The following announcement was written by the Pennington Research Association:
FALLS CHURCH, VA, 19 SEPTEMBER 2022—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) and the Pennington Research Association (PRA) today announce the formal dissolution of PRA and the transfer of its digital and financial assets to NGS.
PRA was founded for the sole purpose of collecting, preserving, maintaining, and disseminating materials related to the genealogical structure of the Pennington Family. Last year the association decided to dissolve requiring it to find a home for its financial assets and digital information. PRA selected NGS as the recipient of those assets.
“PRA’s long support for the Pennington family genealogical and historical resources is an important contribution to the family history community in America,” said Matt Menashes, CAE, executive director of NGS. “We are grateful to PRA for entrusting its assets to NGS to ensure they remain available.”
“When we decided to dissolve our nonprofit corporation, we immediately sought out NGS as a partner to take on our assets. We are thrilled to be able to provide these assets to a national organization, one that will ensure we continue to disseminate information about the Pennington family and that is able to continue to provide genealogy education for Pennington descendants,” said Gene Pennington, who facilitated the discussions with NGS and served many years as PRA’s chairman and research director.
Under an asset transfer agreement NGS agreed to support PRA’s family tree maintained on a MyHeritage website; provide an annual stipend to Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, which preserves PRA’s physical assets; and establish the Pennington Gift Fund to ensure PRA’s financial assets are properly managed. NGS is also providing complimentary one-year memberships to former PRA members.
“While we know it is never an easy decision to close a nonprofit genealogy organization, we were glad to provide this opportunity for PRA to continue its legacy,” said Kathryn Doyle, NGS president. “With thousands of small family associations and genealogy organizations in the United States, some will close occasionally. NGS can help those organizations maintain their assets and continue to leave a legacy going forward.”