National Willa Cather Center Our Vision: “I am not exaggerating, Carrie, Campaign Steering Committee Scope, Scale & Promise when I confide to you that I would Ken Burns, Walpole, New Hampshire rather go home to Red Cloud than The historic “Moon Block” is a prominent Honorary National Chair to any of the beautiful cities in structure adjacent to the Foundation’s home Joanne Berkshire, Omaha, Nebraska at the Opera House on Red Cloud’s historic Europe where I used to love to go.” Honorary Chair main street. Built in 1886 by John W. Moon, Ruth H. Keene, Omaha, Nebraska the building was home to numerous offices Campaign Co-Chair Cather wrote these words in an April 1945 letter to her John A (Jay) Yost, New York, New York lifelong friend, Carrie Miner Sherwood. Campaign Co-Chair Thomas Reese Gallagher, New York, New York Jane Renner Hood, Lincoln, Nebraska Jill Hornady, Grand Island, Nebraska The Cather Foundation strives to preserve Lynette Krieger, Hastings, Nebraska the historic places of which Cather wrote so Frank Sibert, Kearney, Nebraska memorably. The National Willa Cather Steve Shively, Logan, Utah Center will be the heart of the Foundation’s Lu Williams, Red Cloud, Nebraska treasured properties, and will enable

Donor Wall Recognition generations to experience the very town, prairie and scenic places that Cather loved. Gifts of $1,000 or greater will be recognized on and shops and quickly became a Red Cloud P R E S E R V I N G a donor wall within the facility: landmark and symbol of the town’s promise. H E R L E G A C Y Gifts of $10,000 to $24,999 Sustainer Erected just three years after Willa Cather “Our family has a passion for south-central The National Willa Cather Center Gifts of $5,000 to $9,999 Investor and her family moved to the area, the Moon Nebraska, and Willa Cather’s life and Gifts of $1,000 to $4,999 Builder Block appears as the “Duke Block” in The writing keep this special place vibrant and Song of the Lark and is a setting in many of alive for the rest of the world. This project Donor Book Recognition Cather’s works. will promote the author’s legacy and “The Center will have something for everyone. As an archive and museum, it Gifts of up to $999 will be included in a When this once-proud structure is given spotlight our great state to an international commemorative book to be published following new life as the National Willa Cather Center, audience. I hope you will join me in will become the permanent home to supporting it.” the campaign and recognized according to the it will become a vital destination for some of Willa Cather’s following levels: international scholars as well as area Joanne Berkshire m o s t p e r s o n a l Gifts of $500 to $999 residents and heritage travelers from near Honorary Campaign Chair treasures, items made Gifts of $100 to $499 and far. famous in her stories, Gifts of up to $99 and artwork inspired by her vision of the To learn more about giving options or how you “No study of Cather is complete without a prairie. For scholars, it can help, please contact: trip to Red Cloud. The National Willa The Willa Cather Foundation Cather Center will be a wonderful, rich 413 North Webster Street will be a chance to Ashley Olson, Executive Director archival collection for academics as well as Red Cloud, NE 68970 explore, first-hand, 866-731-7304 toll-free the general public.” 402-746-2653 | 866-731-7304 some of her most insightful original [email protected] Guy Reynolds, Director, Cather Project, [email protected] |www.WillaCather.org works and papers.” University of Nebraska–Lincoln Ken Burns “Willa Cather’s literature gives voice to the values that define America’s frontier heritage. A New Chapter Project Budget By reading her words and promoting her Cather’s literary reputation is unchallenged. Expenses contributions to western culture, we To keep pace with the growing interest in Architect Services $609,600 her life and work, the Foundation’s facilities commemorate the pioneering spirit that Stabilization, Construction $5,387,400 must also grow. By undertaking a capital distinguishes us as a nation.” Soft Costs $271,000 Laura Bush campaign to restore a historically significant building next to our headquarters in the Red Construction Management $100,000 Cloud Opera House, we are establishing the Financing $100,000 National Willa Cather Center to provide Maintenance Reserve Fund $150,000 scholars, students, literary enthusiasts, Furnishings/Fixtures/Equipment $100,000 Preserving & heritage travelers and casual visitors with: Total Expenses $6,718,000 Promoting Our Past Ÿ a state-of-the-art archive to safely house our Income The Willa Cather Foundation promotes large collection of original documents and Federal Grants $885,000 appreciation of Cather and strives to objects related to Cather’s life and work Historic Tax Credits $1,000,000 preserve the historic sites and archival Ÿ gallery space for traveling exhibits and Private Capital Campaign $4,833,000 materials associated with the timeless display of archival materials Total Income $6,718,000 work of this beloved Pulitzer Prize- Ÿ classroom and multimedia space A Bright Future winning author. How You Can Help The Foundation oversees the largest Ÿ new backstage facilities for the adjacent Make a pledge. You may satisfy your pledge for a Special collection of nationally designated Red Cloud Opera House over a five-year period, through payments by historic buildings and sites devoted to an Ÿ check, ACH withdrawal, or credit card. Place American author. Our programs and expanded bookstore space Make a gift of securities. Gifts of appreciated At the heart of this undertaking are the resources serve more than 70,000 people The new facility will also include street-front assets such as stock help you avoid costly gains. archival papers, photographs, textiles every year, and our website is in constant retail spaces for commercial tenants and Make a deferred gift. A planned gift by bequest and artifacts that constitute the use by readers worldwide. Our offices three second-floor apartments for scholars- in a will or a trust arrangement may fit your Foundation’s collection. The Cather and operations in Cather’s childhood in-residence and other visitors. financial and planning needs. hometown of Red Cloud, Nebraska family and other donors have been most (population 1,131) are critical in generous to the Foundation for many The Willa Cather Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit years, contributing to the collections sustaining the economic, civic, and organization. Contributions are tax-deductible. cultural life of south-central Nebraska. begun by our founders and making the need for advanced archival facilities ever more pressing. The Foundation has made a priority of creating up-to-date storage and display facilities in our expanded home to keep our treasures safe for years to come and accessible to visitors and scholars. A proper archive will also enhance our ability to attract newly identified archival materials to the Foundation’s extensive collection.

Historic photographs of Willa Cather: the Willa Cather Foundation Collection of the Nebraska State Historical Society. Photograph of Ken Burns by Cable Risdon. All other images courtesy of the Willa Cather Foundation.