What Historic Savannah Foundation does

Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1955 and headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, focused on the preservation of the city's historic built environment. Its core programs operate a Revolving Fund that acquires endangered historic properties and resells them subject to preservation covenants, hold preservation easements on a portfolio described as exceeding 400 properties, run the Davenport House Museum (with 40,000+ annual visitors), and deliver advocacy, education, and community programming including an Endangered Places program and an Artisan Spotlight Series. The organization also engages in grant partnerships, notably with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

HSF serves a multi-stakeholder constituency: preservation-easement property owners, museum visitors, individual and institutional donors, recurring members, preservation advocacy partners, and grant-making bodies. Revenue is generated through a diversified mix that includes individual and institutional donations (including a record $1.5 million gift from the Murray Perlman and Wayne Spear Charitable Foundation in September 2024), recurring membership dues, museum admissions and gift shop sales, ticketed events and tours, Revolving Fund property resales, and restricted grants. HSF maintains a lean staff of approximately 15 and has been recognized with a Preserve America Presidential Award and the Davenport Trophy.

The business model is membership- and donation-driven rather than transactional, with episodic lumpiness from property resales and major gifts. Its sustained operating tenure of more than 70 years, alongside a portfolio of private easement enforcement rights and a flagship museum, constitutes the core of its positioning within the Savannah preservation ecosystem.

Name

Historic Savannah Foundation

Legal name

Historic Savannah Foundation

Website

https://myhsf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Historic Savannah Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1955 that preserves Savannah's historic properties through a Revolving Fund, 400-plus preservation easements, the Davenport House Museum, and advocacy and education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership program with multiple tiers for individuals and corporations. Individual membership ranges from $65 (Preserver) to $2,500 (1733 Society). Corporate membership ranges from $250 (Advocate) to $2,500 (1733 Society). Membership benefits include free museum admission, lecture access, discounts on workshops, NARM benefits, and plaque program access.
2. Donations and Annual Appeal: Unrestricted donations support general operations. The 2025 Annual Appeal exceeded its $75,000 goal by reaching 120%. Donors can designate gifts to specific programs such as the Revolving Fund or Davenport House Museum. Includes memorial gifts, honoraria, bequests, and matching gift programs.
3. Revolving Fund Property Sales: HSF acquires endangered historic properties, stabilizes them, and resells to preservation-minded buyers at market or below-market prices. Properties are sold with a preservation easement. Proceeds return to the Revolving Fund to acquire additional properties. Properties include the Fendig House (c.1906, listed at $65,000) and Gilpin House (1915, listed at $235,000).
4. Events and Workshops: Revenue generated from the annual Gala, lecture series (free for members, $15 for non-members), Preservation Awards ceremony ($60/$50 members), and the Artisan Spotlight Series (ranging from $30–$70 per person). Walking tours are priced at $15 for members and $30 for non-members.
5. Historic Plaque Program: Bronze plaques commemorating historic properties are available to HSF members for $650 plus applicable sales tax. Price includes building history research, chain of title, and staff findings. Allow 16–20 weeks for casting. Separate plaques are available for Preservation Award winners.
6. Davenport House Museum Admissions: The museum welcomes over 40,000 visitors annually. Free general admission is included with HSF membership. Non-members pay standard admission fees. The museum shop sells artisan products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Historic Savannah Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that saves endangered historic buildings in Savannah and Chatham County through its Revolving Fund (acquiring, stabilizing, and reselling properties with preservation easements attached), holds and enforces more than 400 preservation easements, advocates for preservation-friendly public policy, and operates the Davenport House Museum along with educational programming such as lectures, artisan workshops, walking tours, and an annual Preservation Awards ceremony.

Product overview

Historic Savannah Foundation operates a portfolio of interconnected preservation programs and public-facing sites rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the Davenport House Museum (an award-winning historic house museum and 1820 Federal-style home), the Revolving Fund (a property acquisition and restoration program that has saved over 420 buildings), the Endangered Places Program (advocacy initiative for threatened sites), and Preservation Easements (legal protection tool for 400+ properties). Supporting programs include a Lecture Series, Artisan Spotlight Series workshops, Preservation Awards, and Plaque Program. The organization also operates the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy and Murray C. Perlman & Wayne C. Spear Preservation Center as community gathering and educational spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 420 historic buildings saved through the Revolving Fund and easements since the early 1960s
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PlaceEconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015PlaceEconomics, a Washington, DC-based real estate and economic consulting firm, was contracted to research and draft the 'Beyond Tourism' economic impact study in 2015. A local advisory team of city/county officials, economists, realtors, and academicians provided oversight to the methodology.
• City of SavannahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSF works with the City of Savannah on multiple preservation initiatives including the Savannah Powder Magazine (collaborating on a passive park development), the Meldrim Row Caretaker's Cottage ($50,000 HSF pledge toward rehabilitation plus 10-year easement), Cuyler-Brownville neighborhood surveys, and the Savannah National Historic Landmark District task force.
• Home Buyers of SavannahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn April 2025, HSF partnered with Home Buyers of Savannah (a local, Veteran-owned company) to host a media event celebrating the landmark expansion of HSF's Revolving Fund Program into the Carver Heights neighborhood. The partnership marks the first Revolving Fund project in Carver Village.
• LKS ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLominack, Kohlman, Smith (LKS) Architects conducted the detailed City Hall condition assessment in 2018, funded by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation with matching funds from HSF and the City of Savannah.
• Downtown Neighborhood AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSF collaborated with the Downtown Neighborhood Association, staff at the Metropolitan Planning Commission, the Historic District Board of Review, local architects, and the local arts/design community to develop and advocate for an alternative plan regarding the Tomochichi Federal Courthouse Annex.
• Georgia Trust for Historic PreservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSF's Endangered Places program is modeled after the Georgia Trust's Places in Peril program. Both organizations work toward identifying and advocating for endangered historic sites in Georgia.
• North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSF joined NARM, providing qualifying members (Hearth level and above) free access to over 1,000 fellow NARM museums and discounts at their gift shops. Members must present their HSF card to receive NARM benefits.
• Savannah-Chatham County Historic Site and Monument CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn July 2024, the commission approved a plan for a monument in Columbia Square honoring the seven female founders of HSF. The monument was unveiled on September 20, 2025.
• Made By Us / Civic SeasonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Davenport House Museum participates in the Civic Season initiative organized through Made By Us, the period between Juneteenth and Independence Day when communities connect with history and civic engagement. The Wish Wall project is part of this national initiative.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The largest US preservation nonprofit and a direct grant funder of HSF. Operates preservation programs nationally including Main Street America, with similar advocacy and grants work, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic scope than HSF.

Direct peers

• Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia: Regional preservation nonprofit focused on protecting Greater Philadelphia's historic resources through advocacy, education, and a preservation easements program. Operates with a comparable mission and revenue mix to HSF, though in a different urban context.
• Preservation Society of Charleston: Charleston-based preservation nonprofit focused on advocacy, education, and protecting historic properties. Operates similarly to HSF with events, advocacy, and preservation easements. Strongest direct comparable in terms of mission and operating approach.
• Historic Charleston Foundation: The most direct peer to HSF, also founded in the mid-20th century to preserve a Southern coastal city's architectural heritage. Operates a Revolving Fund for endangered properties and holds preservation easements, with a museum component—the Aiken-Rhett House. Closely aligned business model and mission.
• Historic Districts Council: NYC preservation advocacy nonprofit that monitors landmark proposals and provides technical assistance. Kaylee Ann Johnson was previously a Preservation Associate. Comparable advocacy-and-education operating model to HSF.
• Nantucket Historical Association: Long-established historical nonprofit that operates multiple museum properties on Nantucket, hosts educational programs, and runs preservation-focused events. Comparable in operating a museum portfolio and running annual appeals, gala, and lecture programming.
• New York Landmarks Conservancy: NYC-based preservation nonprofit offering grants, technical assistance, and advocacy for historic properties. Operates a similar combination of preservation services, easements, and educational programming. Kaylee Ann Johnson previously worked there as Research Associate.
• Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation: Statewide preservation nonprofit whose Places in Peril program directly inspired HSF's Endangered Places Program. Operates advocacy, grants, and an annual list of endangered sites. Active partnership relationship with HSF and a peer in mission and scale.

Regional players

• Telfair Museums: Savannah-based museum nonprofit operating the Telfair Academy, Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, and Jepson Center. A direct geographic peer that competes for local museum visitors, donors, and members, but focuses on museum operations rather than preservation easements or revolving fund work.
• Coastal Heritage Society: Savannah-based nonprofit operating historic sites including Old Fort Jackson and the Georgia State Railroad Museum. Shares the local preservation visitor economy with HSF and hires from the same talent pool; Kendall Graham previously worked there.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/historic-savannah-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Historic Savannah Foundation