Strategic Plan

SOMA Strategic Plan 2025: Raise $50,000

  1. Get a booth at AMTA National Convention in Aug 2025. Deadline July 25, 2025
    AMTA National Convention Aug 21-23. Estimated cost: $8000.00 (booth rental, booth setup, Travel)
  2. What We Have Discovered
    We have already located significant historical collections, including:
  • Patricia Benjamin’s Collection housed at the National University of Health Sciences, along with copies of her book The Emergence of the Massage Therapy Profession in North America stored at the Sutherland-Chan School of Massage.
    Patricia Genardo Library Director
  • University of WA Special Collections https://orbiscascade-washington.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01ALLIANCE_UW/1juclfo/alma99117247740001452 
    Niedfelt, Milton A. 1943 – 1968 Available at Special Collections Manuscripts and Archives. See preliminary photos.
  • Judi Calvert’s Collection of artifacts previously valued at $60,000, representing decades of massage history.
  • Richard Van Why’s Historical Database, an extensive bodywork research collection from the mid-1990s.
  • Other scattered resources that have yet to be fully cataloged and safeguarded.
  • Old AMTA newsletters and other documents uploaded to archive.org https://archive.org/details/@soma2024 

These materials are invaluable in understanding the evolution of massage therapy, its challenges, and its progress. However, they remain fragmented and vulnerable to deterioration without proper preservation efforts.

  1. What We Plan to Do

Our mission is to secure, digitize, and display these collections for future generations. We also plan to bring some of these materials to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) Convention in Dallas, TX, this August—an opportunity to showcase our findings and raise awareness about the need for historical preservation in our profession.

Archival Project: Website, Scanning and preservation of artifacts.

  • Consult with Archivists to set up and maintain the archives. Look into the University of WA Capstone project. https://ischool.uw.edu/capstone/sponsorship
  • Hire web designer, secure hosting and email system as well as build online community 
  • Hire/consult with non-profit management company to help with bylaws, policies, organizational development and other tasks.  

How You Can Help

To achieve these goals, we need funding to cover:

  • Booth rental and exhibit setup costs at the AMTA Convention.
  • Travel and lodging expenses for key speakers and organizers.
  • Preservation and digitization efforts for documents and artifacts.
  • Website and digital archive development to make these resources accessible to the public.

We estimate that $50,000 will allow us to take the first critical steps in safeguarding and presenting this history.

Society of Massage Archives
Short Term Goals:

  • Collect, archive, & digitize significant documents, artifacts, & oral histories related to the history of massage therapy so they remain preserved and accessible in perpetuity for future generations.
  • Foster a sense of community among practitioners by celebrating our shared professional heritage and promoting professional unity.
  • Develop educational programs and materials that integrate historical knowledge into massage therapy training and practice.
  • Conduct and transcribe interviews with veteran practitioners and key figures in the profession.
  • Acquire and preserve historical massage tools, textbooks, pamphlets, ephemera, and other significant items through a physical repository.
  • Create a digital repository to store and share historical documents and artifacts.
  • Publish newsletters and articles that highlight significant historical developments in massage therapy.
  • Establish a membership program to engage practitioners, educators, and enthusiasts in the Society’s activities.

Long Term Goals

  • Increase public awareness of the historical significance of massage therapy through exhibitions, publications, and online content.
  • Encourage and support research on the history of massage therapy and its impact on contemporary practice.
  • Host educational events focused on the history and evolution of massage therapy. Collaborate with museums and wellness centers to create exhibits showcasing the history of massage therapy.
  • Publish books that highlight significant historical developments in massage therapy.
  • Organize annual conferences/galas that focus on networking, historical topics, and their relevance to modern practice.
  • Partner with academic institutions and professional organizations (AMTA, ABMP, FSMTB, AFMTE, NCBTMB, COMTA, & MTF) to conduct and publish historical research.
  • Offer grants and scholarships to support research projects on the history of massage therapy.

Progress Chart

Incorporate in Wisconsin as a businessStarted August 2024Completed August 2024
Begin application process to become a 501c3 non-profit society Starting January 2025
Create, maintain and update website and social media platformsStarted August 2024Ongoing
Research and develop an archival systemIn Progress
Create video interviews on the history of massage/podcasts Started November 20243 completed Dec. 2024
Research and find grants from our professional associations and other stakeholders
Launch subscription and contributions Starting January 2025

Mission Statement  

To preserve & integrate the historical knowledge of massage therapy’s professional advocacy &  traditional techniques to guide and enrich our contemporary practices. Through the following  objectives, SOMA will ensure the profession’s history will be safeguarded and accessible for  future generations:  

• Preserve Historical Artifacts & Documents  

• Integrate Historical Knowledge With Educational Outreach  

• Increase Public Awareness Of Massage Therapy’s Historical Significance 

• Foster A Sense Of Community By Celebrating A Shared Professional Heritage 

• Encourage & Support Research & Documentation  

Vision Statement  

Our vision is to build a stronger professional identity, fostering a sense of culture and  community, and guide the sustainability & future growth of massage therapy.

“Lack of historical perspective has deprived massage therapists of a sense of being a part of a long and
extraordinary tradition.”

Patricia Benjamin

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