By Jessica Gorman

When I first started this column, it was for the purpose of sharing snippets of our history. Over the past few years, I’ve written over 150 articles and this column has become a mix of history, advocacy, and my personal thoughts. So much of the time, it seems there is a general expectation, almost requirement, to “never let ‘em see you sweat.” If you’re loud enough, smile enough, draw enough attention, and are convincing enough, everything will be great. I have been made to feel as though I’ve fallen short because I’m not those things. I’ve never been one for appearances. I’m much more concerned with authenticity and transparency, with presenting things are they are and not just what sounds good.

So far, 2026 has been less than great. Last year’s expansion created a financial strain that got pretty tight by mid-February when we were able to access invested funds, funds I didn’t intend to use. In March, we took two big hits. The insurance cost for our building increased significantly and we were informed we would not be receiving the $5,000 operational grant we’ve received the past three years. Together, that created a nearly $8,000 hole in my budget, a budget that only covers expenses and only if every goal is met. There is the very real question of whether our income will meet our expenses for the year.

I’ve written before about the misconception that the museum is somehow owned or operated by the city or parish. This misconception continues. The police jury does provide us with $2500 annually, for which we are grateful. The City of Minden provides no funding within its budget for the museum. I do not include this information to be critical but for clarity.

We are a nonprofit organization. We operate almost entirely on private donations and serve the public at no charge. You can visit the museum, tour our exhibits, attend our events, ask questions, and get help with research at absolutely no cost to you. You can watch videos of our events on our YouTube channel, read about our history in this column, and view photographs and documents on our Flickr page. We are able to provide these things because of the generosity of people who believe that our history is worth preserving.

Conversations about funding lead to common questions. One is grants. No one wishes we could fund the museum through grants more than me. I’ve explained before that operational grants for museums are almost nonexistent. That’s just not how things work. You can get grants for programming, but you can’t use that money to pay the bills. Here’s the other thing about grants and the thought that they are the answer to funding the museum. It’s passing the buck. It’s looking to someone else to take care of what is ours. Why should we expect the State of Louisiana or the federal government to take care of our history? We shouldn’t. And why would they if we don’t? It’s not logical. It’s not their responsibility. It’s ours.

Not every place has a museum, or a historical society, or anyone working to preserve their history for the sake of the community. That’s because no one else is going to do it for them and they haven’t made the decision to do it for themselves in spite of the often-heard remarks about how it’s such a shame.

Another common topic is fundraising, more specifically fundraisers. You may think that means the same thing. It doesn’t. It is often suggested that we don’t have enough fundraisers, but here’s the thing. Fundraisers are expensive and time-consuming and do not result in long-term impact and sustainability that organizations like ours require. Organizations with real bills to pay don’t survive off fundraisers and events. Sure, there are others who have wonderful events that raise a lot of money, but have you ever looked closer? Have you paid attention to the fact more was spent on the event than what was raised? It’s true that you have to spend money to raise money, but at what cost? Wouldn’t you rather the money go toward the cause? At the museum it does.

Not only do fundraisers direct funds away from the cause, they also take away time. I use the term “we” when referring to the museum because I represent an organization, but let’s be real, my staff is just me. Every minute spent on fundraising is a minute taken away from the work of preserving our history. I could not, in good faith, ask someone to make a contribution to preserve our history if I’m not spending my time in pursuit of that mission. I didn’t take this job to fundraise to get a paycheck and not do the actual work. I’m here to spend my time serving you.

So, what is fundraising if it’s not fundraisers? It’s building belief in and support for the work itself. That’s how you create real, long-term impact. It’s how you create sustainability. It’s how you ensure the most efficient use of funds and the most effective use of time, especially when both of those things are in short supply. When someone believes in our work and chooses to make a donation to support it, that money goes directly to funding the preservation of our history.

Preserving our history is a choice that we, as a community, make. It’s up to us to take care of what is ours. I invite you to join me in that mission, to ensure our history continues to be preserved and publicly accessible. If you would like to make a contribution to support the museum, you can visit our website https://www.dorcheatmuseum.com/donate  or mail to P.O. Box 1094, Minden, LA  71058. I personally promise you that money will be used to take care of what we have, do the work that needs to be done, and build something even better for the future.

(Jessica Gorman is Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Webster Parish Historian, President of the Minden Cemetery Association, and an avid genealogist.)