Legacy Amendment

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Background

On November 4, 2008, the voters of Minnesota approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to preserve some of the most important elements that make Minnesota what it is today. 

This amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is sometimes referred to as the “Legacy Amendment” and mandates that a portion of the funding be used “to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage.”

Introduction

One of the four funds within the Legacy Amendment is the Arts and Cultural Fund (ACHF).

This site details all ACHF projects and programs funded to date through the Minnesota Historical Society. The Society strives to publish new project records as soon as they are available.

ACHF history projects are benefitting Minnesotans statewide by:

• Creating new, innovative learning opportunities for students and teachers
• Preserving and sharing our state’s historic stories and treasures
• Giving Minnesotans unprecedented access to historical and cultural resources
• Empowering Minnesotans to connect and make improvements in their communities

Further information about the use and impact of all Legacy Funds can be found on the Minnesota Legislative Coordinating Commission's Minnesota's Legacy site.

Appropriations

The Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) receives 19.75% of overall Legacy funding. In 2011, the legislature appropriated $24.1 million from the ACHF to the Minnesota Historical Society for the two-year period July 2011 - June 2013. That appropriation breaks down to $12,050,000 for fiscal year 2012 and $12,050,000 for fiscal year 2013.

The legislature divided the fiscal year 2012 - 2013 appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society into the following five categories:

2012 Appropriation

1. Statewide Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants -- $5,250,000

2. Statewide History Programs -- $4,800,000

3. Statewide History Partnerships -- $1,500,000

4. Statewide Survey of Historical and Archaeological Sites -- $250,000

5. Minnesota Digital Library -- $250,000

2012 TOTAL: $12,050,000

2013 Appropriation

1. Statewide Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants -- $5,250,000

2. Statewide History Programs -- $4,800,000

3. Statewide History Partnerships -- $1,500,000

4. Statewide Survey of Historical and Archaeological Sites -- $250,000

5. Minnesota Digital Library -- $250,000

2013 TOTAL: $12,050,000

Statewide Outreach

Since late 2008, the Minnesota Historical Society has collaborated with the public and many history-minded organizations to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of historical projects funded by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund

To date, the Minnesota Historical Society has hosted or participated in 64 statewide events involving more than 2,000 people (some map locations indicate multiple events):

 
Historic Resources Advisory Committee: As required by law, the Society appointed a volunteer citizen panel to guide decisions for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Program. These recommendations are then reviewed and approved by the Society's governing board.

 
Workshops and Outreach Activities: The Society solicited opinions and ideas from citizens around the state regarding history expenditures and where funding is needed most and also helped potential grantees apply for funding through the ACHF-funded Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants Program.

Historic Resources Advisory Committee

Legislation specifies that the Historic Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC) have balanced statewide membership and include representatives of local, county and statewide historic and cultural organizations and programs. It further requires that the committee shall include, but is not limited to, members representing the interests of historic preservation, local history, archaeology, archival programs and other cultural programs related to the history of Minnesota.

List of HRAC members and qualifications.

Minnesota Historical Society Governing Board

Grant recommendations made by the Historic Resources Advisory Committee for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Program are then reviewed and approved by the Minnesota Historical Society's Executive Council.

List of the Society's Governing Board and Executive Council members.

Minnesota History Coalition

The Minnesota History Coalition is an advisory group comprised of representatives of various history organizations in Minnesota. Using public input and members' expertise, the History Coalition developed recommendations for the legislature on how the 2012 - 2013 ACHF appropriation for history projects and programs could best serve Minnesotans.

Minnesota History Coalition Members:

• Council for Minnesota Archaeology

• Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums

• Minnesota Archaeological Society

• Minnesota Digital Library

• Minnesota Genealogical Society

• Minnesota's Historic Northwest

• Minnesota Historical Society

• Minnesota History Advocates for Research

• Preservation Alliance of Minnesota

Accountability

The 2011 legislature reiterated the mandate that every project and program supported by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund report "actual measurable outcomes, and a plan for measuring and evaluating the results."

To meet this requirement, the Minnesota Historical Society worked with Wilder Research and the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality to measure the economic value and outcomes of the first biennium's ACHF investments.

In October 2010, the Society began work with Wilder Research to improve the Society's ability to evaluate its ACHF projects and programs. The Society's staff and partners are now strongly positioned to ensure that ACHF projects and programs use best practices, current scholarship, and when appropriate, incorporate state-of-the-art technology for demonstrating measurable outcomes.

In February 2011, the Society released results of an economic study prepared by the University of Minnesota's Extension Center for Community Vitality. The Economic Footprint of History Expenditures from the ACHF found that for every $1 invested in history and cultural heritage, the state received a return on investment of $1.95, which directly benefitted state and local economies.

In November 2011, the Office of the Legislative Auditor released a report examining how Legacy fund recipients can best use these funds over the long term.

Within the report, the Legislative Auditor identified four "ongoing concerns." The Society is addressing those concerns in the following ways:

1. Supplement, Not Substitute -- The Society is aware of the constitutional requirement that Legacy expenditures shall supplement and not substitute for traditional sources of funds. The Society conducts careful reviews to ensure that the constitutional provision and approriations language are met for all Legacy expenditures.
2. Administrative Costs -- The Society carefully documents and limits administrative costs to only those costs that are "directly related to and necessary for" accomplishing ACHF programs and projects as called for by legislation.
3. Conflict of Interest -- On this website, the Society discloses the names of members of groups that oversee the spending of ACHF funds (The Society's Governing Board and Executive Council and the Historic Resources Advisory Committee, or HRAC). To fulfill long-standing policies and practices, those members are required to sign statements forbidding conflicts of interest.
4. Outcomes -- The Society recognizes that Arts and Cultural Heritage funds create a long-term opportunity to build a Legacy gift. We are working to ensure that ACHF history programs and projects have a clear benefit for future generations. More specifically, in their applications, grant recipients are required to explain the enduring value of their project. Society staff worked with Wilder Research to improve our ability to measure the value of our ACHF programs.

During the 2012 - 2013 biennium, the Society will continue to evaluate the impact of ACHF projects and programs to ensure that they demonstrate measurable outcomes as well as economic value for citizens. These results will be shared on two websites explained below.

Transparency

The Minnesota Historical Society has an obligation to the citizens of Minnesota to ensure that ACHF funds entrusted to our care are invested in ways that are transparent and will produce the greatest measurable impact on lives, enabling our state to thrive.

To meet this goal, the Society has assisted in the building of, and has itself built, websites that inform the public about all ACHF initiatives funded through the Society. The first, Minnesota's Legacy (www.legacy.leg.mn), was created by the Legislative Coordinating Commission and contains information on all legacy-funded projects. The second website (this one), Minnesota History: Building a Legacy (www.mnhs.org/legacy), is maintained by the Society and provides more in-depth project descriptions, photos, videos and information on opportunities to participate in history-related ACHF initiatives.

Through the end of the biennium, the Society will continue to post the most current information about history-related ACHF initiatives on both websites, ensuring transparency and responsible stewardship of the funds.