As your historic preservation group grows, it will move through several development stages. These stages may be bridged by periods of rebellion and questioning. Ideally, these periods will produce greater maturity and new skillsets that will help your group to move forward to the next stage of development.

You may recognize your preservation group in one of the stages described below.

Longing for the Old Days

Your historic preservation group might be one of the hundreds of local and statewide nonprofit organizations founded in the 1970s. Many U.S. preservation groups were founded in the 1970s in tandem with the passage of historic preservation ordinances.

For the founders of these preservation groups, the early days of building a preservation organization were exciting. Most groups had an informal structure, zero or few staff, basement offices, and leaders with passion — but not necessarily advocacy training or nonprofit management experience. You may find that some of the old-timers in your group long for these early days, when preservation groups operated with less structure and more passion.

Expanding Your Community Role

The community role of historic preservation groups began to shift in the 1980s. Instead of focusing exclusively on protecting and restoring historic architecture and community history, historic preservation efforts became linked to overarching community issues. It was paired with redevelopment and became an integral part of thoughtful urban design.

As a result of this shift, your preservation group must be engaged with your community more than ever. Your group will need professional expertise and an organizational structure that supports problem solving, decision making, and a division of labor.

Coping with Societal Changes

As your historic preservation group moves forward into the 21^st century, it faces a time of great change. Many preservationists are looking to social media to connect their cause to a broader audience and to energize those who already care. Historic preservation's relationship with environmental ethics, including green building practices, continues to test boundaries. The lingering effects of a recession are forcing some preservation groups to reconsider their worth.

To flourish in this dynamic context, your preservation group must adjust and plan for change. The following strategies will help you adjust to the internal and external changes your group will experience:

• Give empowering, creative roles to your board, staff, and volunteers.
• Make the most of talent to prevent conflict and burnout.
• Organize strategic planning exercises to bring your group together around major new issues.

As with any organization, your preservation group will experience conflicts. But if your group is well-managed, these conflicts will be healthy indicators of an organization poised for success.

Networking Outside Your Community

As your historic preservation group expands its community role and copes with change, you may find it valuable to network with other preservation organizations. Networking offers you the following benefits:

• Learning about trends in historic preservation from cutting-edge experts in the field.
• Networking peers can help you anticipate your members' future needs.
• Seeing how other preservationists have dealt with common problems allows you to return to your own organization with a renewed perspective that will help you better lead your team.

Many networking opportunities exist for historic preservation advocates at the state and national level. Most statewide preservation groups host an annual or biannual preservation conference. Some of these conferences are larger and more comprehensive than others. Keep in mind that a bigger conference is not necessarily better — a small conference with the right content, speakers, and mix of participants can also be excellent. Here are some networking opportunities for historic preservation advocates:

Wisconsin Historical Society's Local History and Historic Preservation Conference

This conference is a great opportunity to network with groups near you.

National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Conference

This national-level conference is held in a different location each year.

Wisconsin Association of Historic Preservation Commissions (WAHPC)

WAHPC holds an annual conference each spring and publishes a monthly newsletter.

Colorado Preservation Annual Conference

This is the largest statewide preservation conference and usually attracts more than 500 people. It is held annually in Denver.

Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Conference

This is another very large and well-attended statewide preservation conference.