When Tom Hand sold his successful Wisconsin cheese company at age 58, he could have easily settled into a comfortable retirement. Instead, this West Point graduate found himself with plenty of drive and a burning passion that would reshape his golden years into something far more meaningful than quiet leisure.
Rather than fade into an easy retirement, Hand threw himself into his lifelong love of American history. He began by writing newspaper articles to counter revisionist interpretations of the American Founding. Soon, his historical research grew into Americana Corner, a multimedia platform dedicated to preserving and sharing the Great American Story.
From his home in Franklin, Hand researches and writes short articles on episodes in American history. To date, he has written hundreds of accessible, rigorously researched articles on the Founding and Early Republic eras. From the Whiskey Rebellion and the Barbary Wars to Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition, Hand’s articles will give you a crash course in everything you’ve forgotten from high school history. Those articles are also condensed and turned into engaging three-minute videos that Hand introduces and narrates while dressed in period costume. Each week’s video will go on to garner hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
Hand is also the author of two books. An American Triumph, released in 2023, blends the captivating biographies of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and John Adams into a cohesive narrative. Earlier this fall, Hand published its sequel, America Victorious, which tells the story of lesser-known men who fought in the revolution. In the coming years, he intends to publish several more volumes to tell the century-long story of America’s founding through the Reconstruction era that followed the Civil War.
Supporting History Through Philanthropy
But Hand isn’t just keeping history alive in books and videos. He’s also an active philanthropist supporting historical sites with his Preserving America grants program. “I can't do the preservation,” Hand says. “But I can give money to people that have the time and the energy, the boots on the ground, if you will, to do that work.” Through the program, Hand offers grants to museums, battlefield trusts, and other historical sites that are telling the story of America’s first century.
Every grant application is personally reviewed by Hand, who corresponds with each applicant and requires progress reports on how funds are being used. His donations fund everything from roof repairs on historic houses to new signage at historic battlefields. “It’s a lot of fun to talk to these organizations. I correspond with every single organization that sends us an application because I want to know more about them.
And it takes time. It takes effort. But I know what they're about,” Hand explains. “The whole idea is to develop relationships and foster these organizations over time.”
Americana Corner's work represents more than historical preservation. It's about maintaining the values and principles that built America. His videos, books, and grants all serve a larger mission: reminding Americans of their incredible heritage and the sacrifices made to secure their freedoms.
Recognizing that many historical organizations struggle with funding and operations, Hand has expanded his mission to include the Preserving America Conference, held annually in Franklin, which brings together 20 organizations to learn best practices from successful historical sites. This December’s conference will focus on operating charities as businesses, mirroring Hand’s own philosophy of bringing a business mindset to philanthropy and looking for real return on charitable investment.
“If we can help these organizations provide a better product, better signage, maybe better audio/visual things to enhance the visitor experience, make the walking trails a bit more walkable, visitors are going to come back. They're going to have a better experience. They will be repeat customers,” Hand explains.
The Philanthropist’s Secret Weapon: DonorsTrust
To keep his focus on research and writing, reviewing applications, and putting on conferences, Hand has partnered with DonorsTrust, a charitable organization based in historic Alexandria, Virginia, that offers donor-advised fund (DAF) giving accounts for philanthropists aligned with America’s founding values. These DAF accounts function similarly to charitable savings and investment accounts, allowing philanthropists like Hand to give simply and efficiently.
Once Hand has selected the recipients of his Preserving America grants, DonorsTrust handles all the administration. In recent decades, flexibility and tax advantages have caused philanthropists to flock to DAFs. For Hand, DonorsTrust’s personalized service and values-aligned mission makes it the perfect charity to administer Americana Corner’s grantmaking. While many large national banks offer DAF accounts, “I needed a personal touch,” Hand says. “I needed to know that my team was in this with me. And DonorsTrust is that partner that you just dream of having with philanthropy.”
Hand's partnership with DonorsTrust exemplifies how shared values can amplify philanthropic impact.
Donors don’t need to run a sophisticated grants program for a donor-advised fund like DonorsTrust to be helpful. DonorsTrust offers a way to minimize taxes, give more privacy, steward your estate giving, and simply make it easy to keep up with all the nonprofit organizations you support.
DonorsTrust offers the same personalized partnership that has made Hand's mission so successful, helping preserve both America's history and the charitable intent of those who support it—or whatever your particular philanthropic passion may be. DonorsTrust aligns with your values to help you implement your charitable vision for the impact you want to make.
DonorsTrust.org/Franklin
pull quote: “I can't do the preservation. But I can give money to people that have the time and the energy, the boots on the ground, if you will, to do that work.”