Other Types of Donations

 

Tools, Supplies and Equipment

We need just about any type of material and tool that might be associated with carpentry, metal work, track work, painting, glazing and brush clearing. The following materials and tools would be particularly helpful if you should be able to donate them to the FEBT restoration crews. You should contact the Rockhill Furnace Restoration Crew Coordinator or Robertsdale Restoration Crew Coordinator to arrange donation of materials or tools.

Materials

  • Mineral spirits or paint thinner.
  • Bagged concrete mix, such as Quickrete or Sackrete.
  • Reusable track materials such as spikes, joint bars, track bolts and ties.
  • Large dimensional lumber suitable for structural framing.
  • Many of our rolling stock projects require fabrication of special steel shapes. If your shop is equipped for ferrous metal casting or heavy gauge metal forming and you would like to donate raw materials, pattern making or finished patterns, rough or finished castings, machine work, or metal forming work, please contact our Rockhill Furnace Restoration Coordinator to determine what is currently required, or will be required for future projects.

Tools

  • Step ladders 6′ and up and any size extension ladders.
  • Painting pails and oil paint brushes of various sizes.
  • Scaffolding. (Please contact our Rockhill Restoration Coordinator to ensure the scaffolding that you wish to donate will mate with our current scaffolding system.
  • Hand tools such as saws, hammers, drills, pliers and putty knives.
  • Power tools such as skill saws, drills, hammer drills, routers, chain saws, pole saws and brush cutters.

Equipment

Note: The following items should be in either serviceable or repairable quality to be useful to us. While we can repair most minor mechanical problems with any of the following equipment, except in very limited exceptional cases, we do not have the resources to rebuild “basket cases.”

If you would like to donate any of the items below, or you know an individual or organization who would be willing to donate them, even if they don’t currently work, please contact the Rockhill Restoration Coordinator. We will be happy to work with the individual or organization donating the items to determine if we can repair and use them.

  • Engine driven air compressor, gas or diesel.
  • Man lift, boom style preferred, either self propelled or tow behind.
  • Walk behind brush mower (not trimmer).
  • A small industrial combination tractor/front end loader, preferably with either a backhoe or a bush hog attachment.
  • Professional Airless Paint Sprayer.
  • Engine driven welder/generator.
  • A small wheeled or tracked loader or excavator such as a bobcat.
  • A lawn mower or preferably a lawn tractor.
  • Specialized track MOW machines, such as a small ballast tamper, spike drivers, spike removers, a track bolt machine and a scarifier. Do not worry if these machines are set up for standard gauge. We can convert most of the smaller machines to narrow gauge.

Artifact Donations

The Friends of the East Broad Top is constantly searching for historical items and artifacts relating to the East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company and the customers it served. Our museum holds an increasing number of valuable EBT related items, while the FEBT’s C.R. Wilburn Library contains a growing archive of EBT historical material. We actively encourage individuals and groups who are holding EBT artifacts and material to consider donating them to the Friends of the East Broad Top. We would also encourage those who do not wish to part with their items at this time, to consider a bequest of future gift of their EBT related items to the Friends of the East Broad Top.

Similar to Gifts and Bequests (see below), donation of “in-kind” items can represent a significant asset to your tax or estate planning. Please address all inquiries regarding donations of EBT related materials and artifacts to the Robertsdale Museum Coordinator.

Corporate Matching of Donations

Corporate matching gifts are an easy way for donors to increase the impact of their personal contributions to the Friends of the East Broad Top. In most cases the result is to double and sometimes triple the amount that you give. We will be happy to provide the necessary information if your employer has such a corporate program to match charitable donations made by its employees and retirees.

Here is a partial list of companies from which we have received matching contributions from:

American Express
Boeing
BP
Citigroup
Computer Associates
Corning
Exxon/Mobil
Honeywell International
IBM
Microsoft
National Starch and Chemical
Saint-Gobain
SBC
Thomson-West
Tyco
Verizon

Designated Gifts and Bequests

A gift is a planned donation made during your lifetime. A bequest is a planned donation that is specified in your will. Planned giving not only benefits the Friends of the East Broad Top, but can provide a significant tax advantage to the donor as well. Your personal tax advisor or accountant can discuss with you how your gift, or bequest to the Friends of the East Broad Top can minimize your tax liability.

Gifts or bequests may be made generally or to a specific FEBT project or program. We will gladly discuss with you arrangements for donations or gifts to the Friends of the East Broad Top. Our legal advisor can also supply information about including FEBT in your will.

For further information concerning any of these donation opportunities, please direct your inquiries to the FEBT Fundraising Treasurer.