You can help!
Roots Volunteers
There are several ways that you can support Roots of Motive Power’s goal of having as complete of a collection of working steam, diesel and gas run historical pieces of equipment to represent the local north coast’s beginnings as possible.
By saving these magnificent machines, restoring them, and running them a couple of times of year in an impressive display of the ingenuity of their design, and the people who created, and once used them, Roots is becoming an important “living” museum where the residents of Mendocino County and visitors from points beyond can come and learn about, and experience, our area’s unique heritage.
However, despite the dedicated men and women who give selflessly of their time and money to do as much as they can, there are limits to their abilities.
There are still majestic machines languishing in places where they will succumb to the elements, or be turned in for scrap, which need to be found and brought to the Roots site. This takes more than effort. The acquiring and moving of them, not to mention their refurbishment, requires funds. If these funds are not available, a valuable piece of our history may never be acquired for preservation and restoration.
Matching Grants: Individuals and Industry
An individual or a company pledges to match, dollar for dollar, funds raised by a Roots promotional event. (You set the ceiling). Not only will the event bear the name of your company, (Or not, if you are an individual wishing a lower profile.) but the volunteers of Roots will work hard to make the event not only a great success, but to get the type of publicity that promotes your company name well. Excellent public relations.
Artifact Donation
Collections have come from many sources. Many who have donated to the Library have worked for railroads or in logging or lumber mills. Or they may have relatives who at one time worked in these fields. The primary contributor has been Chris Baldo, who has collected many rare books on industrial subjects and conceived of creating a library for these books. The photographs, letters, books and documents of these individuals are invaluable to those who seek to understand this aspect of our history. The Research Library is constantly soliciting collections.
Monthly Endowments
Having a set amount, from $5 to $100 or more transferred automatically from your account to Roots is one of the marvels of modern banking to make giving to something you believe in very easy. Roots provides an annual statement for such gifts for tax purposes.
Posthumous Gift
Mention Roots in your will by leaving cash, securities or other property to a worthy cause.
Memorial Endowment
You can also establish an ongoing fund for specific projects in the name of a family member.
Stocks and Securities
An easy, and often less painful way to endow, is the transferring of stock from your company, or other publicly held companies, to Roots.
In-Kind Donation
Useful services and materials are always gratefully received. With proper documentation, in-kind donations are tax deductible.
Contact Roots
If you have any questions, please contact us at the following address:
Roots of Motive Power
P.O. Box 1540
Willits, CA 95490
Or email Roots.
Thank you for your support of Roots of Motive Power!