History of the Alliance

The Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance was originally incorporated in the State of Arizona in 2004 and received tax exempt status in 2005. For ten years, the organization implemented a variety of heritage-based community education and tourism promotion programs, while also working with stakeholders and members of Congress to pass federal legislation to designate the Santa Cruz Valley as a National Heritage Area.

In 2015, the Heritage Alliance went on hiatus, while federal legislation worked its way through Congress. In late 2018 the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area legislation began to gain traction and in March 2019 it was passed into law.

The Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance regrouped in January 2019, filing articles of organization with the State of Arizona, applying for 501c3 tax exempt status (non-profit) with the IRS, and rebuilding its board of directors.

Today, the Heritage Alliance functions as the non-profit, local coordinating entity that manages programs and projects of the Congressionally designated Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area.