city $$ for museum operations

I'm looking for information on the amount of funding provided by local municipalities for museum operations.

We are an association of four museums and a city library. The museums are private/non-profit, and share some staff with the library and its branches. Currently, the city funds approx. 60% of the library's annual operating budget and 30-35% of the museums' budget (which is almost half that of the library).

The museums are looking for ways to increase the percentage of municipal support and encourage our local government to 'up' their contribution, and hope that statistics from comparable cities will show a strong funding commitment on their part. We also pay for custodial help, trash removal, pension, utilities, and so forth, and wonder if any museums receive these services at low or no cost from the city.

I'd appreciate any information you can provide, including leads to surveys or organizations that maintain this kind of information. Some additional info on our city/site follows at the end of this message.

Thanks,

Melanie Solomon Curator of History The Springfield Library & Museums Assoc. Springfield, Massachusetts

General Info: Springfield population approx. 175,000 Surrounding metropolitan area population of about 700,000 Mid-sized fine arts museums, mid-sized science museum, small history museum Combined museums operating budget of about $4,000,000

Our computer firewall eats e-mail, so if you try to contact me directly and I don't respond, it means your message never arrived at my end!

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Another approach (vs. comparing financial support from your local goverment for your museum with local government support in other areas for museums) would be to define the benefit your museum provides to your community

For the past two years the city of Laguna Beach CA has given financial support to the Laguna Art Museum. In 1997 it amounted to approximately 12% of the budget and this year 15%. These contributions are special, have not been done in the past, and may not be available in the future. They do reflect a strong interest by the city in the 80 year old art museum but are clearly intended to help the museum get back on its feet after an unwanted merger with a neighboring city's museum. The merger was fought and the Laguna Art Museum regained its independence but not without having to surrender half of its endowment. In addition, the museum building, during the years before merger suffered 'benign neglect' that has to be rectified. Accordingly, the city's contributions are basically to restore the building and to get the museum back on its financial feet and independent in all ways. It is my observation that neither the city nor the museum's board see this financial support as a steady or necessarily desirable thing.

John A. Bing Trustee, Laguna Art Museum

Hi, Melanie!

Our museum receives essentially a token amount from our

Dear Melanie:

You might contact the cities of New York and Chicago. I know these major US cities provide some funding for their cultural institutions - New York has an office of Cultural Affairs and the City of Chicago Park System provides some funding for major institutions located near the park.

Kind Regards

Roger Wulff

/////////////////////////////////// Visit our New Web Site and our New BARNES & NOBLE MUSEUM BOOKSTORE at:
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Museum Services International is a non-profit organization which provides planning and implementation services in all areas of cultural and museum operations.

The National Conference of State Legislatures put out a book in October 1995 'Creative Solutions for Funding the Arts' that examines various state and local funding options, such as earmarked taxes, special tax districts (such as the Chicago Park district), lottery funds, etc.

Their phone number is 303-830-2200. When it came out, the book's price was $25.

Another possible source is Americans for the Arts, which used to the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies. Their number is 202-371-2830. While they are 'art' focused, local arts agencies fund a variety of areas often including humanities and science.

Andy Finch AAM Government Affairs