AFP Honors Palladium with Award Celebrating Volunteer Work

Earlier this month, Historic Columbia’s Palladium group was recognized at the Association of Fundraising Professional’s National Philanthropy Day Awards as the recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Group Fundraiser award. To receive this award, a fundraising group must demonstrate “outstanding skills in coordinating and motivating volunteers” for various projects to benefit a non-profit’s mission. For Palladium, this award represented more than 20 years of volunteer fundraising to benefit the mission of Historic Columbia.

I began volunteering with Historic Columbia and Palladium in 2014. Over the past five years, I’ve had the privilege to work alongside and learn from some of Columbia’s brightest and most dedicated young professionals. What started as volunteering for house museum tours during an oyster roast turned into a volunteer marketing role for the group’s annual Bluegrass, Bidding and BBQ silent auction, and eventually led me to the leadership position I hold today. One thing that I find so inspiring of my colleagues is that while we all come from different backgrounds and professions, we are all here ultimately for one reason: to preserve the history and culture of our city and to share its story with others.

As a representative of Palladium, I believe that we play a special role in our community. We are able to share Columbia’s rich history in a number of fun ways, whether it’s through events like our upcoming Fall Tour: Columbia Modern or Renovation Rodeos. We open doors to share why these places matter and what they mean to Columbia’s past and most importantly our future.

Our members range from young professionals, those new to Columbia and those who have called the city home for many years, and the young at heart. Through our many events and initiatives, Palladium is able to bring a wide variety of people together. If you have been to one of our many events or you are a member, thank you. If you are looking to attend your first Palladium event, we encourage you to come and see what we are all about, equal parts history and fun – what’s better than that!

In the past five years, we have more than doubled our attendance to the annual silent auction (to close to 400 attendees!), we have raised more than $20,000 for Historic Columbia, and we have had some of our highest membership records in the history of the organization. Palladium is not only led by a strong and diverse board, but most importantly it is supported by some of the best members, who are able to have a say in our future and contribute to the vitality of the city.