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

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The Landmark Society:  Revitalizing Yesterday, Protecting Today, and Planning for Tomorrow

 

www.landmarksociety.org

Confessions of a Preservationist: The Landmark Society blog

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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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