Hull House Foundation

HELPING CITIZENS LEARN OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO THE SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY BY EARLY PIONEERS TO THE WESTERN NEW YORK REGION AND PRESERVING AND RESTORING THE HULL FAMILY HOME AND FARMSTEAD.

WITH THE RESTORATION OF THE HISTORIC FARM HOUSE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, THE ORGANIZATION SHIFTED ITS FOCUS ON EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FARMSTEAD GROUNDS AND STRUCTURES AND EXPANSION OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. WHILE MANY OF NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY STRUGGLED WITH THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, OUR LOW OVERHEAD, INCLUDING NOMINAL DEBT SERVICE AND NO PAYROLL EXPENSE ALLOWED THE ORGANIZATION TO PROSPER IN THE FACE OF THE CRISIS. WHILE MOST OF THE 2020 FUNDRAISING EVENTS WERE EITHER CANCELLED, SIGNIFICANTLY SHRUNK, OR CHANGED TO VIRTUAL EVENTS, THIS HAD NO SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR OVERALL FINANCES. IN FACT, OUR ENDOWMENT FUND CONTRIBUTIONS RAN WELL PAST INITIAL EXPECTATIONS.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: WE MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR PROGRAMS TARGETED TO PRIMARY GRADE STUDENTS, WHO LEARN THIS HISTORY OF WNY AND FARMSTEAD LIFE IS AN AUTHENTIC SETTING WITH WELL-TRAINED DOCENTS AND TEACHERS. SPECIFICALLY, WE ESTABLISHED A MONTESSORI STYLE HISTORY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN. MANY IN-PERSON PROGRAMS WERE CHALLENGED BY THE COVID PANDEMIC. OUR VOLUNTEERS ENFORCED STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE STATE GUIDELINES FOR GROUP GATHERINGS AND WE HAVE COME AWAY FROM THE HEALTH CRISIS STRONGER THAN EVER.

SITE DEVELOPMENT: > ACQUISITION OF 200 YEAR OLD THRESHING BARN TO REPLACE HULL'S BARN LOST MANY YEARS AGO. THIS WAS THE FIRST STEP IN A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDES ACQUISITION OF A HISTORICALLY CORRECT BARN FROM ANOTHER SITE, DISASSEMBLY, TRANSPORTATION, AND STORAGE OF THE MATERIALS AT THE HULL HOUSE SITE, REASSEMBLY OF THE REPAIRED STRUCTURE ON A NEW FOUNDATION, CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ROOF, DOORS, AND INTERIOR PARTITIONS THAT WILL BE "PERIOD CORRECT", AND LANDSCAPING. THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE IN EXCESS OF 125,000, WHICH WILL BE FUNDED BY A MULTI-YEAR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL NEEDED ON OTHER PROJECTS. > CREATION OF A SIGNIFICANT FENCED-IN "KITCHEN GARDEN" THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED A MAJOR SOURCE OF VEGETABLES FOR FAMILY CONSUMPTION. > INSTALLATION OF A HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE AND ELECTRIC LIFT FOR THE HISTORIC FARM HOUSE. > SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED FOR THE EXTERIORS OF THE HISTORIC HOUSE AND ADJACENT HEADQUARTERS. > CONSTRUCTION HAS COMMENCED ON SAFE AND CONVENIENT PATHWAYS FOR OUR VISITORS TO WALK THE GROUNDS. > ACQUISITION OF A HISTORIC WAGON THAT WILL PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE ON A WORKING FARM. > ENGINEERING AND DESIGN WORK COMPLETED IN TO AN ADJACENT ONE-ACRE PARCEL THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR EVENT PARKING.

THE CONTINUED PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE HOME.

WITH THE RESTORATION OF THE HISTORIC FARM HOUSE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, THE ORGANIZATION SHIFTED ITS FOCUS ON EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FARMSTEAD GROUNDS AND STRUCTURES AND EXPANSION OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. WHILE MANY OF NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY STRUGGLED WITH THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, OUR LOW OVERHEAD, INCLUDING NOMINAL DEBT SERVICE AND NO PAYROLL EXPENSE ALLOWED THE ORGANIZATION TO PROSPER IN THE FACE OF THE CRISIS. WHILE MOST OF THE 2020 FUNDRAISING EVENTS WERE EITHER CANCELLED, SIGNIFICANTLY SHRUNK, OR CHANGED TO VIRTUAL EVENTS, THIS HAD NO SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR OVERALL FINANCES. IN FACT, OUR ENDOWMENT FUND CONTRIBUTIONS RAN WELL PAST INITIAL EXPECTATIONS.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: WE MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR PROGRAMS TARGETED TO PRIMARY GRADE STUDENTS, WHO LEARN THIS HISTORY OF WNY AND FARMSTEAD LIFE IS AN AUTHENTIC SETTING WITH WELL-TRAINED DOCENTS AND TEACHERS. SPECIFICALLY, WE ESTABLISHED A MONTESSORI STYLE HISTORY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN. MANY IN-PERSON PROGRAMS WERE CHALLENGED BY THE COVID PANDEMIC. OUR VOLUNTEERS ENFORCED STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE STATE GUIDELINES FOR GROUP GATHERINGS AND WE HAVE COME AWAY FROM THE HEALTH CRISIS STRONGER THAN EVER.

SITE DEVELOPMENT: > ACQUISITION OF 200 YEAR OLD THRESHING BARN TO REPLACE HULL'S BARN LOST MANY YEARS AGO. THIS WAS THE FIRST STEP IN A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDES ACQUISITION OF A HISTORICALLY CORRECT BARN FROM ANOTHER SITE, DISASSEMBLY, TRANSPORTATION, AND STORAGE OF THE MATERIALS AT THE HULL HOUSE SITE, REASSEMBLY OF THE REPAIRED STRUCTURE ON A NEW FOUNDATION, CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ROOF, DOORS, AND INTERIOR PARTITIONS THAT WILL BE "PERIOD CORRECT", AND LANDSCAPING. THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE IN EXCESS OF 125,000, WHICH WILL BE FUNDED BY A MULTI-YEAR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL NEEDED ON OTHER PROJECTS. > CREATION OF A SIGNIFICANT FENCED-IN "KITCHEN GARDEN" THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED A MAJOR SOURCE OF VEGETABLES FOR FAMILY CONSUMPTION. > INSTALLATION OF A HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE AND ELECTRIC LIFT FOR THE HISTORIC FARM HOUSE. > SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS WERE COMPLETED FOR THE EXTERIORS OF THE HISTORIC HOUSE AND ADJACENT HEADQUARTERS. > CONSTRUCTION HAS COMMENCED ON SAFE AND CONVENIENT PATHWAYS FOR OUR VISITORS TO WALK THE GROUNDS. > ACQUISITION OF A HISTORIC WAGON THAT WILL PROVIDE PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE ON A WORKING FARM. > ENGINEERING AND DESIGN WORK COMPLETED IN TO AN ADJACENT ONE-ACRE PARCEL THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR EVENT PARKING.

THE CONTINUED PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE HOME.