Lake Minnetonka Historical Society: Viability Study and Strategic Plan

Partners: Wayzata Historical Society, Deephaven Historical Society, Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society, Minnetonka Historical Society, The Museum of Lake Minnetonka, Wayzata Historical Society, Westonka Historical Society

Six historical organizations connected to Lake Minnetonka are partnering to hire a consultant to conduct a viability study of a possible consolidation or strategic alliance. The partners are Deephaven Historical Society, founded in 2000; Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society, founded in 1972; Minnetonka Historical Society, founded in 1995; The Museum of Lake Minnetonka, founded in 2004; Wayzata Historical Society, founded in 1982; and Westonka Historical Society, founded in 1966. These historical societies serve the communities of Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenwood, Minnetonka, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetrista, Mound, Orono, Shorewood, Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Victoria, Wayzata, Woodland, and parts of neighboring communities.

All partners have a common mission to collect, preserve, and publicly share the history of Lake Minnetonka. The redundancy of the partners' collecting practices has put them in competition for resources such as artifacts, volunteers, donors, members, and visitors. It also means that Lake Minnetonka's interpretation is fragmented, making research more tedious and time-consuming. Consolidating or sharing resources will benefit not only the partner organizations but the communities that they serve.

The grant will fund the gathering of information pertinent to the feasibility of consolidation and a strategic plan for consolidating or working as an alliance. This grant will address administration, governance, communications, membership, archives, museums, and public programs. The partner organizations will determine the best course of action to preserve, interpret, and improve access to Lake Minnetonka history.