to: museum-l John Purdy asked about the percentage of operating expenses paid from various sources such as Museum Store, Admissions, Charitable Gifts, etc. I keep track of such statistics, since my company provides consulting and research in museum economics. The only recent study that collected percentage of income by source for non- profit museums in general was the 1989 National Museum Survey organized by AAM (they only included museums that have a professional staff and are open to the general public at least 120 days per year). Their findings are: % of FY88 Operating Income by Source Parent/Friend Organization 9.9% Government Sources 32.6% Private Sources 15.3% Investment Income 11.5% Earned Income 30.5% Unfortunately, I don't have much faith in these figures. Survey response rates were extremely low for some questions and types of museums, and the statistical weighting of the replies was incorrect. AAM has declined to release the survey data (very unusual for government-sponsored research), so we cannot correct for these errors or measure them precisely. The Institute of Museum Services' 1992 National Needs Assessment produced much more reliable results (I did all the statistics myself). Unfortunately, it didn't ask for percentage of income by source. David S. Reed Reed Public Policy, Inc. Number 210 3509 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, DC 20008 fax: (202) 986-2495 internet: [log in to unmask]