Open Forum

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Sarah Davis
Museum Educator - Public Programs
Illinois State Museum
Springfield IL
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I'm exploring a similar topic - how to reduce/remove financial barriers for afterschool and camp programs. I just had a great conversation with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Last year they instituted a "pay what you can" model for summer expeditions.  I feel a huge advantage of this model is that it also removes any sort of means testing; participants don't have to provide any paperwork or proof of income.

Their Director of Development was incredibly helpful; she responded to my request to learn more and laid out the details of how the system was implemented and how it played out. Granted it's a somewhat limited experience (this will be the 2nd year of pay-what-you-can programming at that museum) but it seems to have met with success. Overall, program revenue for programs that instituted the system increased by about 15%. Roughly two-thirds of registrants paid less than the break-even cost; one-third paid either the break-even cost or more. In addition, donors were motivated to support the pay-what-you-can system.

I'm still gathering more data - if anyone else know of organizations who have implemented a pay-what-you-can or scholarship system, please keep this thread going!

All the best,
Simon Schreier
Education Manager, Middlebury Area Land Trust
simon@maltvt.org

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Simon Schreier
coordinator of interpretive programs.
Berkshire Museum
Pittsfield MA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2022 01:16 PM
From: Sarah Davis
Subject: Scholarships for Summer Camps and other paid programs

I am looking at ways to make my museum's paid programming more equitable for all. I am looking into ways to offer scholarships to summer camp and other paid programs like workshops, classes, museum overnights, etc for youth and adults that can't afford the cost. My musuem is part of Museums for All but right now that only helps with admission fees (currently we are free with COVID). I am interested in what other places do for scholarships. Are they full or partial, do you get funding for them, only a limited number of spots, do you have an application and would be willing to share? Also, do you require proof of need and what do you ask for? 

Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

------------------------------
Sarah Davis
Museum Educator - Public Programs
Illinois State Museum
Springfield IL
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Thanks for this information. I will have to take a look at their program. Its an interesting concept.

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Sarah Davis
Museum Educator - Public Programs
Illinois State Museum
Springfield IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-28-2022 09:06 AM
From: Simon Schreier
Subject: Scholarships for Summer Camps and other paid programs

I'm exploring a similar topic - how to reduce/remove financial barriers for afterschool and camp programs. I just had a great conversation with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Last year they instituted a "pay what you can" model for summer expeditions.  I feel a huge advantage of this model is that it also removes any sort of means testing; participants don't have to provide any paperwork or proof of income.

Their Director of Development was incredibly helpful; she responded to my request to learn more and laid out the details of how the system was implemented and how it played out. Granted it's a somewhat limited experience (this will be the 2nd year of pay-what-you-can programming at that museum) but it seems to have met with success. Overall, program revenue for programs that instituted the system increased by about 15%. Roughly two-thirds of registrants paid less than the break-even cost; one-third paid either the break-even cost or more. In addition, donors were motivated to support the pay-what-you-can system.

I'm still gathering more data - if anyone else know of organizations who have implemented a pay-what-you-can or scholarship system, please keep this thread going!

All the best,
Simon Schreier
Education Manager, Middlebury Area Land Trust
simon@maltvt.org

------------------------------
Simon Schreier
coordinator of interpretive programs.
Berkshire Museum
Pittsfield MA

Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2022 01:16 PM
From: Sarah Davis
Subject: Scholarships for Summer Camps and other paid programs

I am looking at ways to make my museum's paid programming more equitable for all. I am looking into ways to offer scholarships to summer camp and other paid programs like workshops, classes, museum overnights, etc for youth and adults that can't afford the cost. My musuem is part of Museums for All but right now that only helps with admission fees (currently we are free with COVID). I am interested in what other places do for scholarships. Are they full or partial, do you get funding for them, only a limited number of spots, do you have an application and would be willing to share? Also, do you require proof of need and what do you ask for? 

Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

------------------------------
Sarah Davis
Museum Educator - Public Programs
Illinois State Museum
Springfield IL
------------------------------