Here's our top-ten list of ways you can make a difference in preserving and promoting Illinois history?

1. Marker Restoration.  Are you looking for a special group  project for your Scout Troop,  classroom, historical society, or civic group? Help restore a historic marker in your  community. The Society has more than 400 markers, many of them in need of repair,  reinterpretation, or restoration. 

2. Sponsor a Centennial Award business. For more than 22 years the Society has honored  more than 1,100 businesses and organizations that have achieved their centennial year. You can  help by sponsoring a business, purchasing a plaque, making a donation, or buying a  ticket to the  dinner. 

3. Buy a membership for a friend. Does your public library have a  subscription to Illinois Heritage or the Journal? Do you know a student or senior citizen who loves history?  Give the gift of Illinois history.

4. Sponsor a history club.  Many high schools in the state already have students interested in Illinois history and involved in history clubs.  Found out if there is one in your hometown and give it a membership in the Society. 

5. Nominate a history teacher for the Olive Foster Award.  Every year the Society gives out awards for history teachers who have made  a difference in the classroom and  their communities. Prizes of $500 are awarded to teachers at the  elementary, junior high, and  senior high level. 

6. Make a bequest to the Society.  If you can afford to remember the Illinois State Historical Society in your

will, either in support of one of our programs or as a general gift to the operating needs of the Society,  we welcome any and all gifts.  

7. Buy an ad in Illinois Heritage.  Help promote your business or commemorate an occasion in  Illinois history with an ad in the Society's popular history magazine. Ads are relatively inexpensive and help us pay our print bill. You'll also be reaching an audience that cares about history. 

8. Volunteer at a Society special event.  We all know what wonderful programs the Annual Meeting, the Illinois History Symposium, and the Centennial Awards  are. Consider volunteering a day at one of these events over the course of the year. You'll want to participate every year.

9. Be an Illinois Heritage correspondent.  Whether you write a feature article or  a news story, or simply contribute news of a history-related event taking place in your community, we welcome your participation. 

10. Donate often. Whether you send in $5 a month of $5,000 a year, your gifts have a significant impact on the Society's ability to complete its mission. A $10 gift buys office supplies; a donation of $3,800 covers the printing bill on a single issue of  Illinois Heritage. A $75 gift covers the postage for a bulk mailing to potential new members.   Every gift counts. 

And if you're inclined to go shopping for the Society, we could always use the following supplies and specialty items:

* Digital projector

* Digital camera

* Television with built-in DVD and VCR

* Case of copy paper

* Case of file folders

* Computer cartridges (call first)

* Chocolate for our volunteers!