I got into genealogy young – around the age of 10. It was and still is my passion, but back when I finished with my education, the notion of making a living at it seemed foolish, so I embarked upon a career as a management consultant. There was a lot to be said for this choice as it gave me the opportunity to explore the world, but fast forward 15 years and I was averaging nine months a year overseas. As much as I love travel, it was time for a change. Still enamored with genealogy, I wondered whether I could make a go of it.

Based on what happened next, I believe that once you find the courage to do what you were put on this planet to do, the world responds. I know it’s hackneyed, but truly, doors open and opportunities materialize. I also learned that it’s best not to set concrete goals because you might limit yourself.

In those early days, I said ‘yes’ to every invitation I got – starting with the stunning chance to be the lead researcher on a PBS series called Ancestors – provided I would drop what I was doing, hop on a plane, and start the next day. I did.¹

At that time, it was standard for a season to have 13 episodes, but I found so many more stories. It broke my heart that so many terrific tales couldn’t be squeezed into the show, so I hit upon the idea of writing a companion book. It was an iffy prospect at best (back then, PBS wouldn’t even consider a book until it had reached the bound galleys stage), but the producers gave me the OK to at least try. I swallowed a publishing-for-idiots book to learn how to put together a proposal and researched possible agents. After pitching 11, six called to represent me. I picked one and am still with her today. Two weeks later, I had my first book deal. In Search of Our Ancestors was born.

Before long I found myself on my first book tour. One evening after speaking in the Washington, D.C. area, I was approached by an Army officer who just happened to be in the store. They were trying on genealogists for size for a new initiative to identify soldiers still unaccounted for from past conflicts ranging from WWI to Desert Storm. DNA played a central role. Would I be interested? You bet I would.

[I would total my car in the colonel’s yard before being officially accepted, but that’s a story for another time.]

All of this transpired in my first year or so of becoming a professional genealogist. Lead researcher for a TV series? Check. Published author? Check. A chance to work in the brand new field of forensic genealogy for a meaningful purpose? Check again.

All of this would spill over into still more opportunities. The work on the TV show led to my first speaking gig – the banquet talk for a national conference (terrified in my hotel room before and cursing my “say yes” mentality, I somehow managed to pull it off). The Army work is why I was the first professional genealogist to champion the use of DNA testing (got some serious flack for the first 3-4 years or so). And the book led to other books, including Trace Your Roots with DNA, the first on genetic genealogy, and Who Do You Think You Are?, companion to another TV series.

But let’s stick with that first year. It was 1999-2000 and I was positively giddy. I couldn’t believe that I was getting to make a living doing what I loved and so much good fortune had come my way so swiftly. I decided to find a way to give back and that’s what prompted me to launch a genealogy grants program.

I kept it simple adding an application page to my website and started selecting one submission each month (in later years, I shifted to quarterly). If you’re curious about the details, this interview covers a lot of ground, including my formidable mother, Seton Shields, for whom the program is named (still more on her here).

And then, just like that, two decades flew by.

That’s when I began contemplating wrapping it up. I started in 2000 so would end after 20 years in 2020 after awarding 222 grants. Something about all those 2s and 0s appealed to me.

I had also achieved my six-figure goal. Mind you, this isn’t a matter of having deep pockets, but rather of making a commitment and being consistent with it. Early on, money was tight so donations were very modest. As my situation improved, I gave more. Turns out that if you do something steadily for 20 years, it adds up.

sample of grant recipients

So who received the grants? Individuals and organizations in:

44 states and

13 countries (Bahamas, Cambodia, Canada, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, UK, and the US)

Personal projects led the way with 57, but genealogical societies were a close second with 44. 28 historical societies were awarded grants, as were 21 libraries and several museums.

Like most genealogists, I have a soft spot for cemeteries, so it should come as no surprise that 33 cemeteries were beneficiaries (for everything from fencing to erecting new monuments to using ground-penetrating radar to identify graves, and once even for a lawn mower needed for maintenance). Due to another soft spot of mine, school kids and scouts were often on the receiving end, sometimes in support of Eagle Scout projects.

Among the personal projects were books, websites, family reunions, DNA projects, and documentaries. Institutional ones were often for scanning and/or transcription initiatives, but also for more mundane needs such as shelving and archival storage supplies.

One of my fondest memories was speaking in New Zealand and being presented with a book on WWI soldiers from Fiji, one I had supported with a grant. Just a short while later, the same thing happened in Alaska, but this time for a book on tombstone transcriptions for the Kenai Peninsula.

These back-to-back experiences exemplify what I’ve hoped to achieve. Genealogy does so much good for the world, but even now, its contributions are under-recognized, so it’s challenging for worthy efforts to find funding. I hoped to address that as well as I could with a water-on-a-stone approach.  No single project is world-changing, but I’d like to think that all those classes, books, tombstones, transcriptions, shelves, databases, DNA tests, documentaries, websites, reunions, monuments, oral histories, digitizations, repairs, and what have you will have made a dent – and better yet, made a difference.

¹ In case you’re wondering how I got a call like this out of the blue, I had met the producers about a month earlier when a mutual friend put us in touch so I could pick their brains about a documentary I was working on (another hobby of mine was local access television). It was only upon meeting them that I discovered their involvement with a family history series, and I did what every genealogist would do under those circumstances – babbled with excitement. Several weeks later, their lead researcher abruptly quit leaving them in the lurch. They flashed back to my enthusiasm and knew I had at least a passing acquaintance with the television world, so decided to roll the dice on me.

The post Celebrating the End of an Era: 222 Seton Shields Genealogy Grants in 20 Years! appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

I’m happy to announce that the 222nd (and final!) grant has been awarded to Rosie Rowley.

Since 2013, Rosie has been researching people in Macclesfield, Cheshire in the UK who lost their lives in WW1, and compiling the information. She shares that she has heard from many people who have been grateful to learn about their relative who served in the war. Her research has also been used for many local exhibitions over the years, and to inform the Commonwealth War Graves Committee (www.cwgc.org) of errors in their records.

Rosie’s goal is to scan the Macclesfield library’s partial index of local newspapers on cards (covering selected years 1811-1970) and combine the information with her WWI index so the information would be more easily searchable.

She started out using a portable scanner that can only handle about 2 of these cards per minute. Grant funds will be used to buy a faster portable scanner with a document feeder that can handle 20 cards per minute, allowing Rosie to, in her own words, “make short work of copying the cards and . . . move on to producing the digital index.”

Rosie is currently in the process of moving her website to a new domain and host and we will link to her website, where over the years she has made her research freely available to anyone who is interested, when the process is complete.

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Olivia shared that while doing her own genealogy research, she was disappointed in the lack of an online, centralized location for Black Genealogy and Black History resources. And so, as a family historian and web developer, she decided to do something about it.

The result is Digital Black History, a free online searchable listing of digital Black History projects that have been created by individuals and institutions alike. As Olivia said, “There are numerous projects about Black History out there, but it can be very difficult to find them. This website curates those resources and allows you to search for them so that you can supplement your research.”

Olivia shared that her ultimate goal is “to leverage technology to disseminate and elevate the histories and genealogies of members of the African diaspora.” Her plan is to transform Digital Black History into a hub for free, digital tools that help researchers and genealogists conduct research on African American ancestors.

Grant funds will support hosting, domain name, and maintenance costs associated with Digital Black History for the next two years.

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This blog works to showcase the variety of genealogical, social and historical information found in Chinese Exclusion Act case files and to give guidance on how to locate information in the files. The focus is on the files at the National Archives-Seattle from Record Group 85 pertaining to Seattle, Port Townsend, and Sumas, Washington, as well as Portland, Oregon. Blog entries summarize individual case files and generally include photos and original documents found in the files. Sometimes, a particular section of the Act is highlighted and an explanation given of how it pertains to an individual case file.

Grant funds will be used to help cover the costs of running the ChineseExclusionFiles website.

You can apply for a Seton Shields grant here. Be sure to check out the cool projects I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to over the years, plus an article that will give you a behind-the-scenes peek into my grants program (and might help you increase your odds of being selected when you apply). We’re getting very close to the wire, so don’t delay in applying!

The post Seton Shields Genealogy Grant #219: ChineseExclusionFiles.com appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

The post Seton Shields Genealogy Grant #218: Nicka Sewell-Smith of BlackProGen LIVE appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

The Isabella Gibbons Local History Center at the Heritage Center promotes the study of Charlottesville and Albemarle County local histories, with the goal of fostering a deeper understanding of the community’s lived environment. Through its various offerings, the Center archives and disseminates narratives that are relevant locally and add to the larger history of African Americans in Virginia and the nation.The Center provides intergenerational programs that expose new audiences to African American and local history research. Additionally, the Center presents genealogical lectures and symposia that consider new trends in genealogical research. It also offers meeting space for local genealogy groups and computers set up with ancestry.com. Currently, the BBS Afro-American Historical Genealogical Society (AAHGS) and Central Virginia History Researchers (CVHR) hold their monthly group meetings at the Center along with other community partners who all have a link to genealogical research.

Grant funds will assist with the purchase of a Panasonic AG-UX90 4K/HD Professional Camcorder, which will be used to videotape an oral history initiative kicking off this year.

You can apply for a Seton Shields grant here. Don’t miss checking out the cool projects I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to over the years, plus an article that will give you a behind-the-scenes peek into my grants program (and might help you increase your odds of being selected when you apply). And don’t forget, the clock is ticking!

Photo Credit: JSAAHC

The post Seton Shields Genealogy Grant #216: Jefferson School African American Heritage Center appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

I’m happy to announce that the first of two grant recipients in the fourth quarter of 2019 is Tami Mize of ConferenceKeeper.org.

ConferenceKeeper is a free online calendar of genealogy events. Events of all kinds – from conferences, seminars, and institutes, to local fairs, family history days and library lock-ins – are submitted by both societies and individuals. In addition, Tami spends time each week searching for and adding interesting genealogy events. Events are listed on the website on a main calendar and on individual pages by specific location (US State, Canadian Territory, etc.). Additionally, there are specific pages for Contests, Calls for Papers, Grants & Scholarships, Volunteer Opportunities and more.

Grant funds will be used to help cover the costs of running the ConferenceKeeper website. These include upkeep, web hosting, and automation software fees. If you’d like to join me in supporting ConferenceKeeper, you can donate an amount of your choice using the donate button on the website’s home page (you’ll find it in the left-hand sidebar).

Watch for an announcement about the second grant recipient shortly. Meanwhile, though, you can apply for a Seton Shields grant here. Don’t miss checking out the cool projects I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to over the years, plus an article that will give you a behind-the-scenes peek into my grants program (and might help you increase your odds of being selected when you apply). The clock is ticking, so don’t delay!

The post Seton Shields Genealogy Grant #215: ConferenceKeeper.org appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

My latest grant has been awarded to mitoYDNA, the group of collaborative genetic genealogists behind the design, implementation, and ongoing upgrade and maintenance of mitoYDNA.org.

This group had a vision for a website where users could upload Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA to create a Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA database. The site also offers DNA matching, analysis and tools to help users and volunteers further their genealogical research.

The website is:

• Crowdsourced – volunteer-driven.
• Free – there is no cost to users/volunteers, though donations are encouraged to defer hardware, facility and administrative costs.
• Accessible to all.

Although server space and other resources have been donated thanks to generous sponsors, there are still a number of expenses associated with running and promoting a non-profit company in the U.S. and grant funds will be used to assist with these. If you’d like to join me in supporting their mission, you can donate an amount of your choice using the donate button on the website’s home page.

You can apply for a Seton Shields grant here. Don’t miss checking out the cool projects I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to over the years, plus an article that will give you a behind-the-scenes peek into my grants program (and might help you increase your odds of being selected when you apply). And don’t forget, the clock is ticking!

The post Seton Shields Genealogy Grant #214: mitoYDNA appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.

It’s kind of funny now, thinking back to those early days when it was a struggle to make a grant some months. Though I had been obsessed with genealogy since the ripe old age of 10, I was new to the professional world and the income wasn’t exactly rolling in! But I’ve been doing it steadily ever since – mostly monthly, but in recent years, larger amounts on a quarterly basis. I’m so glad I stuck with it because I’ve always been a believer in the water-on-a-stone concept – that notion that a drip, drip, drip approach can ultimately make a difference.

And what a ride it’s been! To get a sense of the wide variety of genealogical endeavors I’ve had the opportunity to support, please take a few minutes to explore here.

May of next year will be my 20^th anniversary, and since next year will be 2020, I thought that might be a fitting time to wrap up. 20 years in 2020. In fact, if I play my cards right, it will also be the 220^th grant! I have one other milestone I’ll be aiming for, but whether I reach it remains to be seen.

The reason I’m sharing this decision now is to give any fence-sitters – those folks who have been considering applying for a grant, but haven’t done so – a heads up that the clock is now ticking. Generally, grant applications remain active for 6 months, but since this is the curtain call, any made from this point on will stay under consideration until the end. Applications for fascinating, innovative, creative, and yes, even mundane genealogical projects (sometimes libraries need shelves, you know?) of all stripes are welcome!

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The Historical Society of Harford County is the repository and caretaker of documents and items that demonstrate the history of Harford County, Maryland. The archives include records and artifacts that are open to public review. In most instances, people who do family research are looking for their story, which is not provided in full by just looking at official documents. It is in the archives and other personal collections that the story they are seeking emerges.

The Society sought funding for materials necessary to process and store the 1,088 letters and other documents in the collection of the late Nancy Webster Barnes, which was recently donated for genealogists and historians to research and explore. The letters, each one full of local and family history facts, were received folded in original mailing envelopes and will have to be carefully processed and stored for preservation. All of the letters, records and documents will be indexed and cataloged for addition into the Society’s archives.

As a reminder, you can apply for a Seton Shields grant here. Don’t miss checking out the cool projects I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to over the years, plus an article that will give you a behind-the-scenes peek into my grants program (and might help you increase your odds of being selected when you apply)!

The post Seton Shields Genealogy Grant #212: The Historical Society of Harford County appeared first on Megan Smolenyak.