- November 27, 2025
- Kelly C. Ruffel
Dear Friend:
As the year draws to a close, we’re asking for your renewed support of Preservation New Jersey. Your generosity is vital to sustaining our mission, and a gift to our Annual Fund today will ensure we enter 2026 with the strength and momentum needed to protect the historic places that define our state.
You can make an even greater impact by becoming a Sustaining Supporter through automatic monthly giving. To contribute—either with a one-time gift or monthly donation—please click “DONATE” at the top of our website or contact us directly to make arrangements.
Your support this year has fueled tremendous progress across New Jersey. Highlights include:
- Providing direct help where it was needed most. We responded to 173 requests for technical assistance from communities across the state, supporting historic sites facing zoning challenges, demolition threats, and preservation review issues, and helping stewards navigate complex local processes.
- Bringing preservation to communities statewide. We held 47 programs across New Jersey, expanding public understanding of preservation’s value and strengthening local capacity to protect historic resources.
- Advocating for essential preservation funding. We continued to work closely with federal representatives to pass the reauthorization of the Historic Preservation Fund, ensuring the continuation of critical national investment in preservation for years to come.
- Highlighting cultural resources through a themed statewide initiative. This year’s Cemetery Stewardship Preservation Program Series brought new attention to the histories, caretaking challenges, and long-term preservation needs of cemeteries across New Jersey.
- Celebrating three decades of impact. As we marked the 30th anniversary of our 10 Most Endangered Historic Places program, we looked back on its powerful legacy. Over three decades, the program has brought critical attention to hundreds of threatened sites—and helped achieve a 58% success rate in saving or significantly improving outcomes for listed properties.
Looking ahead, 2026 promises both new challenges and meaningful opportunities. Shifting federal funding priorities, local policy reforms, and the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence will shape the preservation landscape for years to come.
Preservation New Jersey will continue to advocate tirelessly for the protection and revitalization of the historic and cultural resources that make our state extraordinary—but we cannot do this work without you. Together, we can save, preserve, and celebrate the places that make New Jersey unique.
With warm wishes for a joyful and safe holiday season,
Paul J. Muir, President, PNJ Board of Trustees
