We are pleased to announce a matching donation that represents a significant step toward solidifying the endowment for the Joan Kelly Prize.

The prize, established by the Coordinating Council for Women in History (CCWH) in 1983 and administered by the AHA, provides $1,000 for a book “in women’s history and/or feminist theory that best reflects the high intellectual and scholarly ideals exemplified by the life and work of Joan Kelly.” As we wrote recently in March, the endowment for the prize had fallen below a sustainable level.

We are now pleased to report that an anonymous donor has offered two-to-one matching funds to restore the prize. The anonymous donor will contribute two dollars for every dollar contributed by others up to a maximum of $5,000. That would mean, if we successfully raise the $5,000, our anonymous donor will contribute a total of $10,000.

A glance at the names of past winners should be sufficient to demonstrate the prestige this prize carries and the importance of keeping it going. Now, any contribution, no matter how small, will go three times as far toward preserving the memory of Joan Kelly and honoring outstanding work in women’s history.

Tax-deductible contributions of any amount should be made out to CCWH and marked for the Joan Kelly Award Fund. Please send checks to:

Kathleen Banks Nutter
Archivist, Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College
7 Neilson Dr.
Northampton, MA 01063

This post first appeared on AHA Today.