Our vital work depends on your support.

As a volunteer-driven organization, The History Project depends on community members to provide financial support for our ongoing activities; assist with processing our collections, which constitute one of the nation’s largest independent LGBTQ archives; and help enlarge our collections by donating archival materials. 

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Read our annual Impact Reports to learn about our work and the impact of your gift.

Make a Gift
Ways of Giving

To make a one-time or recurring gift to The History Project, click here.

If you wish to donate by check, our address is The History Project, 565 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. Please make checks out to The History Project.

    The History Project is a 501(c)3 organization incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; contributions to the organization are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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    Three cheers to our supporters!
    Giving Societies and Sponsorships

    Want to become a sponsor of The History Project? Join our Giving Societies or our Sponsorship program. Engagement opportunities are also available for private groups of students, friends, colleagues, Meetup groups and anyone interested in LGBTQ history.

    Members of our Preservationist, Stanhope, and Peterson societies are publicly recognized for their contributions and invited to exclusive History Project events. If you'd like to learn more about our Giving Societies and our Sponsorship program, please email Executive Director Joan Ilacqua

    • The Preservationist Society recognizes donors who make monthly gifts of $20 or more.
    • The Stanhope Society recognizes donors who contribute $2,500 or more over a five-year period.
    • The Peterson Society recognizes donors who incorporate The History Project into their estate planning. If you’re interested in learning more about making a planned gift to The History Project, send us an email

    We love our supporters! Thank you to our 2022 sponsors and donors!

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    Planned Giving
    Legacy gifts secure our future.

    A growing number of individuals have committed to supporting the work of The History Project through planned gifts to the Peterson Society. Including a gift to THP as part of your estate planning provides a lasting tribute to our work, and helps ensure that our community’s LGBTQ history will be preserved for future generations.

    Unrestricted gifts

    Unrestricted gifts to The History Project provide the gift of flexibility; these donations are applied where they are most needed. You can use the following language to designate The History Project as a beneficiary in your will:

    I give, devise and bequeath _______________ (insert dollar amount or % of residue) to The History Project, a nonprofit corporation as described in section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, with principal offices currently at 565 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116, or its successor organization, to be used at its discretion in the fulfillment of its mission.

    Restricted gifts

    You can also make a restricted gift that is targeted for a specific purpose – from supporting our archives or growing our endowment to funding a specific program or activity in perpetuity.

    Send us an email if you would like to speak to someone about making a planned gift.

    The Peterson Society honors David Peterson, who made the first major legacy gift to The History Project.

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    Donate to Our Collections
    A Home for Our Community’s History

    The History Project maintains one of the largest independent LGBTQ archives in the nation. Our collections range from organizational records and personal papers to photographs and ephemera, such as buttons and t-shirts. The vast majority of these materials chronicle the history of the LGBTQ community in the Greater Boston area and other regions of Massachusetts. Materials donated to the archives are carefully processed and preserved so that they will remain accessible to researchers and the public in perpetuity. We also draw upon our archival materials to create public programs and events such as Out of the Archives.

    Please email info@historyproject.org if you have materials you would like to donate to our archives.
    Learn more about the materials within our archival collections.
    Learn more about our collections policy.

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    Donate Your Time: Become a Volunteer
    Volunteer Opportunities

    Our exceptionally dedicated volunteers contribute significantly to the ongoing success of The History Project.

    • Many volunteers help process our archival collections – organizing and cataloging materials so that they can be accessed by researchers and highlighted in our public programming. Experience in processing archival collections is helpful but not required. While volunteers are typically supervised by other History Project members, they sometimes work independently.
    • The History Project regularly records oral histories documenting the stories of our community members. We welcome volunteers who have experience or interest in collecting and producing oral histories.
    • We maintain four working committees focused on Archives & Research, Events & Outreach, Organization, and Development. Committee members meet monthly to move the organization’s agenda forward across these essential areas and participate on projects that advance our work.

    Please email info@historyproject.org if you are interested in volunteering with The History Project.

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    Collections Inquiry

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