GivingTuesday is a “global generosity movement” originally founded in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. Every year, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is designated as a day of giving, whether in the form of donations, service, or time. (The movement has garnered over a billion dollars in donations since it launched in 2012, $400M of them in 2018 alone.) Of the myriad forms this movement takes, one is nonprofit organizations making appeals for support, including many museums. Here are some of our favorite examples of how the museum community made its case this year.
Emphasizing Missions
Some museums took the opportunity to reinforce their missions to the public, explaining how donations help further those missions:
Help us fulfill our vision! The #ArtBMA mission centers on equity and access—including free admission and expanding our presentations of artists of color and female-identifying artists. We can’t do it without your support!
Give today on #GivingTuesday: https://t.co/zKiGKSRbiT pic.twitter.com/OK8i0d94RL
Skip over related stories to continue reading article— BaltimoreMuseumOfArt (@artbma) December 3, 2019
It’s #GivingTuesday! Thanks to supporters like you, we’re able to:
⚪ Present compelling exhibitions
⚪ Reach thousands of students & teachers
⚪ Launch a program for 6th graders to learn about Greek democracy & government today!Thank you: https://t.co/Zl4SUDIf0w pic.twitter.com/tgpKWQt9Bo
— New-York Historical Society (@NYHistory) December 3, 2019
Happy #GivingTuesday! The Aldrich is a place of discovery, learning, and engagement. Your gift helps to create pivotal moments for artists, students, educators, and the public! Join the movement and give at https://t.co/24f70BIq5u. pic.twitter.com/LthGkrX8PK
— The Aldrich Museum (@TheAldrich) December 3, 2019
Crowdfunding Specific Features
Rather than focusing on their overall missions, other museums confined their appeal to a specific feature they needed help funding, with specific goals to rally contributions:
Happy #GivingTuesday! Today, your donations will go towards restoring our #IronLung and getting it on display. Help us share this important piece of medical history and make a gift today: https://t.co/xNXrE3uSxC pic.twitter.com/UhnLHd3gUb
— Mütter Museum (@MutterMuseum) December 3, 2019
Let’s get this ball rolling … it’s @GivingTuesday!
We’ll reach our goal if you’ll kindly CLICK HERE TO DONATE: https://t.co/PXp4n3kmeV
or at https://t.co/PZlVKvgEys#GivingTuesday pic.twitter.com/nnxYi5YnYP— tag! Museum (@tagMuseum) December 3, 2019
Telling Stories of Giving
Other museums took a more subtle approach, sharing stories from their collections or institutional histories that speak to the power of giving:
It’s a mystery why an English scientist left his fortune to establish an institution for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge” in the U.S. But I’m glad James Smithson did. On #GivingTuesday, I thank Friends of the Smithsonian members and all who support this wondrous place. https://t.co/J6FfPquSFo
— Lonnie G. Bunch III (@SmithsonianSec) December 3, 2019
From gathering moss to a multi-million dollar industry, we’re about to bring you the #WW1 story you never knew you always needed. It’s a tale of sacrifice, service … and sanitary napkins. #philanthropy #AmericanGiving #GivingTuesday #BecauseOfHerStory #HistMed
— National Museum of American History (@amhistorymuseum) December 3, 2019
Getting Transparent about Funding Needs
While feel-good talk of missions and visions might appeal to the heart, sometimes it’s good to speak to the head too, as at least one museum did in its clear accounting of its funding model:
This #GivingTuesday, learn more about where MCA funding comes from – and what programs and initiatives your contributions benefit!
➡️ Donate to the Annual Fund today: https://t.co/1zWGSWRpi0 pic.twitter.com/Xk6qVfHMZB— MCA Chicago (@mcachicago) December 3, 2019
Building a Support Base for Emergent Museums
For some newcomers on the scene, #GivingTuesday was a chance to establish the support base they will need going forward:
It’s #GivingTuesday so we’re launching our Winter Appeal! We want to raise £50,000 to match our crowdfunder to maintain the museum and develop future exhibitions. To get started, every donation over £5 before 6pm, we’ll tweet a slang term in SHOUTY CAPS https://t.co/kzncPCSWbK
— Vagina Museum (@vagina_museum) December 3, 2019
It’s #GivingTuesday! With your help we can create the definitive film museum in the movie capital of the world. There’s no place like the #AcademyMuseum. Learn more: https://t.co/d7M558y9w1
Photo: @jwpictures ©Academy Museum Foundation pic.twitter.com/fP1CZLZsm5
— Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (@AcademyMuseum) December 3, 2019
Sharing the Results
Some of these museums shared the success of their campaigns, another strategy in itself for building a community of givers and helping them see the collective power of their individual contributions:
There is a VERY VERY real chance we could hit a bleeding incredible £2000 today! Can you help us? https://t.co/bXv2VmKHLk
— Vagina Museum (@vagina_museum) December 8, 2019
Thank Yoü!
We raised over $9,000 on Giving Tüesday to get our Iron Lung on view this Spring! What would we do without you?! You’re the reason for our success. There’s still time to donate at https://t.co/9LowKvDvRQ pic.twitter.com/5syWvbKe7b
— Mütter Museum (@MutterMuseum) December 5, 2019
YOU DID IT! In 24 hours, $6,520 was raised to purchase the @KodoKidsUSA magnet wall. The tag! Children’s Museum team is so grateful for your support. Thank you all!#GivingTuesday#tagChildrensMuseum#play pic.twitter.com/jqGcJzKMfJ
— tag! Museum (@tagMuseum) December 6, 2019
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