Sustainable Revenue for Museums: A Guide

Understanding revenue sources is vital for ensuring the long-term stability and sustainability of museums, historic sites, zoos, and botanic gardens. Sustainable Revenue for Museums delves into the strategies and tactics that museum professionals, funders, and experts use to generate and manage their revenue. Museum professionals of all experience levels will find immediately actionable revenue generation and management practices.

Sustainable Revenue for Museums begins with a compilation of the most recent industry-wide revenue data, with breakdowns by different revenue types, institution discipline, number of employees, and revenue type contribution to total insti tutional revenue. The next five sections of the book are:

Passive Income
Contributed Income: Fundraising
Contributed Income: Grants
Earned Income: Museum Services
Earned Income: Retail Services

In each of these sections, more than 50 museum professionals, funders, and experts contribute to chapters focusing on specific revenue sources. Topics covered include:

Investment Income
Membership
Capital Campaigns & Major Gifts
Fundraising - Crowdfunding, Special Events, Partnerships, and Board Member Participation
Grants - Government, Private, Donor Advised Funds
Earned Income - Admissions, Programs & Education, Rights & Reproduction Licensing, Food Services, Facility Rentals, and the Museum Store

The book’s final section, The Future of Revenue, considers future business models and revenue generation strategies. A master list of the Resources used and recommended by the contributors closes the book.