With your help, Invisible Histories will work to save our narratives so that not another story is lost. Your generosity ensures that our joys, heartbreaks, struggles, and triumphs will live on for future generations to empower and embolden them to continue in the legacy of community, liberation, and celebration that defines LGBTQ Southerners.
Invisible Histories is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit (Tax ID: 82-0777440).
A Newspaper Article from 1912
One of many items in the IH collection that displays a long history of persecution.
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Invisible Histories is a 501(c)3 tax exempt nonprofit (Tax ID: 82-0777440).
Venmo: @IHPDonate
PayPal: paypal.me/InvisibleHistories
Patreon: patreon.com/InvisibleHistoriesProject
Mail Checks To: PO Box 101672, Birmingham, AL 35210
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Do You HaveArchive MaterialTo Donate?
YOU are the Donor! This means you are an important part of our shared history and have a story to tell. This story consists of your memory but also the materials that you have created, bought, or collected that reflect your life as an LGBTQ person. Invisible Histories works with you to capture this story (your family, your coming out, your activities) and gather and organize the materials you have preserved.
Locating new collections is the number one priority for Invisible Histories so we want to make sure that you have all the information that you need. On this page you will find information and documents to make sure that you can begin to locate the types of materials we are looking for, to show you how the process of donation works, and our desire to work with you at your own pace to preserve this important and vanishing history.
This step-by-step process is here for you and no matter if you are an established group or an individual person, everyone has important materials Invisible Histories would like to preserve and make accessible to the community. If you have any questions, please reach out to Invisible Histories at [email protected].
Have archival materials you’d like to donate? Complete this form.
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IH Scope of the Collection: What Are We Looking For?
Please take a look at the list below for the scope of what the project can and cannot accept as a donation.
Paper Documents
- Minutes of meetings
- Personal letters
- Photos
- Newsletters
- Flyers/posters
- Interoffice communications
- Brochures/pamphlets
- Scrapbooks
- Yearbooks
- Books: with a specific connection to the donation/donor
- Magazines (local only, no national unless containing articles about the South)
- Newspapers
- Dissertations: This would also include the work, or notes for the project
- Interview transcripts
- Art: unframed
- Signage (acceptance of donation based on size and available storage space)
- Research related to the Southern Queer community
- Art over 18×24 or framed art (conditional)
- Journals
- Certificates/awards
Items & Ephemera
- Flags
- Significant event memorabilia
- T-shirts
- Buttons/pins
- Give-a-ways/swag
- Banners
- Large textiles (dresses, costumes, etc.), clothing
- Protest signs
- Political yard signs
- Awards/trophies (sashes, medals, crowns, ribbons, plaques)
- Non-paper Materials/Promotional Materials
- Quilts/blankets
- Board games (with an LGBTQ focus)
- Signage (acceptance of donation based on
- size and available storage space)
- Office materials (excluding generic office supplies and electronics)
Recorded Materials*
- Tapes: Audio, Visual
- CDs
- DVDs
- Reel to reel tapes
- LPs/Vinyl
- Digital files: Audio, Video
- Oral histories
*All material in this category must be directly related to the LGBTQ community or someone/organization from the community
Exclusion List
- Furniture
- Appliances/desktop electronics
- Generic office supplies
- Items not relating directly to the LGBTQ people in the US South
- National runs of magazines or generic books (reviewed on a case by case basis and considering repository needs)
Not Ready ToPart With YourMaterials?
Consider Planned Archival Giving
While we prefer to work with you directly to preserve your items while you’re well and living, we understand that not everyone wants to part with their life’s memories. As such, we have created a memorial giving option for those who prefer to donate their archival materials after their passing.
Want to learn more about Planned Archival Giving? Download the New Donor Packet and the Planned Archival Giving Form below. These documents will assist you, your next of kin, and your estate planning team in preparing for these items to be donated. Make sure you also reach out to us at [email protected] so that we can be aware of your wishes and assist you with the process. Thank you for trusting us with your memories.
End OfYearReports
- Community Engagement
- Archiving, Preservation, Research & Scholarship
- Education
- Professional Development & Best Practices
To see how we are going about this year-to-year, check out our annual reports.
