California Association of Museums

CAM e-News Monthly Museum Poll

October 2007 Museum Poll Recap: What would you do with $2 million?

In October, CAM asked CAM e-News subscribers to pretend their museum had been given a no-strings-attached donation of $2 million and they alone were to determine what to do with the funds. Specifically, we asked, "What is the first thing you would spend the $2 million on?"

Nearly half of the respondents (47.8%) indicated they would spend the money on collections care materials and/or a new storage unit. A quarter of respondents (26.1%) said they would spend the money on raises for staff members. Others indicated they would spend the funds on facility upgrades (21.7%), an endowment (17.4%), and new development staff members (13%). Less than ten percent said they would fund exhibitions or education programs with this new donation.

Although we are partially County funded and they do pay our salaries, many essentials fall through the cracks. There is no budget for new "fixed assets." Simple things like paper cutters, card tables, a digital camera or a large size printer are impossible to get. I want all the gadgets that would make life easier for my hard-working staff. -- Anonymous

The money would find its best use in creating integrated, multi-purpose space, facilities that would serve all the museum's mission-related needs at one time: collections management and conservation, public services and administration. -- Anonymous

I would use the money to impove or increase future revenue producing programs. Development staff allow this to happen. -- Karen Mehring, Folsom History Museum

Raising staff salaries to the 75 percentile would cost about $400,000 per year. That would bring staff closer to a living wage. Then, we would add more staff in key positions that have been cut over the years. Then, we would work on some of the deferred maintenance issues. -- Anonymous


Thank you to the respondents for sharing their opinions with CAM.


Home