To the list,

I want to thank everyone for their answers and discussion on this topic.
Some of the more detailed ones were actually quite helpful. I have passed
some of the posts on to our accounting people and, especially Ellen Cutler's
post about the Pennsylvania Law. I have no idea what the laws are in New
Hampshire, but I am sure they can find out and we certainly should before we
institute a program of this nature. I would also like to respond to
something Anne Baker said.

> Before answering Matthew's specific questions I want to ask -- for most
> museums, is this _really_ a big issue?  We have a couple of people who
> periodically buy gift certificates, but in almost two years in this
> position I've _never_ had one redeemed.

I think she is correct. A small to medium size museum would probably have
little need for a full, formal program. However, (and I am afraid I was
inadvertently less than candid with you folks) the museums at the Mount
Washington Observatory (two of them, quite small by anyone's standards) are
part of a much larger scientific organization with a world wide reputation
and a cult-like weather-buff following. The stores are much busier and more
mature than the size of the museums to which they are attached would lead
you to believe. We sell stuff via mail order and the web all over the world.
The attached retail stores are destinations in their own right. Indeed, one
of the retail outlets opened years before there was a museum attached. So I
think we can make a go of a small gift certificate program as long as it is
well run and well publicized. I apologize for misleading the list. There are
major and minor differences between working at a museum that is a stand
alone institution and one that is part of a much larger organization (not
always with the same goals) and I haven't changed my mind thinking yet. Me
culpa.

On the subject of gift certificates themselves. It seems that there are as
many answers as there are institutions that have them. I even asked around
town here (resort town, lots of factory outlet stores and restaurants) and
some have expiration dates some don't. Some give change or store credit some
don't. When I asked the question of one restaurateur, he asked if I meant
certificates that people buy or certificates they donate to charity for
giveaways or auctions. An excellent distinction I hadn't thought of. The
latter has expiration dates that former does not.

At minimum I now have enough info to create our own policies to reflect our
own needs.

Thanks again for everyone's help.


--
Matthew White
Director of Museums
Mount Washington Observatory
www.mountwashington.org

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