Woodlawn has received a $3,750 grant from the Hancock County Fund of the Maine Community Foundation to increase its organizational capacity to better understand its audiences.
According to Woodlawn’s executive director Joshua Torrance, “This grant will help fund Woodlawn’s participation in Visitors Count, a national visitor survey and analysis program offered by the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH). We will survey Black House tour visitors to help us better understand how they are connecting with Woodlawn and assess their overall experience. This data will help us improve the quality of our Black House tours, refine our communication efforts and more wisely allocate our limited marketing dollars to increase our tour attendance.”
Woodlawn, a 180 acre estate was given to the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations by George Nixon Black, Jr. upon his death in 1928. Opened as a public park in 1929, Woodlawn Trustees and staff work to preserve and protect Woodlawn resources. Its programs are mission directed, focusing on connecting people to the region’s cultural heritage and enriching the quality of life for participants. The Black House is open for tours May 1 – October 31. The grounds are open free of charge, year round, sunrise to sunset. For information on Woodlawn, visit woodlawnmuseum.org or call 667-8671.
With offices in Ellsworth and Portland, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.