How nice it is when an historic site can get to the point that there is a full or part time person with the sole responsibility of writing grants!!! or raising money. And, I think when your responses come in you will find a list that begins with the Director writing the grants and doing the development work, progressing to a development person part time and a grant writer hired for each project and paid a stipend for writing that specific grant, and then the ultimate wish of the Director being the manager, the Curator curating and both giving input to the development guy or gal and a full time grant writer researching and preparing the grants. Now don't quote me on this, but there is no one in the small museum or at an historic site who has the knowledge and experience to write a grant and most importantly the enthusiasm for the requested project, than the director or in many cases in the smaller sites, the director/curator/one person show. You know, I almost forgot. In these smaller sites there may not be a fulltime director. Then, in my humble, we are back to the board raising enough money to bring a fulltime person who will, hopefully, bring professionalism to the site, get the site on track and raise enough money to go to step two. Can you really call yourself a museum if you are open on Sundays only from 1 to 4 pm, April through October? Accomplishment of the ideal goal is, that the Director and Curators plan their collections and programs and turn to the development officer and say, -almost in this tone - "We are going to do such and such, at a cost of xxx" If you have the ideal board this method carries into them. "I want to do such and such, YOU raise the money," -- and they are the primary sources along with the development group. (Of course there is a lot of love between all to get away with that tone to the Board!) Hiring this full time develpment person is a risk and a gamble. They must have (be given) sufficient time to do their thing. What is the rate now - return at least three or four times their salary? So its a crap shoot unless carefully planned with support from all. But it was also a big step when you hired that full time director. Now move on. However, remember the importance of the Board in fund raising. The tired saw, Give, Get or Get Off (the Board) is so vry true except in the smallest, empty pocket site where the Board also dusts, licks stamps and directs and major policy decisions are which Sunday to hold the bake sale. I say this getting ready for Wednesday night - our annual gala. This is the primary fund raising affair we have each year. We are now at the point where, yes, I still write the grants, and we have a part time development person, and by the first of the year a fulltime development person. Is this great or what? We, director and board, do not believe this is the end to "our" development tasks, just someone to devote full time to worrying about it. Our input and direction is still so important, and this person can channel our development actions for the betterment of the site. And now that the mill wheel is almost in place, I can work on getting the ice house and the root cellar up to par, get another dozen grade schools to visit and maybe take a weekend off in July. All not worrying where the money is coming from. Bill Maurer Gomez Mill House www.gomez.org ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).