Open Forum

Hello Museum Folks -- 

I'm curious how others handle requests from outside organizations who request to rent museum space to host a fundraising event benefitting another non-profit. 

Does your museum have a policy or guidelines about this topic (separate from political fundraising) on whether hosting a separate fundraiser is appropriate?

Any lessons learned from allowing or politely declining these events would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

Nomi Dayan

Hello Nomi

My firm is a F&B/retail consultancy that advises museums across the country. The question of whether to allow another fundraiser in your building is nuanced. Within our client base I would estimate 25% do not allow other fundraisers and 75% do. Depending on the size of your space, fundraisers can generate meaningful earned income from both facility rental revenue and F&B commission. Some museums allow noncompetitive fundraisers (i.e. the diseases) but no other museums. Others take the viewpoint that having philanthropic minded individuals in your building is ultimately beneficial to the museum. Either way we recommend developing a written policy so there are clear guidelines for staff. Happy to talk on this offline if it would be helpful. 

Hi Nomi,

I have worked with more than 400 museums and cultural institutions in the US and a few in Canada and agree with Tracy's comments below.. Historically Museums (non-profits) discouraged having competitive non-profits having events at their museums. Do know that the percentages quoted by Tracy below vary with the type of Museum, i.e. Fine Art, Contemporary Art, Science, Natural History and Children's for example, and competitive factors in the community/area where you are geographically located. Most museums are very interested in optimizing their earned net income with facility rentals, some more than others. I hope these additional comments are helpful.  Happy to discuss with you if you would like to talk, no cost or obligation. It might make sense to have a knowledgeable and experienced consultant like Tracy's firm help you with a consultant study in this regard to see if you are or are not optimizing; and if not optimizing, what the estimated economic income could be for your institution.