Of course larger museums have fulltime fund raising staffs, even the ones
that are government-funded.  But the smaller ones (and there are far more of
the smaller than the larger) simply do the best they can without a staff
specialist.  There is an ethical question to pose to the governments that
fund museums:  With nicely paid public employees on museum staffs to raise
private money, what are you doing to the private museums that actually RELY
on private giving?  And why is it necessary for the museum on a state
university campus to have its own fund raisers?

As usual I agree with Indigo Nights, whoever you are -- the small museums
without fund raising specialists don't need to go it alone.  The biggest
handicap may be the well-intentioned board members who suggest that if the
museum simply applied to the Ford Foundation, it would be in hog heaven.
They are the ones who drive their one-person
director/fundraiser/grantswriter up the wall.  The one-person ladies & gents
need to spend their available time working "smarter," i.e., getting multiple
little grants from little foundations.  Boards can be impatient with that
approach, however.

Ross Weeks Jr.
Tazewell VA.


----- Original Message -----
From: Indigo Nights <[log in to unmask]>

> Ladies and gents, may I cast a gentle vote for working
> smarter and not harder?
>
> I realize many of you wear multiple hats, and funding
> may fall into your bailiwick.  However, you don't have
> to do it without support.
>

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