Preserve Brookings protects and promotes the historical, cultural, architectural, visual, and environmental heritage of the Brookings area through education, alliance building, and action.
Preserve Brookings, a chartered nonprofit organization, launched
activities in February 2005. The group is governed by a Board of Directors whose
officers manage the organization's activities. 
On September 15, 1997, the Brookings Historic Preservation Commission sponsored one of two facilitated Town Meetings on Preservation and Planning to gather citizen input for the development of a preservation plan. Participants ranked the creation of a local preservation organization as one of Brookings highest preservation priorities.
Over the past few years, community members continue to express a desire to be more actively involved in protecting Brookings' historic resources. The creation of a local preservation organization remains a means for many more individuals to participate in a more organized, effective, and proactive preservation campaign in Brookings. Such a group would complement and enhance the ongoing efforts of the Historic Preservation Commission.
The Brookings Historic History Preservation Commission with support from the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office, resolved to convene a meeting of former historic Preservation Commissioners and other interested citizens to launch a private nonprofit preservation organization. The Commission identified potential participants as citizens with an expressed interest in retaining and strengthening the vitality of a broad range of Brookings's historic resources, leadership skills, and wisdom. The Commission invited these citizens to participate in a facilitated planning session to discuss the nature of a preservation organization for Brookings.
On the evening of June, 2004, citizen participants met; named a private organization - Preserve Brookings; wrote a mission, purposes, goals, guiding principles, identified resources presently in peril, and other tasks. they accomplished a great deal in a compressed time. This steering group, organized a nominating committee, who planned a first meeting for November 30, 2004. From this meeting, a group of people were targeted to be nominated for the Board of Directors.
On February 7, 2005, Preserve Brookings held their first meeting
and invited potential Directors. On February 24, volunteers were sought for
various positions and Preserve Brookings had elected officers and directors to
fill the board.
The first annual meeting for Preserve Brookings was held June 27, 2005. A presentation by Barbara Behrends was given on historic gravesites and cemeteries in Brookings County. After the meeting, the Board of Directors received training on building an effective board.