Donate a Book or Tip

I offer free look-ups and other help in genealogy groups and societies to which I belong. I also offer free advice and guidance to members of my groups.

However, sometimes people want to send me a tip to help cover my expenses that make this possible (subscription service fees, website hosting costs, domain fees, book purchase costs, computer software/apps, society membership fees, etc.).

If you’d like to donate a genealogy book, you can check out my Wish List on Amazon (the list is already configured to send physical books to my correct address, and e-books to my e-mail/Kindle App without further steps needed). The gift of books is always special. An updated wish list of medical supplies will be available soon.

Tips can also be accepted through Venmo.

I appreciate all tips, even small ones. I am grateful for ALL help in continuing to offer my look-ups, which now stand at over 1,000 individual look-ups done for people. I am a leg amputee, am often in the hospital (yes, I’ve even helped over a dozen of my medical staff with their genealogy), and currently out of work because I need a new computer. But tips are never mandatory or expected. 🥷

Paid Projects

I can currently accept a limited number of paid projects starting at only $20. I can only accept a limited number of projects at this time due to medical needs, physical limitations, and the need for a new computer.

This includes, for example:

• Custom-written or telephone-based consulting, tips, and question-and-answer-based help (including walk-throughs and tutorials for using websites or other resources), totally personalized to your level of technical skill, experience, and available devices, software, and services
• Individual life timelines – Year-by-year breakdown following an individual’s life through documentation. Includes directory listings, census data, occupations, employers, addresses, and more, broken down by year with supporting documentation. Gaps in information are highlighted for additional research.
• Individual military service timelines – detailed breakdowns of military service, including unit details with movements, engagements, and more.
• Military shadow boxes – carefully designed and prepared to meet the standards and regulations of the individual military branch(es) (appropriate to the correct period(s) of service). Can include flag, photographs, certificates, newspaper clippings, medals, ribbons, badges, patches, artifacts, labels, and an engraved plaque.
• Preparation of military uniforms for preservation and presentation, using extensive personal experience with preparing, sewing, and repairing military uniforms. Prepared to meet the standards and regulations of the relevant military branch (appropriate to the correct period of service)
• Identification of military insignia
• Comprehensive research on an individual or couple
• Comprehensive multi-source newspaper searches and newspaper clipping compilation
• Single-page family clippings websites (visit an example at www.colgan.family) with newspaper and other document clippings (also available as a white-label service for professional genealogists or firms)
• Custom family websites (also available as a white-label service for professional genealogists or firms)
• Small projects like documenting a whole set of siblings (birth, baptism, marriage, death, and other records)
• Medium-sized projects like documenting a nuclear family or a couple of generations
• Large projects like entire family trees documenting many branches and generations
• Cluster technique research – A set of genealogical research techniques to find hidden or overlooked information, break down brick walls, or provide answers (like finding an immigrant family’s specific origin location in their home country) that haven’t been found by other techniques
  • “F.A.N. Club” research – A sub-set of Cluster research; using this genealogy technique to tell you more about your own family: researching Friends, Associates, and Neighbors including marriage witnesses, godparents, coworkers, members of the same religious congregation, and more
• House/property research – ownership history, construction information, transfers, divisions of property, historical events connected with the house/property, business property research, architectural information, historical photographs of the house/property/neighborhood/area
• Legal research – including civil and criminal matters, court records, probate, real estate, personal estate, coroner’s records, prison records, prisoner photos (mug shots), etc.
• Custom maps – both electronic (including fully interactive) and printed, showing family migration, movements, locations over time, places of significance (businesses, religious congregations, educational institutions, burial locations, etc.), property ownership, and more.
• Local research and documentation trips (Greater Philadelphia area) (courthouses, Philadelphia City or other archives, local Quaker libraries and archives, or in-person Family History Center work)
  • ♿ ** Note: Facilities must be wheelchair-accessible at this time
• Washington, D.C. research and documentation trips (like Civil War soldier/sailor research)
  • ♿ ** Note: Facilities must be wheelchair-accessible at this time. Wheelchair-accessible coach train service is needed at-cost for Washington, D.C. trips.
• Military record requests
• Military grave marker requests
• Location and collection of records for other types of government employees
• Verification projects (checking your work for errors)
• Lead-finding and hint-finding projects (reviewing your work for new leads, hints, and potential new avenues of research)
• Preparation and private or public publication of documents (manuscripts, collections of recipes or writings, transcription, digitization, copyright registration, submission to repositories such as FamilySearch, Archive.org, and genealogical societies, donation to the Library of Congress, etc.)
• Various white-label support assignments for professional genealogists or firms

If you are interested in a paid project custom-made for your needs, Contact me. Quotes are always free, and many projects are available in the $20 to $75 range.

Needed books, gift cards, and medical supplies/equipment are also accepted as payment. 🥷