 Hello and welcome. I'm Jennifer Sandy, field director at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and program manager of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. And I'm joined today by my colleague Tiffany Tolbert, associate director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and team member on the 11 Most Endangered. Thanks Jennifer. In this presentation, we will share background on the program which we often refer to as 11 Most and how it helps save endangered places. We will walk you through the information you'll need to provide in order to submit a letter of intent and then we will answer some frequently asked questions. If you need a reference at this presentation, you can find all of this information and more on our website shown here on your screen. Now I'll turn it back to Jennifer. Thanks Tiffany. So we wanted to start with a little bit of background. What is America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places program? The program was launched at the National Trust in 1988 and throughout its 34-year history, 11 Most has helped save a diverse range of places that helped to tell the American story including places like Angel Island Integration Station in San Francisco Bay, Civil Rights Landmark Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, revered modernist structures like the Soaring TWA Terminal at New York's JFK Airport, sacred Native American cultural landscapes like Bears Ears in Utah and even President Lincoln's Cottage in Washington D.C. While inclusion on the 11 Most Endangered List does not provide specific legal protections, we're proud of the fact that fewer than five percent of listed sites have been lost. So how can inclusion on 11 Most Endangered List help save threatened sites? First and foremost, the 11 Most List can be a powerful tool for raising the public profile of a threatened site. In the annual announcement of the list often receives coverage in national media outlets like NPR, the New York Times and USA Today, along with regional and local media outlets. The media spotlight can help amplify local advocacy efforts to save historic places, creating pressure for a change of course. Listing can also help attract new stakeholders and supporters to the cause of saving a threatened building in some instances. Inclusion on the 11 Most List has brought endangered sites to the attention of potential new owners or bolstered efforts to attract funding from foundations or individual donors. Please note inclusion on 11 Most Endangered does not come with any funding from the National Trust. So we'd like to share a few sites that have recently been included on the list to demonstrate how the 11 Most Endangered Program can help save threatened places. And there are a few different types of situations where we found the list can be particularly effective at helping to address. The first is inappropriate development. When a government, organization, private entity is planning new development that will harm an important historic place. So on the left you see Mount Vernon, which we included on the endangered list in 2018. At that time Dominion Energy had proposed constructing a gas compressor station directly adjacent to the National Park that adjoins Mount Vernon. And it had the potential to negatively impact the historic view from Mount Vernon and the natural beauty of the National Park. According to Dr. Doug Bradburn, President and CEO of George Washington's Mount Vernon, he said, we had our first press conference to publicly announce our opposition to the compressor station the day we were added to America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list. We combined the announcement with a petition drive and a social media campaign to raise awareness about the view shed and this particular threat. Five days after our campaign started Dominion reached out and decided to find a different location. The publicity and the awareness from the 11 Most Listing were key to putting on public pressure. Now that's a great example of how listing had a really quick impact, but more often than not, preservation does take a while and the 11 Most Listing is one tool in ongoing advocacy campaigns. So in the middle you can see Chief Kenneth Branham speaking about the importance of RASAwek, which is the site of the historic capital of the Monica Nation, and we listed that in 2020. Today the area contains at least six National Register eligible archaeological sites and the final resting places of Monica and ancestors. But the James River Water Authority planned to build a water pumping facility on the site. Following the 11 Most Listing, the Water Authority is now studying alternative locations for the facility, so the battle is not won, but significant progress has been made. And sometimes it's the property owner that needs to be convinced to take a different course. So on the right you'll see Tunbridge, Vermont, which was one of four Vermont towns that we spotlighted in 2018. All four towns would have been permanently altered by the development proposal calling for construction of a new planned community in this rural part of Vermont. After the endangered announcement, the developer withdrew plans for his utopian city that same night, specifically citing the 11 Most Listing as the reason he was halting the development. But the 11 Most Endangered List can also be effective in helping to save places in a different way by shining the spotlight on places that may not be known widely enough, providing a chance for supporters to share the story of these places and attracting the supporters to their cause. On the left is the National Negro Opera Company House in Pittsburgh. Inclusion on the 11 Most List in 2020 caught the attention of the Pittsburgh Opera, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and acclaimed Mesa Soprano Denise Graves, who are all now supporting the longtime property owner realizing her vision to preserve and reactivate the property as a community asset. And in 2021, the opera company received a grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Pictured in the center are the Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr. and Dr. Marvell Parker at Chicago's Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, which was also listed in 2020. Reverend Parker is the cousin of Emmett Till and last living witness to his kidnapping in Mississippi. Roberts Temple was the location of the funeral and extended visitation of Emmett Till in September of 1955. Though listed as a Chicago landmark for its association with Till, the church today needs significant rehabilitation. In July 2021, Roberts Temple was also awarded a grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to implement a critical stabilization plan. And US Senator Tammy Duckworth joined by a bipartisan group of co-sponsors as introduced legislation that would establish the church as a national historic site in the National Park System. And on the right is the Harada House in Riverside, California. The building was the subject of a landmark court decision granting the Harada family the right to continue to own the property. An early challenge to restrictive anti-immigrant and racist property laws and a test of laws that define citizenship by birth. The Harada family comprised of Japanese immigrants and American-born citizens lived in the home until forcibly incarcerated in 1942. They returned there after the war and maintained ownership until Sumi Harada died in 2000. Harada House had fallen to such disrepair it was at risk of collapse. After the 11th most listing in 2020, the Harada House was allocated $7 million in funding from the state of California for rehabilitation as part of the Museum of Riverside. So how do you apply to the 11th most endangered list? Well, this year we've introduced a new letter of intent phase or LOI. And the LOI will ask you to fill out four basic questions about the threatened site and very importantly share photos. So first, what is the name of the site? And second, what is the history of the place? Be sure to tell us if it relates to an overlooked or unique aspect of American history. Then how is it threatened? What's the urgency when our decisions about the place being made? And lastly, how do you think the place could be saved? Are there efforts underway already? Could the public help? And how? You can upload up to 10 photos. Please be sure they're good quality and clearly show the place you're nominating. You can upload historic photos as well as current photos. For a link to the LOI once the nomination period opens, you can visit our website here, savingplaces.org slash 11 most. A team from the National Trust thoroughly reviews all of the LOIs. A smaller number from among those who submitted an LOI will be invited to submit a full nomination. And that's it. We hope it's easy to share your important place with us. We want to hear from you. So now we're going to answer some of the frequently asked questions that we receive about the 11 most program. We'll leave these links and resources up on the screen. But remember, please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have. So I'll start with the first question. Why 11? Why not 10 like other list? Well, according to National Trust lore, when the first list was being put together in 1988, the organization had went on it down to 11 places and left it to then President J. Jackson Walter to get it down to 10. He believed all 11 were important and needed to be on the list. So it stayed 11 and it's been that way ever since. So next we're often asked what criteria do you use when you're evaluating the sites that submit nominations? And we consider a range of factors, including the significance, whether there's a local group or organization already involved in preservation efforts, the urgency that the site faces, and potential solutions to the threat. Sites don't need to be nationally significant to make the list. We're looking for places that matter to you and to the people in your community. As part of the National Trust commitment to telling the full American story, we particularly encourage sites to apply that illuminate unique or overlooked aspect of American history and then expand our understanding of our shared national heritage. We encourage submissions related to historic places of importance to underrepresented communities, including but not limited to women, immigrants, Asian Americans, Black Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and LGBTQIA communities. Another question is, does my site need to be landmarked or on a historic register to be considered for 11 most? The answer is no. Sites are not required to be landmarked in any way. We gladly accept LOIs and nominations for sites that have no historic designation. So what kinds of threats can the 11 most list help resolve? And we talked about this a little earlier in the presentation, including your site on the list, keep active at discouraging demolition, inappropriate development, or helping to resolve short-term neglect. It can help increase pressure on property owners, decision makers, and elected officials to support preservation solutions. If the primary issue that the site is facing is lack of funding, the visibility provided by inclusion on the list can bring new partners to the table and help sites with their fundraising efforts. But as we previously mentioned, listing does not guarantee financial resources or an immediate save. Preservation is hard work and often takes a long time. We've found that 11 most designation is most effective when it supports a local effort to save an important place and reinforces and amplifies locally led advocacy. It's only as helpful as you can make it. So are there any reasons that you would not consider nominating a site to the 11 most list? America's 11 most generates a lot of media visibility for listed sites. So do consider if your endangered site is undergoing delicate negotiations or other preservation interventions that could be harmed by media visibility. 11 most might not be the right tool for you. One of the questions we get most frequently is does getting a site on the 11 most list prevent it from being demolished? And it does not. Unfortunately, the 11 most list is a purely honorific title with no legal or regulatory restrictions attached. But as we've already said, the visibility that comes from listing can help encourage decision makers to find alternatives to demolition. So what happens if your site is selected for 11 most? Will you receive money or assistance from the National Trust? Again, if your site is selected for 11 most, you will receive assistance from National Trust staff with promoting the media announcement of the designation. In some cases, the National Trust staff continue to work with listed sites to provide technical assistance and advice. Though again, remember inclusion on 11 most does not come with any funding. Yeah, and we bring this up a lot because, you know, that is a primary issue with a lot of threatened sites. What they need is funding. So we do have grants available at the National Trust and those are available for anyone to apply. You don't need to be listed on the 11 most to be able to apply for those grants. The National Trust grant programs can provide financial assistance for planning, education, bricks and mortar projects for nonprofits, government agencies or municipalities. For more information on the National Trust grant program, you can visit our website and we've included a link here on the slide, savingplaces.org slash grants. If your site is selected, how will you work with the National Trust team to bring greater attention to your endangered place? Again, the National Team National Trust team works closely with the nominator and local advocates to get the word out about the designation and threats to sites included on 11 most. The National Trust leads the media effort nationally and we depend on the nominator and local advocates to help us promote the designation in their communities. We'll work closely and alongside the nominator and local advocates to get the word out about the threat, but we can't do it alone. We work in partnership with people who know these places the best and that's you. So do applications need to come from organizations or can members of the general public apply? Yes, definitely members of the general public are more than welcome to submit an LOI. Representatives of organizations are also very welcome to apply. For members of the general public, we would encourage you to connect with any organizations in your area that are supporting efforts to save the historic place or that could potentially be supporters. And potential supporters could include local governments, historic preservation commissions, neighborhood development nonprofits, local foundations, block clubs, local or state preservation organizations, social justice organizations, historical societies, social media advocacy groups, and many more. Think as broadly as possible about who might be able to support your efforts. Whether your site is selected for the 11 most list or not, rallying support for your threatened endangered place from groups and organizations in your area will bolster your advocacy efforts and help build momentum for us. Another question we get again is about demolition. And so if your site is in danger of being demolished before the 11 most list is announced, should you still apply? Maybe. If there's a possibility that demolition might not take place until after the announcement, please apply and emphasize the urgency in your LOI. If you have not already done so, we also encourage you to reach out to other local and statewide preservation organizations for immediate support. So we realize that these are often sensitive situations and we're often asked, does the owner of the property have to know that I'm submitting an LOI or a nomination and is owner support required? You don't have to inform the owner that you're submitting an LOI or nomination and the owner does not have to be supportive. However, if your site ultimately is selected as one of the 11 for the list this year, the National Trust will work with you to make sure that the owner is notified in a strategic way before the public announcement. So they're not reading about it for the first time in the newspaper. So can nominators remain anonymous? We do not need nominators to share their contact information with the National Trust. So we can work with you to review your submittal. However, nominators may remain anonymous to the public and to the media if they wish. We do not release the names or organizations of nominators without your permission. Will my application be rejected if I don't have all the requested information? So please just attempt to provide as much information as possible about the site. Some of the questions in the LOI are required in order to submit the form. So you must put some text into those fields. If you don't submit the form, if you leave it in draft, but you don't hit the submit button and send it along to us, we won't be able to see or review your information. And just to be clear, we do need to have contact information for the person that's submitting the nomination. But again, we are not going to share that with anyone unless that is approved by the nominator. And you should receive an email from the submitable platform when you've submitted your nomination, just reaffirming that you have sent it in to us. So let's talk about resubmissions. We often get asked, can I apply again if I applied and was not successful a previous year? Yes. While reapplying is no guarantee of selection, we're always happy to review repeat applications. So please be sure to explain what has changed with your site since you last applied. Yeah. And related to that, we sometimes are asked by representative sites that were previously listed on 11 Most Endangered, whether they can apply to be listed again if the site is still threatened, or maybe it's facing a different type of threat. We do sometimes relist sites when they're facing a new or a different threat from previously when they were previously included, although it is fairly rare. So we'll evaluate potential relistings in the same way that we evaluate new listings. Just be sure to provide all the information about what has changed and make your best case for why the site should be considered for listing again. And that wraps it up for this webinar. Thank you for watching. And as we said, if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to staff. You can email us at 11mostatsavingplaces.org and visit our website for more information and a link to the LOI. Thanks.