June 3, 2015

Finest Hour 112, Autumn 2001

Page 43

At a recent meeting, several present asked “what happened to the International Churchill Society of the USA?” ICS/USA has become The Churchill Center. The name change was appropriate, we reasoned, since the organization had grown—from a society of people interested in Churchill to a major institution, including them but dedicated to impressing Churchill’s thoughts and deeds on young people through programs of teaching and publishing. The UK and Canadian organizations are still ICS, but at least one of them is thinking of becoming a “Churchill Centre” in its own right.

Five years ago we set out to create a multi-million dollar endowment. To date the amount pledged is $2 million and the amount in hand approaches $ 1 million. This money is never spent, but invested to sustain the Center’s work through its earnings. This year it will add about $50,000 to the Center’s budget. All of this success is due to the Churchill Center Associates (see next spread), who have donated or pledged from $10,000 on up to the endowment fund. All members of our Board are Associates.

Greater yet is the fact that we have an endowment now taken seriously by individuals to whom we have appealed for very large gifts. We are just now formalizing two major gifts from two such individuals, earmarked for specific projects—electronic teaching through our website and publications.

This new support will allow us to build the infrastructure we now lack. Administrative expenses have little appeal compared to far-reaching projects like the Internet and publications, which extend the Churchill saga far and wide, particularly among young people. But the administration must still be done. Thus, support for educational programs frees up part of our annual regular income to pay an administrative director to direct programs, conferences and the membership office—tasks that have heretofore fallen almost exclusively to volunteers.

2025 International Churchill Conference

Join us for the 42nd International Churchill Conference. Washington, DC | October 9-11, 2025

2025 International Churchill Conference

If you are already one of the Churchill Center Associates, you have our deep gratitude. If you are not, we would welcome your participation. A telephone call to our special number for Associates, (888) 454-2275, will disclose how this can be done in an almost painless way, all donations being, of course, tax-deductible by American citizens. We are 20% of the way home. We continue to rely on you for your faith and your generosity.

If you cannot help in that way, there is an other opportunity: our annual Heritage Fund appeal, which is an important part of our everyday expenses, everything from stamps to Internet fees. That appeal was recently mailed to American members with our 2000 Annual Report. You can pledge by telephone—even use Visa or Mastercard. All Heritage Funds are completely tax-deductible. The number to call is (888) WSC-1874.