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.

Tom threw himself into his lifelong love of American history, beginning by authoring 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.

To date, Tom has written hundreds of accessible, rigorously researched articles on the Founding and Early Republic eras. And his weekly videos garner hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. From the Whiskey Rebellion and the Barbary Wars to Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition, Americana Corner will give you a crash course in everything you’ve forgotten from high school history.

Tom 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. Its sequel, 2025’s America Victorious, tells the story of lesser-known men who fought in the revolution. In the coming years, Tom 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.

But Tom 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,” he 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, Tom 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 Tom, 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.

Recognizing that many historical organizations struggle with funding and operations, Tom has expanded his mission to include the Preserving America Conference, held annually in Franklin, Tennessee, which brings together 20 organizations to learn best practices from successful historical sites.

To keep his focus on research and writing, reviewing applications, and putting on conferences, Tom has partnered with DonorsTrust to administer Americana Corner’s grantmaking. Once he has selected the recipients of his Preserving America grants, DonorsTrust handles all the details. 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.”