Georgia Historical Society

The cost to the Georgia Historical Society to administer the Georgia Historical Marker Program is approximately $5000 per marker erected.  Since 1998, the program has been supported by the State of Georgia with additional funds provided by marker sponsors through a cost-share arrangement.  Under this system GHS has been able to ensure that the program continues with the installation, statewide, of at least 12 markers per year.  

Reductions in the current fiscal year (FY2009), reflected in the State’s mid-year budget, have necessitated immediate changes in our administration of this important program.  Therefore beginning immediately all applications reviewed by our committee will be placed in the following categories:

•    Approved and eligible for full program support.  Sponsoring organizations responsible for $1500 toward the overall cost of marker administration.

•    Approved and eligible for partial program support.  Sponsoring organizations responsible for $3000 toward the overall cost of marker administration.*  

•    Approved but not eligible for program support.  Sponsoring organizations responsible for total cost of marker administration, currently $5000 per marker.*

•    Deferred with request for new information.  Applicant is requested to clarify certain points within the application (perhaps submitting new research and/or refocused historical document) and resubmit in a later round of review.

•    Rejected.  Applications rejected by the committee (and not deferred at the committee’s request) may be resubmitted in one additional round of review (the committee will review such an application a total of two times).  Applicants are strongly urged to work closely with GHS program staff in the resubmission of rejected applications.

All markers erected within the GHS program, regardless of the amount of sponsor contribution, must meet all program requirements and final marker text must be approved by committee.  Please see Marker Guidelines and the Application for Historical Markers for full program requirements and information.

*Following approval by the committee, marker sponsors will be given the option to proceed with their marker project at the level of sponsor cost-share responsibility indicated.  In cases of approval with partial support or approval with no program support, written authorization along with payment of one-half of the sponsor cost share will be required to continue the marker process from that point.  Once this deposit amount is submitted to GHS, the marker will be considered in-process and the initial payment will not be refunded.  The second half of the sponsor cost share will be due once details of marker text and location are finalized and before the marker is ordered from the foundry.