Fundraising for Museums

Linda Wise McNay is the founder, owner, and principal consultant with Our Fundraising Search in Atlanta. She has completed more than fifteen years of consulting and has served more than 175 clients. Linda's nonprofit background includes work with higher and secondary education, the arts, human services, and faith-based organizations. It has included work in capital campaigns, annual fund, planned giving, membership, development, and executive search. Before launching Our Fundraising Search, Linda served as the Chief Development Officer for the High Museum of Art, leading its efforts to raise $95 million to bring great art from the Louvre and China to the Atlanta community. She also managed an endowment campaign, initiated the institution's first full-time planned giving effort, and increased the museum's membership to a record fifty thousand. During her High Museum tenure, Linda served as national president of AMDA, the Art Museum Development Association. Linda served as Director of Advancement at Pace Academy, a K-12 private school in Atlanta. She led the school's largest and most successful capital fundraising campaign, with a goal of $15 million. The campaign reached its goal ahead of schedule and under budget; and achieved 95 percent parent participation, 100 percent board participation, and 100 percent faculty/staff participation. In higher education, Linda held positions including Vice President of the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges, Executive Director of the Emory Challenge Fund at Emory University, Director of Development at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and alumni and development roles at her alma mater, Transylvania University.She has been a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) for more than thirty years. Her volunteer work with AFP includes serving as a mentor in the Diversity Fellows Program, serving on the National Philanthropy Day Steering Committee, and serving as Past-Honoree Chair for many years.Linda wrote three books for nonprofit practitioners: Fundraising for Schools: 8 Keys to Success Every Head of School Should Know, Fundraising for Museums: 8 Keys to Success Every Museum Leader Should Know, and Fundraising for Churches: 12 Keys to Success Every Church Leader Should Know co-authored with Sarah B. Matthews, with whom she also co-created an online course based on the book.Linda is dedicated to raising the next generation of philanthropists, co-authoring a children's book, The Adventures of PhilAnThropy, with fellow passionate fundraisers Ailena Gibby Parramore and Del Martin. She is a regular speaker and presenter at workshops and conferences and author of numerous articles for publication. Her doctoral dissertation was entitled, "The Relative Cost-Effectiveness of Three Direct Mail Techniques on Non-Alumni Prospects."Linda earned her Doctorate in Philosophy of Higher Education from Georgia State University, a Master of Business Administration specializing in Personnel Administration from the University of Kentucky, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. Linda and her architect husband, Gary, have two adult sons. In her spare time, Linda likes traveling to new places with family and friends, reading, writing, walking, and playing board games.

Being a head of a museum is both challenging and rewarding work. Museum leaders and those who aspire to the role are expected to engage donors and members, and raise money effectively; yet, most have received little or no training or support in advancement. In Fundraising for Museums: 8 Keys to Success Every Museum Leader Should Know, veteran fundraising consultant Linda Wise McNay demystifies fundraising for museum leaders.
This innovative book will guide museum leaders on:

How museum leaders should manage their time in every stage of their fundraising and stewardship efforts

The importance of board leadership

The critical relationship between the Museum Leader and, if there is one, the chief development officer

Detailed instruction on "how to ask"




McNay offers lessons that she routinely shares with her arts and cultural clients. Some museums do not have a chief development officer or experienced advancement staff. She shares detailed explanations of which fundraising tasks are the most important and which should be undertaken first by museum leadership. She explains annual giving, major giving, capital campaigns, and the museum's endowment.

This book is organized into eight chapters:

Chapter One: Three Secrets to Successful Fundraising. Museums cannot be supported by tuition alone. Therefore, the museum leader needs to devote significant time and attention to fundraising. A museum leader must be able to present the case for support and lead the board and staff in a team effort to ask for funds, all while following a coordinated plan of action.

Chapter Two: Fundraising Methods by Rate of Return. A museum fundraising plan should include scheduled direct mail, telephone, event, sponsorship, email, and personal solicitations. Effectiveness of all solicitations is enhanced with an accurate database and appropriate stewardship.

Chapter Three: The Big Ask. The museum leader needs to be able to talk about money-a lot. The greatest reason people give money is because they are asked in person!

Chapter Four: Forge a Lasting Partnership with the Chief Development Officer. Development is the process of building long-term, positive, and mutually beneficial relationships between donors and the cultural institution. This is best achieved by the combined efforts of the museum leader and the development staff member(s) and volunteers. It is definitely not a one-person job.

Chapter Five: A Primary Responsibility of the Board Is to Raise Money. One hundred percent of board members should participate in fundraising both as donors and in soliciting others to all campaigns at your museum.

Chapter Six: Operational Funds Have Less Donor Appeal, but They Are Essential. Most museums begin their fundraising efforts with the annual fund or membership. You must create a case for annual operating needs and train your volunteers on the importance of unrestricted giving.

Chapter Seven: Capital Campaigns Occur Every Three to Five Years, so Prepare Yourself. Everyone is an annual fund prospect. Some donors are also capital gift prospects. The top 10 donors are critical to your campaign success.

Chapter Eight: Endowment Building for the Future. The best way to build an endowment for your museum is to initiate a planned giving program.