How You Can Help Us!

Volunteers Needed

So many projects  --  So few hands

The Clay County Archives has volunteer opportunities available.  Indexing and scanning photos; criminal court records; birth, death and marriage records; filing and data entry to name just a few.  If you have a few hours a month, the Archives could use your talents.  Bring a lunch and a few friends with you.  Choose a project and we'll train you.  Most are very easy to learn.

To volunteer, call the Archives at 816-781-3611, Tuesday or Wednesday.  Ask for Volunteer Coordinator Joyce Pollock.

Charitable Donations

We are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers, who receives no financial support from any governmental agency.  So to pay our bills and keep the lights on, we covet the donations of our patrons.  Please consider us with your contributions in the following ways:

• Become a member!  For only $15 a year, you get unlimited on-site research and our quarterly newsletter.
• Make a gift by mailing your check made payable to:  Clay County Archives, 210 E Franklin, Liberty, MO  64068
• Increase your gift if your employer has a matching gift program.
• Make an online contribution via our secure PayPal account by clicking the Donate button below.
• Gifts-in-kind, such as functional late-model computer equipment or copier, etc.

Giving Categories are:

All donors will be acknowledged in the MOsaic newsletter and Benefactors and Patrons will be immortalized by being added to the appropriate plaque in the entrance of the Hughes Library.  Donations are cumulative.  For instance, if you give multiple times which add up to $1000 or more, you too can become a Benefactor!

Charitable Donations Through Your Estate

Make a planned gift such as life insurance or charitable annuity or through your estate or will.  Please consult your tax attorney.  If you have already made these estate gift provisions, please tell us about them.

Historical Material

Share your valuable historical information with others.  We would appreciate donations of historical documents and photos relating to Clay County and it's founding families to add to our collections.  These items will be cared for, indexed (abstracted) and made available for researchers and our patrons from Clay County and the world.

The documents can include items such as family histories, genealogies, family bibles, information about local businesses and organizations (founding documents, ledgers, etc), information about local communities, cemetery records, school records, class photos, historical photographs.

A Genealogical Will

"A Genealogical Codicil to My Last Will and Testament"

Many of us spend hours, days, years, decades, enjoying our compiling and collection of family history and as we know, not everyone may be as interested in our endeavors at that particular time in their life --- only to have many regrets that so much was sadly lost in the years that follow them.  Perhaps this Codicil might help others to understand one's devotion to the project and perhaps save such a collection...  Even placing a copy of this in the first file marked IMPORTANT might make a difference.

Here's a sample Codicil:  Genealogical Codicil to My Last Will and Testament (PDF)

Genealogical Codicil to My Last Will and Testament

To my spouse, children, guardian, administrator and/or executor:

Upon my demise it is requested that you DO NOT dispose of any or all of my genealogical records, both those prepared personally by me and those records prepared by others which may be in my possession, including but not limited to books, files, notebooks or computer programs for a period of two years.  During this time period, please attempt to identify one or more persons who would be willing to take custody of the said materials and the responsibility of maintaining and continuing the family histories.  [If you know whom within your family or friends are likely candidates to accept these materials, please add the following at this point: "I suggest that the persons contacted regarding the assumption of the custody of these items include but not be limited to" and then list the names of those individuals at this point, with their addresses and telephone numbers if known]

In the event you do not find anyone to accept these materials, please contact the various genealogical organizations that I have been a member of and determine if they will accept some parts or all of my genealogical materials.  [List of organizations, addresses and phone numbers at bottom; include local chapters, with their addresses, phone numbers and contact persons if available as well as state/national contact information and addresses, such as:]

Clay County Archives & Historical Library
210 E Franklin St
Liberty, MO  64068

Please remember that my genealogical endeavors consumed a great deal of time, travel, and money.  Therefore it is my desire that the products of these endeavors be allowed to continue in a manner that will make them available to others in the future.

Signature ___________________________ Date ___________

Witness ____________________________ Date ___________

Witness ____________________________ Date ___________