Pro Tips For Building a Coalition

Gather your County’s Stakeholders For Your County 250 Committee

• Best Practices when Gathering Stakeholders:
  • Start with Historic & Heritage Groups in Your Community | Form a Coalition - As we are asking for one group per county, it is going to be imperative that the County 250 Committee has representatives from all local historic and cultural organizations. They are your base. Get more things done together.
  • Be Intentionally Inclusive - the first step in making sure that all stories are told, even those often traditionally left out of textbooks (African Americans, Native Americans, women & children), is to be intentionally inclusive when forming your committee. Remember sections of your community that may not have been as large in the 1700s such as our Latinx and Asian communities. Celebrating America is something that can unite us all. (See more under the Telling A More Complete Story)
  • Diversify Skill Sets - Yes, gather your historians (we love historians) but also find people with other skills such as marketing gurus, business people, community advocates, artists, local media members, recreation fans, influencers, college social media majors, local elected officials, and more.
  • Remember your Rural Community Members - As we are asking there to be only one official group per county, don’t forget to include members from all townships in your county and even the rural sections of your county. That is often where the action took place.

Liaise with Local, State & Federal Government

• Connect with Local, State, Federal Government:
  • Best Practices:
    • Not only will the police chief and city council approve road closings for an event, but they can also be your biggest advocates. Bring them along on the journey. No one likes to be surprised.
    • Make sure they understand that HISTORY MEANS BUSINESS. You will need their help to get ready for the tourists who are coming thanks to anniversary advertising.
• Not only will your county government help you with your official County 250 Resolution, but the staffers may get calls about County 250 Activities.
  • Make sure that not only the county administrator and county council people know about your efforts, but also the person who answers the phone.
    • Best Practice: Give your local elected officials and their staff a one-page info sheet about activities and especially who to contact for more information about joining or participating with your group. Click here to see the SC250 one sheet.
• Share your support of SC250 funding with your State Senators and House members.
  • The fastest way to find your personal state info is to check out your voter info: https://info.scvotes.sc.gov/eng/voterinquiry/VoterInformationRequest.aspx?PageMode=VoterInfo
  • SC State House Search: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/legislatorssearch.php
• Thank US Senate and House members for their support of Ameria250 events and initiatives.
  • US Congress Search: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
• Make sure all elected officials are on your VIP list for press releases and invitations.

Connect with Your Local Educators

• Connect with Your Local School District(s), Colleges, & Tech Schools
  • Your events will be amazing opportunities for local student interaction - especially as you include history specific to your county.
  • Look for SC250 K-12 Teacher Kits coming soon to enhance the current curriculum. We don’t want to add to teachers’ jobs. We just want to enrich what they are already doing and engage students.
  • Reach out to your local colleges and tech schools for interns - not just history but social media, graphic design, business, etc.