We’ve found a way to make renewing your membership easier — and have it go even further!
Thanks to your support as a member of the West Stockbridge Historical Society, we’ve been able to transform the Old Town Hall into a bright and busy place, bringing new life to the heart of our community. We’ve refrained from regular renewal reminders this year as we worked on a new, practical way to make renewing your membership easier and go even further. It's called Sustaining Membership.
How does it work? You simply authorize your credit card to make small, monthly donations in lieu of a once a year larger membership fee. Sustaining Membership makes life easier for you, and it makes processing more efficient on our end, so more of your funds can go directly to what matters most: upkeep of the building and helping to mount our wide variety of programs and community events. So please consider renewing as a Sustaining Member, and make your contribution go even further.
Have questions? Check out the FAQ below. You can also sign up directly and securely right here! Or you can, as always, renew yearly or as a Sustaining Member by using the enclosed envelope.
Whichever way you decide to renew, please know how grateful we are for your support. It’s only with your help that we can keep the Old Town Hall up and running for you, your family and friends to enjoy!
How does it work? You simply authorize your credit card to make small, monthly donations in lieu of a once a year larger membership fee. Sustaining Membership makes life easier for you, and it makes processing more efficient on our end, so more of your funds can go directly to what matters most: upkeep of the building and helping to mount our wide variety of programs and community events. So please consider renewing as a Sustaining Member, and make your contribution go even further.
Have questions? Check out the FAQ below. You can also sign up directly and securely right here! Or you can, as always, renew yearly or as a Sustaining Member by using the enclosed envelope.
Whichever way you decide to renew, please know how grateful we are for your support. It’s only with your help that we can keep the Old Town Hall up and running for you, your family and friends to enjoy!
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Frequently asked questions:
The West Stockbridge Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, ID# 04-3228137. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Check with your personal tax advisor for further advice on your own taxes.
If you have any questions or concerns not answered by the following, please contact WSHS Administrative Consultant John Parker at 413-232-5055 or email wshistory.jp@gmail.com.
Why should I become a Sustaining Member?
It is more convenient for you than writing a yearly check and, perhaps, wondering if your membership has expired. A small monthly amount accomplishes a lot – it provides us with a predictable cash-flow so we can cover our day to day costs and it supports statistics that help us obtain grants and larger donations.
Your continuing support allows the WS Historical Society to pay our bills, maintain the Old Town Hall, and allows us to provide the community space and programs for all to enjoy.
How does it work?
The monthly payment you choose is made on the credit card number you provide. You can either join in writing with the form we provide, or you can go to our webpage at weststockbridgehistory.org and use the PayPal button for signing up. Either way, the monthly payments will continue until you decide to terminate them. You can terminate at any time. Monthly payments start as low as $5 a month.
You will rest assured that your membership will not lapse, and your money will go directly towards our Restoration, programming, maintenance, and the ongoing expenses of the Historical Society, instead of being eaten up little by little on stamps, paper, printing, and administrative costs for membership renewal reminders.
What do you do with my donor information?
We treat the safety of your donor and membership information seriously, which is why we have decided to use PayPal for security and ease in processing your payments. If you use the PayPal button on our website – go to our Sustaining Membership page – your card information is processed directly through their secure webpage.
If you chose to fill out the form giving us your credit card information, it will still be processed through PayPal, but we will supply them with the information you provide to authorize the payments. We will keep your authorization on file, but black out the credit card number so it cannot be used for anything without your direct authorization. We will keep only the expiration date of your card on the authorization form so we can remind you to let us know when your card expires. As always, any phone number or email information you provide will not be shared or given to any outside organization.
We try to keep our e-blasts to a minimum – never more than two a week and then only when we have information on our programs, events, and newsletter. We may occasionally share information from another organization if we think it will be of specific interest to you.
How do I unsubscribe from Sustaining membership?
You can go directly to PayPal to cancel your monthly payments. Or you can contact us and let us know in writing that you wish to stop the payments. We will try to process them as quickly as we receive them but can’t promise that one more payment might be made between receiving your decision and our ability to cancel it.
You can change the amount of your monthly payment anytime by calling WSHS Administrative Consultant John Parker at 413-232-5505 or email wshistory.jp@gmail.com.
Can I “pause” my monthly donations if my circumstances change? (unemployment, medical bills, etc.)
Yes. PayPal can pause charging you until you give the go ahead for them to continue. Please let us know if you cannot make the change directly through PayPal.
How secure is my online donation?
If you authorize us to bill your account, only the bookkeeper and administrator will have access to your information. We will keep your authorization form for administrative needs, but your credit card number will be removed before your information goes in our file.
If you use the PayPal button on our website, we will not have access to any of your information. This is the easiest and most secure method for you to use to sign up. PayPal complies with and fulfills PCI Standards. [PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a set of comprehensive requirements all businesses that handle credit and debit payments must comply with, regardless of size or number of transactions they process.]
Oops! What if I make a mistake on the amount I sign up for? (Click on $100 when I mean $10!) Can I change it, and will I get a refund?
We are a small and caring organization, so we will help you make the correction and see that you get a check or credit for any over-payment. We might not be able to stop the payment when it first goes through, but we assure you that we will process your refund as quickly as possible once you let us know of the error.
Can I make my payment in honor of someone?
Yes. They will receive a letter informing them that your donation is being made in their honor. You will also receive a thank you letter from us for tax purposes. As with any donation that is made in a third party’s honor, the tax donation is the donor’s, not the honoree’s.
How will you let us know of our monthly donations for tax purposes?
We will send you a letter of thanks for joining us as a Sustaining Member when we receive your first payment. The amount you choose to donate will also appear on your credit card statement each month. We will also annualize all membership fees and gifts to the West Stockbridge Historical Society in a calendar year and send one combined tax receipt in the form of a thank you letter in January of the following year.
Just a reminder that the price of concert tickets or special programs is not tax deductible since you receive something of value when you purchase the ticket.
Thank you for your support and generosity!
Call John Parker at 413-232-5505 or email wshistory.jp@gmail.com if you have any questions on becoming a Sustaining Member that are not answered here.
If you have any questions or concerns not answered by the following, please contact WSHS Administrative Consultant John Parker at 413-232-5055 or email wshistory.jp@gmail.com.
Why should I become a Sustaining Member?
It is more convenient for you than writing a yearly check and, perhaps, wondering if your membership has expired. A small monthly amount accomplishes a lot – it provides us with a predictable cash-flow so we can cover our day to day costs and it supports statistics that help us obtain grants and larger donations.
Your continuing support allows the WS Historical Society to pay our bills, maintain the Old Town Hall, and allows us to provide the community space and programs for all to enjoy.
How does it work?
The monthly payment you choose is made on the credit card number you provide. You can either join in writing with the form we provide, or you can go to our webpage at weststockbridgehistory.org and use the PayPal button for signing up. Either way, the monthly payments will continue until you decide to terminate them. You can terminate at any time. Monthly payments start as low as $5 a month.
You will rest assured that your membership will not lapse, and your money will go directly towards our Restoration, programming, maintenance, and the ongoing expenses of the Historical Society, instead of being eaten up little by little on stamps, paper, printing, and administrative costs for membership renewal reminders.
What do you do with my donor information?
We treat the safety of your donor and membership information seriously, which is why we have decided to use PayPal for security and ease in processing your payments. If you use the PayPal button on our website – go to our Sustaining Membership page – your card information is processed directly through their secure webpage.
If you chose to fill out the form giving us your credit card information, it will still be processed through PayPal, but we will supply them with the information you provide to authorize the payments. We will keep your authorization on file, but black out the credit card number so it cannot be used for anything without your direct authorization. We will keep only the expiration date of your card on the authorization form so we can remind you to let us know when your card expires. As always, any phone number or email information you provide will not be shared or given to any outside organization.
We try to keep our e-blasts to a minimum – never more than two a week and then only when we have information on our programs, events, and newsletter. We may occasionally share information from another organization if we think it will be of specific interest to you.
How do I unsubscribe from Sustaining membership?
You can go directly to PayPal to cancel your monthly payments. Or you can contact us and let us know in writing that you wish to stop the payments. We will try to process them as quickly as we receive them but can’t promise that one more payment might be made between receiving your decision and our ability to cancel it.
You can change the amount of your monthly payment anytime by calling WSHS Administrative Consultant John Parker at 413-232-5505 or email wshistory.jp@gmail.com.
Can I “pause” my monthly donations if my circumstances change? (unemployment, medical bills, etc.)
Yes. PayPal can pause charging you until you give the go ahead for them to continue. Please let us know if you cannot make the change directly through PayPal.
How secure is my online donation?
If you authorize us to bill your account, only the bookkeeper and administrator will have access to your information. We will keep your authorization form for administrative needs, but your credit card number will be removed before your information goes in our file.
If you use the PayPal button on our website, we will not have access to any of your information. This is the easiest and most secure method for you to use to sign up. PayPal complies with and fulfills PCI Standards. [PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a set of comprehensive requirements all businesses that handle credit and debit payments must comply with, regardless of size or number of transactions they process.]
Oops! What if I make a mistake on the amount I sign up for? (Click on $100 when I mean $10!) Can I change it, and will I get a refund?
We are a small and caring organization, so we will help you make the correction and see that you get a check or credit for any over-payment. We might not be able to stop the payment when it first goes through, but we assure you that we will process your refund as quickly as possible once you let us know of the error.
Can I make my payment in honor of someone?
Yes. They will receive a letter informing them that your donation is being made in their honor. You will also receive a thank you letter from us for tax purposes. As with any donation that is made in a third party’s honor, the tax donation is the donor’s, not the honoree’s.
How will you let us know of our monthly donations for tax purposes?
We will send you a letter of thanks for joining us as a Sustaining Member when we receive your first payment. The amount you choose to donate will also appear on your credit card statement each month. We will also annualize all membership fees and gifts to the West Stockbridge Historical Society in a calendar year and send one combined tax receipt in the form of a thank you letter in January of the following year.
Just a reminder that the price of concert tickets or special programs is not tax deductible since you receive something of value when you purchase the ticket.
Thank you for your support and generosity!
Call John Parker at 413-232-5505 or email wshistory.jp@gmail.com if you have any questions on becoming a Sustaining Member that are not answered here.