Ephrata Cloister Associates

“The organization has members who pay a membership fee to join the ephrata cloister associates.”

“The members are balloted to select the board of directors.”

“The cpa preparing the form 990 sends a draft copy of the return to the president of the board who in turn makes the return available to the board of directors.”

“The organization monitors and enforces compliance with its conflict of interest policy by the use of questionnaires to the board of directors and their employees.”

“Governing documents are made available to the public upon request.”

“The ephrata cloister's historic buildings, collections, and programming invite the exploration of this unique community's spiritual, creative, and intellectual accomplishments by encouraging visitors to develop a personal connection to pennsylvania's significant role in religious toleration and intellectual freedom. The ephrata cloister associates is dedicated to the continued preservation and promotion of the ephrata cloister through the sponsorship of special cloister related events such as lantern tours, apple dumpling day, day of music, christmas at the cloister, the student historian program and other education programs for special audiences. The ephrata cloister chorus, sponsored by the associates, is unique as it relates to the museum and the historic site. The chorus performs several of over 1,000 hymns written at the site. In addition to ephrata's past, the group performs compositions from other early american communities including works from the shakers, the moravians, the harmonists, the first new england school and african american spirituals. The associates also maintain the museum store, which specializes in cloister related books, gifts and hand-crafted items.”

“Volunteers for the ephrata cloister play a very important role in the operation of the site. They are guides for the individual and group tours, school tours, support our educational programs, history classses, and special events. They also help with the front desk activities as well as other tasks to benefit the promotion and preservation of the ephrata cloister.”

“A community-based not-for-profit since 1958, the organization, in partnership with the pennsylvania historical and museum commission, creates programs that feature the unique music, art, architecture, and spiritual practice of this pre-revolutionary community. The organization supports the cloister chorus, founded in 1959, which offers historically informed performances of music composed in early ephrata. Regular site programs and an artisan-rich museum store combine with a calendar of sponsored special events like winter history class, school-based community days, christmas at the cloister, the ice cream social, and chorus concerts as a means to engage the community, invite exploration, promote local tourism, and preserve the legacy of this national historic landmark. The organization also provides visitor services and regular guided tours; raises funds; and assists in acquiring artifacts using money donated to the back to the cloister fund.”