Actually, I haven't responded yet because I'm in the middle of it. We  
had our annual meeting last night. Our annual fundraising campaign and  
membership drive starts today. Our funding is 1/3 local government (we  
are a contract service provider), 1/3 memberships and the final 1/3  
from sales of our publications and in our shop as well as the  
occasional grant. Grants have come from federal, state, and local  
sources, depending on the project. We recently got Grant Station  
through Techsoup, and it's a great resource.
    We have a staff of 6 -- all varying hours of part-time. Our budget  
is around $210,000.

Heather McClenahan, museum assistant/web master
Los Alamos Historical Society
http://www.losalamoshistory.org
[log in to unmask]
PO Box 43
1921 Juniper St.
Los Alamos, NM 87544
505-662-6272 (office)
505-470-2912 (cell)
Quoting Cindy Boyer <[log in to unmask]>:

> Hello List members -
>
>
>
> Why do you think there have been no responses to this question?  The
> original question from this poster was:
>
>
>
> I am very interested in the funding mix for small museums. How many have
> most of their operating funds from memberships? What major sources are
> there for grant funds. Some state help is always useful but I think
> often unreliable. Are there major foundations or common local
> foundations (community chest for example) that commonly fund small
> museums?
>
>
>
> I wonder if the question was too broad for this audience.
>
>
>
> The museum list is made up of museums of all sizes - and what you
> consider a "small" museum might be quite large compared to your
> organization. So asking a list member to define themselves as "small"
> might bring responses from institutions with 200 staff members (small
> compared to some places) or from organizations with 1 staff member
> (still more than the original poster's organization.
>
>
>
>
>
> Or - is it that those who use this list are reticent to share their
> funding mix?  That the original question addresses the types of
> information that people go to workshops and training sessions to learn?
> That there is no one answer - that everyone has to make their own
> "recipe" of combined sources, depending on their services or programs,
> local support, national significance, etc.
>
>
>
> The Landmark Society has 12 full time staff members. About 40% of our
> operating income is derived from membership dues and event revenue. The
> remaining 60% is a mix of local funding (private and public) state
> funding (NYSCA) private supporters, gifts, some foundation support
> (nobody that I know "commonly" funds small museums on a regular basis,
> you must apply again and again)
>
>
>
> Is that helpful?
>
>
>
> Cindy Boyer
>
> Director of Museums and Education
>
> The Landmark Society of Western New York
>
> 133 S. Fitzhugh St.
>
> Rochester NY  14608
>
> (585) 546-7029 ext. 12
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> The Landmark Society:  Revitalizing Yesterday, Protecting Today, and
> Planning for Tomorrow
>
>
>
> www.landmarksociety.org <http://www.landmarksociety.org/>
>
> Confessions of a Preservationist: The Landmark Society blog
> <http://landmarksocietywny.blogspot.com/>
>
> Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12149056258>  / MySpace
> <http://www.myspace.com/landmarksociety>
>
>
>
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Paul Stewart
> Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 9:40 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Fund raising discussions
>
>
>
> My sense is that there is some reluctance to discuss fundraising issues
> in this list. I only say that because no one really responded to a
> previous question I raised. Is there perhaps a more appropriate place to
> ask such questions such as another list serv discussion group? And if so
> what is it?
>
>
>
> Paul Stewart
>
> Underground Railroad History Project
>
> of the Capital Region (NYS)
>
> P. O. Box 10851
>
> Albany, NY 12201
>
> 518-432-4432
>
>
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