Amish Country Byway wins national honor
MILLERSBURG – The National Scenic Byway Foundation congratulates the Amish Country Byway of Ohio as a winner of the 2024 Byway Award for Leveraging Resources. This is one of the Foundation’s eight national awards presented annually.
The Amish Country Byway Committee, along with the Holmes County Historical Society, initiated a successful partnership with the local museums and other nonprofits called the Heritage Partnership. The Heritage Partnership (HP) linked nonprofit organizations that tell the story of the byway and enhance the Visitor Experience. These volunteer nonprofit organizations joined together in a cooperative fund-raising effort. In our ninth year, we have seven nonprofit partners, now raising an average of $40,000 annually.
The purpose of the Heritage Partnership was to consolidate expenses and increase revenue among the nonprofit organizations. HP unified the separate efforts of each nonprofit organization regarding their randomly scheduled membership and donation/fund-raising drives into one consolidated annual campaign. Instead of year-round rolling memberships and donations among each of the seven nonprofits, the drive became a singular event starting late October, running through December.
The Amish Country Byway offers the opportunity for donors to support specific byway projects. In 2017-2018 we garnered matching donations for an award-winning permanent Agriculture History Exhibit at the new Holmes County Fairgrounds featured in a restored century-old barn. In 2021-2023, we sought funds to support historical markers for each of our towns along the Byway.
Heritage Partnership Members include the Holmes County Historical Society, Killbuck Valley Natural History Museum, County-Line Historical Society, Holmes County Genealogical Society, Holmes County Friends of the Library, Holmes County Center for the Arts, and the Clark Community Center. Each organization has experienced growth in membership and donations annually. Volunteer support is maximized with the consolidation of the campaign letter-writing, revenue deposits, and donor acknowledgements. Most importantly this project has increased fund-raising trust among the participating organizations.
Along the 190-mile Amish Country Byway you can experience the sites, sounds and cultural lifestyle of the Amish and northern Appalachian people as you travel along the charming country roads. Discover the cultural and historic treasures of our people as you wend through curves and over the hills of the pastoral countryside. Experience simple living and sustainability with visits to local businesses, restaurants serving locally sourced food and farms selling their produce. The Amish Country Byway in Holmes and Knox Counties takes you to a bygone era still present, manifest in the people and their lifestyle. For additional information visit www.holmeshistory.com/heritage-partnership, www.visitamishcountry.com or www.TravelByways.com.
The National Scenic Byway Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving as The National Voice of Scenic Byways and Roads, dedicated to strengthening Byways through education, training and shared expertise. It is the vision of the National Scenic Byway Foundation that our nation’s designated Byways will be recognized and valued worldwide for their distinctive experiences, stories, and treasured places. For more information visit www.nsbfoundation.com; www.travelbyways.com; or email: info@nsbfoundation.com.
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