An important message from The Family History Guide

 

For many years now, my wife and I have been working on The Family History Guide website. This free research and educational website is invaluable in learning about genealogical research and a whole lot more. The Family History Guide is funded by a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization. All of the work that has gone into the website is voluntary. We are at a crucial point in the funding for the organization. Here is a letter from one of the founders of the website explaining the situation. 

Greetings and Happy Holidays!

I’m Bob Ives, the Executive Director and co-founder of The Family History Guide Association. I urge you to please take a few moments and read this entire update.  

Our mission is “to greatly increase the number of people actively involved in family history worldwide, and to make everyone's family history journey easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable.” To that end, we have been very busy during the pandemic. Here are a few things of note:

• The Family History Guide website has had visitors from over 150 countries.

• The website is used for training in many locations, including over 5,000 family history centers, the BYU Family History Library, Riverton FamilySearch Library, and the FamilySearch Library (Salt Lake), genealogical societies, and public libraries, as well as in many Latter-day Saint wards and stakes.

• The Family History Guide Association has distributed over 50,000 pass-along cards across the United States and Canada.

• We have produced over 180 videos for our YouTube channel including a new series of over 45 videos called Quick Research Basics aimed at focusing on targeted research areas.

• Our team has delivered training and information to hundreds of people in state and regional genealogical societies, private groups, wards, stakes, etc, in the United States and Canada.

• We continue to be a proud training partner with Family Search. "The Family History Guide is approved by FamilySearch as a training resource."

• We are finishing our third year of the highly popular Come, Follow Me Companion for family history.

• We have thousands of followers on our social media groups including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, with a special Facebook Page for trainers and consultants.

• Our free, weekly Blog has thousands of subscribers and features a voice option for the visually impaired.

• Scores of new features are being added including a self-guided tour, how to start family history focusing on a specific topic, a Beginners Path for the family history novice, etc.

• A new, focused Youth section has been added to engage new generations (see one of the new youth focus videos).

• The Family History Guide is now available in over 100 languages using Google Translate on the site.

• Research training and links are available for over 100 countries.

• We have added over 500 family history tips in our “Tip Of The Day” series.

• We have a number of non-paid, volunteer staff and trainers from around the country who devote many hours to making The Family History Guide better and being our evangelists to spread the word.

• The Family History Guide continues to be free to all users.

The Family History Guide© Association continues to be fully funded through private donations; there is no advertising on the website. The pandemic has greatly impacted our donor funding, and we need additional funding to continue operations. We are a 501(c)3  charitable non-profit, and your donations are tax-deductible in most cases. Click here to see some of the talented people on our Board of Directors and staff, and click here to see what we do.

There are so many ways to donate.  Here are a few:

       

     

We are asking you to please consider donating to help us continue the phenomenal spread of The Family History Guide throughout the world. We need immediate help to meet our many commitments such as RootsTech, The National Genealogical Society, Zoom training sessions, printing, web hosting, mailing, software licenses, and so many other ongoing expenses. All of our staff and Board Members are non-paid volunteers, as are hundreds of other trainers and supporters throughout the world. All donations go directly to our mission.

To find out how you can help with this incredible resource,

Please click here.

If you have questions regarding how you might donate, please do not hesitate to contact me at my private email.

Thank you for your time and support, and may you have a happy and blessed holiday season!

Seasons wishes!

I heartily endorse what Bob has written. Please help if you are able.