force

The recent bids received for restoration work (construction) on the Black Horse Inn have come in at a much higher cost than what was anticipated. The initial expectation of raising $1.5 million to complete the restoration of the Inn needs to be revised. It appears that a more realistic goal to complete all phases of the restoration work on the Black Horse Inn will come to $2 million to $2.5 million. In this regard, a new set of goals, for each of the sources of funding, needs to be identified in order to raise enough money for the complete restoration of the Inn.

Revised Fundraising Goals of the Black Horse Inn Capital Campaign. See explanations below on this page.

$175,000	Community Appeal Initiatives
$1,000,000	Institutional Support Initiatives (Grants from Public and Private Sources)
$750,000	"Major Donor" Appeal to Potential Wealthy Contributors
$100,000	Corporate Contributions
$500,000	Springfield Township Contribution
$2,525,000	TOTAL

Listing (incomplete) of moneys raised, pledged, and committed to date.

$25,000	Soirée
$85,000	Keystone Preservation Grant
$1,000,000	Capital Assistance Grants
$150,000	Save America's Treasures grant
$1,260,000	TOTAL

Community Appeal Initiatives

To date, the Community Appeal initiatives have relied upon a major letter-writing campaign to approximately 7,000 households in Springfield Township, which began in the summer of 2005 and will conclude in the summer of 2008; the sale of BHI T-shirts and prints of the Black Horse Inn; the Black Horse Inn Soiree and Auction event held in November, 2006; and a "Local Garden Tour and Reception," held in June, 2007. It is hoped that another $25,000 can be achieved through payment of pledges and additional contributions; holding another fundraising event, similar to the Soiree and Auction, sometime in 2008; as well as sponsoring a number of smaller fundraising events, like the "Local Garden Tour and Reception."

Institutional Support Initiatives (Grants from Public and Private Sources)

This aspect of the Black Horse Inn Capital Campaign has been the most successful so far. The Campaign has received $735,000 in grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the National Park Service ("Save America's Treasures" program), and a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's Keystone History Preservation Grant Program. There is considerable opportunity for the Campaign to raise an additional $265,000 in institutional support from a second grant from the Keystone Heritage Grant Program and grants from a number of private foundations interested in capital projects, located in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area.

"Major Donor" Appeal to Potential Wealthy Contributors

Very little effort has been given to this aspect of the Capital Campaign. Back in the summer of 2006, an informal effort had been made to interest Robert L. McNeil, Jr. in making a leadership gift to the Capital Campaign. While the Campaign did not receive a definitive "no" from Mr. McNeil, it did not receive an enthusiastic "yes." In this regard, it was decided that the Campaign needed professional fundraising assistance in developing a more effective approach to raising funds from this relatively undeveloped aspect of the Campaign. It is believed that Springfield Township, along with nearby residential communities such as Chestnut Hill and Whitemarsh, is wealthy enough to be able to successfully carry out a "major donor" campaign for the restoration of the Black Horse Inn.

Corporate Contributions

Initially, corporate contributions were not identified as a potential source of funding for the restoration of the Inn. However, with the hiring of professional fundraising counsel, special attention can be given to this very logical source of potential money. Considering the many number of banks along Bethlehem Pike, two major food chains and two established drug store chains, a commercial developer that has become active in the area, along with public utilities such as Verizon, and energy companies such as PECO and SUNOCO, the Capital Campaign needs to reach out to these potential funders for involvement in the restoration of the Inn.

Springfield Township Contribution

Politically, this is the most controversial source of funding. As of yet, there has been considerable disagreement as to what has actually been spent, let alone what should be spent, by the Township, towards the preservation and restoration of the Black Horse Inn. While it may take some time to come to an agreement on the total dollar amount allocated from the Township's capital fund, the Township needs to keep in mind that because it owns the Black Horse Inn, any professional fundraising counsel will remind the Township that in order for all aspects of the Capital Campaign be successful, it must make a significant contribution to the restoration to its own property — the Black Horse Inn.