Dear colleagues,

The American Association of Museums is now conducting the 2008 Museum
Financial Information (MFI) survey. Learn how your museum can
participate by visiting http://www.aam-us.org/mfi.
 
For more than a decade, this triennial survey has provided the most
detailed picture available of museum finances and operations in the
United States. The 2008 MFI survey covers a variety of topics, including
institutional demographics, museum attendance, membership, income and
expenses, funding sources, web-based operations, and new building
construction, renovation and expansion. But the quality and accuracy of
the survey depends on the participation of as many museums -- and types
and sizes of museums -- as possible. 

Individual museums rely on the survey results for benchmarking and
strategic planning. Researchers, policymakers, museum organizations, and
the press rely on the results to help them understand museums and museum
trends. Funding agencies use the results to inform their grant-making.
AAM uses the information for planning and advocacy, speaking up for all
museums and making the case for the impact and value of the field. For
some examples of the MFI data in action, please visit
http://www.aam-us.org/mfi. 

This year, most participants will complete the MFI survey online using a
password-protected website. Invitations were sent to a sample of museums
via email last week. If your museum did not receive an invitation, there
are still two ways for you to participate:

	1. Contact Phil Katz at AAM ([log in to unmask]) to receive a
password and login details. 

	2. Download a "paper" version of the survey at
http://aam-us.org/MFI/upload/MFI2008.pdf.  This PDF document can be
downloaded, completed onscreen and saved, then e-mailed or faxed to AAM.
It can also be used as an aid to start collecting the data necessary to
complete the online survey. 

Participating museums will receive a discount on the published results
and advance access to benchmarking data.

Please contact me at [log in to unmask] if you have any questions.

Thank you for helping us make sure that all museums have the resources
they need to serve the public interest! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Philip M. Katz
Assistant Director for Research
American Association of Museums

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