Naco Heritage Alliance Inc

“Naco Heritage Alliance's primary mission is to uplift the stories, arts, and cultures of the Borderlands, particularly celebrating the Buffalo Soldiers. We will carry out our mission from the campus and buildings at Camp Naco, less than a mile from the international border. Buffalo Soldiers were housed there between 1919 and 1923. At present we are partnering with the City of Bisbee and nonprofit organizations including the Mellon Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and other local nonprofits to rehabilitate the 20 buildings on 16 acres at Camp Naco. Through historic preservation, education, intercultural exchange, and developing a robust visitor experience, Naco Heritage Alliance serves as an anchor for the nation's borderlands history and as a community center for the rural communities in southern Arizona.”

“Other revenue is honorariums and speaker fees for engaging in educational programs.”

“Other expenses include banking fees, memberships, communications efforts, and D&O insurance.”

“Other assets are the wholesale cost of unsold merchandise (branded shirts, books).”

“NHA manages and develops the programmatic activities of the organization, the expenses of which are currently provided in-kind by the City of Bisbee through the aforementioned grants. The three largest programmatic pathways for NHA include: [990EZ Part III, Line 28] Educational Lecture Series: NHA's "Fireplace Chats" are popular, regularly scheduled events that bring renowned historians and experts to the community to share their perspectives on the Borderlands-related topics. Seven events were held in 2024 covering a range of topics including women's impact on the Borderlands, Buffalo Soldiers at Bonita Canyon in Arizona, and the history of the Chiricahua Apache in the area. These seven events were attended by 217 people, with an increased level of participation at each event. [990EZ Part III, Line 29] Camp Naco Visitor Experience: NHA is working with an exhibit design consultant and a multitude of volunteers and content experts to design, fabricate, and install exhibits within the Camp Naco site that speak to the multitude of histories embodied within. This also includes the development of the tour/site experience and a mobile application integration. Once the site is open and accessible to the public (expected December 2025), the estimated impact includes a potential 13,000 visitors per year to the area and a total potential economic impact of approximately $1.4 million, creating and supporting about 15 ongoing jobs (according to "Potential Economic Impact of Preserving and Rehabilitating Camp Naco," by Robert Carreira, Ph.D., June, 2022). [990 EZ Part III, Line 30] Collaborative Community Programming: NHA engages with regular community programming alongside local, regional, and national non-profit organizations with similar missions (National Trust for Historic Preservation's HOPE Crew and Nogales Buffalo Soldier Legacy Association, as examples) by participating in and supporting these organizations' events. While the exact impact of this programmatic pathway is difficult to determine, it affords NHA the opportunity to educate and engage potential audiences on the historic preservation of Camp Naco and its associated histories and cultures.”

“Camp Naco (2118 West Newell Street) is owned by the City of Bisbee, Bisbee, Arizona. In partnership with Naco Heritage Alliance, the City of Bisbee received two substantial grants in 2022 from the Mellon Foundation and State of Arizona Office of the Governor (totaling $8.1 million), which allowed for the launching of the Camp Naco Project, efforts that up until this point were primarily driven by grass-roots volunteer efforts. The grants were focused on three key areas: preservation of the 16 acres and 20 buildings/structures; implementation of place-based community programming; and organizational development of Naco Heritage Alliance to sustain Camp Naco into the future. These grants also included funding for an Executive Director [Jeremy Fricke, listed on 990EZ, Part IV], an Administrative Assistant, and a Construction Project Manager, the pay to whom is held and administered by the City of Bisbee. The paid staff are responsible for administering the grants, including budget management, until the term of the grants expire (December 2026). In this regard, the City of Bisbee is covering the cost of salaries, organizational development, capital improvements, and other operations costs "in-kind" for the duration of those granting periods. Thereafter, the Naco Heritage Alliance is allowed full programming, staffing, and operating control while the City of Bisbee will retain ownership of the property and assist with maintenance.”