BFO Overview

Mission Statement

“The Belnap Family Organization is a non-profit ancestral family organization for all descendants of Utah Pioneers Gilbert Belnap, Adaline Knight, and Henrietta McBride, created to preserve, perpetuate, and promote family solidarity.”  (NOTE:  The Organization mission statement was formally revised on 25 Aug 2024 to include references to Gilbert Belnap’s wives, Adaline Knight and Henrietta McBride.)

Summary

Founded in 1904, the Belnap Family Organization is one of the oldest and largest non-profit ancestral family organizations in the United States.  Over the past century, the Organization has coordinated the completion of a significant amount of LDS temple work on behalf of the ancestors of Gilbert Belnap (1821-1899) and his two wives, Adaline Knight (1831-1919) and Henrietta McBride (1821-1899).  The Organization has also produced several publications, including the Belnap Family Crier, and has spearheaded other major genealogical research and restoration projects.

The Belnap Family Organization sponsors reunions to assist descendants of Gilbert Belnap, Adaline Knight, and Henrietta McBride in gaining a greater understanding and appreciation of their tremendous pioneer heritage.  The Organization also strives to collect current and accurate genealogical information on all descendants of Gilbert Belnap.

In 1968 the Belnap Family Organization was recognized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as one of the best-organized family organizations in existence.  Members of the Organization remain active in preserving, perpetuating, and promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of their tremendous pioneer heritage.

While a broader list of purposes of the Belnap Family Organization is set forth in the By-laws, simply put, the Organization exists to capture and tell the story of the lives of Gilbert Belnap, Adaline Knight, and Henrietta McBride, their ancestors, and their descendants, for the benefit of current and future generations.

Membership

Membership in the Belnap Family Organization is automatic for all descendants of Gilbert Belnap, Adaline Knight, and Henrietta McBride.  (“Descendants” is broadly defined to include all natural-born and legally adopted children, as well as sealed persons and biological children adopted by other/non-related parents, together with in-law spouses (on the principle “when you marry a person, you also marry the person’s family”).)  Their known descendants now number over 12,500 and are found in most states and several countries outside the U.S.  To ensure inclusion in the Organization’s member database, descendants are requested to contact an officer or family representative.  Members are also strongly encouraged to contribute life stories, genealogical information on their immediate families, family photographs, and any other items of historical interest to the Belnap Family Organization for preservation in the Organization’s files.  Honorary membership has occasionally been granted to others who have impacted the posterity of Gilbert Belnap, Adaline Knight, and Henrietta McBride in a meaningful way.

Governing and Tax Documents

The Belnap Family Organization is registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt public charitable organization under the name “Gilbert Belnap Families Genealogical Association,” EIN 23-7373750.  It is also registered as a Utah non-profit corporation under the name “Gilbert Belnap Families Genealogical Association” with a D/B/A name of “Belnap Family Organization.”  To see governing and tax documents of the Organization, including articles of incorporation and by-laws, click here.

Officers and Family Representatives

Information on the officers and family representatives of the Belnap Family Organization is available here:

Belnap Family Reunions

For further information on past and upcoming reunions of the Belnap Family Organization, click here.

Belnap Family Organization Minutes

For further information on Belnap Family Organization minutes of past events and meetings, click here.

Motto

The official motto of the Belnap Family Organization is “Love, Unity, Solidarity.”  This motto has been used by the Organization since at least 1967.

Emblem

The emblem of the Belnap Family Organization is the Belnap Coat of Arms.  It has been in use by the Organization since 1965.

Seal

The seal of the Belnap Family Organization combines the Emblem and Motto in a stylized manner.  It was adopted by the Organization in 2020.  Links to images and a description of the seal are available here.

Social Media Connections

The Belnap Family Organization can be followed through the following social media resources:

Wikipedia Articles

Wikipedia articles related to Gilbert Belnap include the following:

Belnap Family Organization Privacy Policy

To access the Belnap Family Organization Privacy Policy, click here.

Further Information

For further information about the Belnap Family Organization generally, please contact the Belnap Family Organization by clicking here.  You may also send an email to belnapfamily.org@gmail.com.

 

Last update:  23 Oct 2024

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