Opening reception for PastForward 2017 at the Field Museum, Chicago

photo by: David Keith

Preservation Leadership Forum

Learn how Preservation Leadership Forum—the premier community for preservation practitioners—can support your work.

  • If You Are...

    someone who works every day to save America's historic places for future generations,

  • And You Want to Be ...

    up to date on the latest preservation tools and resources for maximum success,

  • Then Join Forum Today.

    Become part of a dedicated community for professionals saving places.

    Join Now

The National Trust is committed to investing in preservation's future. The business of saving places involves preservation professionals, community leaders, planners, architects, and many more people and fields. As part of this commitment, Leading the Change: A National Impact Agenda for the Preservation Movement explores the goals that reflect what the National Trust is hearing are current top priorities for change that apply broadly across an expansive preservation movement.

Through the National Trust's Preservation Leadership Forum, we’ve documented and developed a variety of tools to support your work protecting places and help achieve the goals represented in the National Impact Agenda. Learn the different ways you will benefit from this diverse network of preservation leaders.

Be a Part of Preservation Leadership Forum

Preservation Leadership Forum can help you access useful information on the essential tools for protecting historic places around the country. From using Section 106 to deploying new models at historic sites, Forum brings together resources from the National Trust and the field at large.

Key Topic Areas

Economics of Historic Preservation: From job creation to the value of the historic tax credit, understanding the positive economic impacts of saving places is an essential piece of preservation practice.

Understanding Preservation Law: Familiarity with certain federal, state, and local laws can help advocates to respond effectively to preservation threats as they arise; develop strategies to avoid future threats; and identify the full range of options available to protect historic places.

The Changing Work at Historic Sites: Professionals around the world are are re-evaluating the role of house museums, applying new interpretive frameworks to historic sites, rethinking how best to manage collections, representing a broader range of stories—and developing tools to encompass this evolution.

How You Benefit When You Join Forum

When you join Preservation Leadership Forum, you'll join a community for, and comprised of, preservation thought leaders whose voices are shaping the future of the movement. To be a preservationist means collaborating with others, and often the best information comes from those deeply engaged in the fieldwork.

Here are the ways that Forum membership will help you support this invaluable brain trust:

  • Stories from the Field: We curate the information so you don’t have to. Access case studies, thought leadership, and up-to-date information to help you in the business of saving places.
  • Forum Journal: The premiere scholarly publication for Forum members, Forum Journal addresses critical topics in the field.
  • Discounts on conferences and trainings: Members receive discounts on conferences, including the annual PastForward conference and the Preservation Law conference, as well as on trainings throughout the year.
  • Preservation Fund Grants: Organizational members are eligible to take part in the National Trust grant program, which offers funding opportunities throughout the year.
  • Forum Bulletin: This weekly newsletter brings together the latest stories, job listings, and more right to your inbox.

Join Preservation Leadership Forum Today!

Preservation Leadership Forum is a network of preservation professionals at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Forum provides and curates cutting-edge content, offers online and in-person networking opportunities, and brings new, diverse perspectives to the professionals who are in the business of saving places.

Current Forum members, renew here.

Preservation Leadership Forum will help you access useful information on the essential tools for protecting historic places around the country. Become part of this community for professionals saving places.

Join Now

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