Funding mix - Every museum/arts organization has its own funding mix.
There are no rules here. 
 
Major Sources for Arts Funding -The rules have changed with regard to
State Funding. Given the recession and current federal economic policy,
the feds should be on everyone's radar right now. 
 
-National Endowment for the Arts -
http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/GAP10/MuseumsAAE.html
The next deadline is August 13, 2009. As some of you may now, an
application for emergency disbursement occurred this spring to previous
grant recipients. If there is another stimulus package in a few years
(which is not off the table), the NEA may do another distribution to
previous beneficiaries. It's important to get into their system now if
you can. Your activities may fit into multiple categories.  
 
- Your local arts council - Stimulus money also is trickling though arts
councils. For example, I am working on a grant to the New York State
Council on the Arts, which got money from the NEA to for job
preservation in the arts. Check the website often. my local arts council
just announced how it was administering the stimulus money last week.  
 
- National Endowment for the Humanities - For those of you looking to
fund education programs, looking into the NEH. But their parameters
strike me as more rigid that the NEA. http://www.neh.gov/. 
 
Major/Local Foundations - No foundation right now is really looking for
new organizations to support. Many are struggling to fulfill mutli year
pledges they made a few years ago. Sending letters of inquiry to
foundations that you have no previous relationship is going to be tough.
If you have a few foundations already in your stable, strongly cultivate
the relationship with them because they are "voting friends off the
island" during the next funding cycle as they cope with record losses in
their endowments. 
 
We cultivate the relationship with funders by requiring people who
benefit from the program to write a thank you letter to the funder. We
have them sent to our office so that we share a funders address. It's
old fashioned but highly effective. It means so much to our board
members and foundation program officers when once a month my intern
sends them an envelope with multiple thank you letters that vividly
illustrate the program's impact. Cultivation at this point in the game
is what will get you another check.   
 
 
 
Daniel Larkin / Administrative Assistant
Friends of Materials for the Arts
 
33-00 Northern Boulevard, 3rd Floor
Long Island City, New York 11101-2215
 
V: 718-729-3001, ext. 218
F: 718-729-3941  
W: www.mfta.org <http://www.mfta.org/> 
 

________________________________

From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Cindy Boyer
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 11:57 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Fund raising discussions



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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