ACADEMY ART MUSEUM MAGAZINE - WINTER 2012-2013

GIVING
Contributed Income
Nonprofit organizations focus on
mission first and foremost. Here at
the Academy Art Museum, we aim to
promote the knowledge, practice and
appreciation of the arts and to enhance
cultural life on the Eastern Shore by
making our expanding collection,
exhibitions, and broad spectrum of arts
programs available to all. A key strategy
for serving our whole community is to
remain affordable—even as the costs for
providing high quality arts experiences
are on the rise.
So while we focus on furthering our
mission, we must also ensure the
Museum continues to operate in a
fiscally sustainable manner—and that’s
where our donors come in! Our current
exhibition, The Art of Seating, offers a
good case in point.
When the Museum committed to bringing this important show
to the region, we knew that our modest admissions fees would
attract many visitors who’d be eager to learn about the evolution
of American design. Yet we also knew that revenues from
admissions, by themselves, would never cover the costs of
mounting such an ambitious exhibition.
Fortunately, both the Maryland State Arts Council and the Talbot
County Arts Council provide annual operating support to help
close such funding gaps. Wye Financial & Trust (WFT), a
division of CNB and a member of Shore Bancshares family of
companies, also stepped forward to help underwrite The Art of
Seating. As Elizabeth Spurry, WFT Senior Vice President
explains, “We are so pleased to support the Art of Seating
exhibit. The Academy Art Museum continues to raise the bar
with the quality and innovation of the collections they bring to
Easton. We are lucky to have such an asset right here in our local
community.” Thanks to these generous funders, the show could
go on!
Foundations, too, have been important partners in furthering the
Academy Art Museum mission. The Concordia Foundation, for
example, has been a strong supporter of our outreach and
education efforts. With Concordia’s help, we’ve expanded Art-
Reach, which uses the Museum’s current exhibitions as a starting
point to engage students throughout the Mid-Shore in art, critical
thinking, and language arts.
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It’s important to note that individuals, not organizations,
account for almost 80% of all philanthropic giving in this
country—a trend that holds true for the Academy Art Museum
as well. As the chart above illustrates, government entities like
the Talbot County and Maryland State Arts Councils provide
9% of the Museum’s total contributed income. Corporations
provide 4%, while Foundations contribute an additional 8%.
By contrast, voluntary contributions from individuals account
for at least 70% of the Museum’s total contributed income this
year.
When you renew your membership or participate in special
fundraising events like the fall Craft Show or next spring’s
Light the Academy, your financial support helps to boost
contributed income and to further the Museum’s mission.
As the chart indicates, the Annual Appeal plays an increasingly
important role. For FY 2013, we anticipate 41% of contributed
income and almost 30% of the Museum’s overall budget will
hinge on the success of the Annual Appeal.
We are very grateful for the strong early response, but we need
your support as well. If you haven’t already done so, please look
for your letter in the mail, fill out the return envelope, and send
it along with your contribution to the Academy Art Museum.
Or, if you prefer, you can make your donation online at
academyartmuseum.org. Together, we’ll continue to bring
exceptional arts programming to our Eastern Shore community.