It is a truth universally acknowledged that it is easier to raise capital for bricks-and-mortar than for projects that are less tangible, but may be more closely aligned with a museum’s mission and a community’s needs. How can museums break through the “naming barrier” and create compelling appeals for important but amorphous things like general operating support, educational programs, and better salaries for staff? Today on the blog, President and CEO Ann Burroughs tells us how the Japanese American National Museum has appealed to donors of large and small gifts by employing online tools and tying campaigns to mission and impact.

–Elizabeth Merritt, Vice President, Strategic Foresight and Founding Director, Center for the Future of Museums, American Alliance of Museums

---

Introduction

The mission of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) is rooted in the mass incarceration of over 125,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. A place of conscience and a ground zero point in the history of civil rights in the US, JANM uses a variety of fundraising methods to advance its mission to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Recent successful online fundraising events for the Ireichō National Tour, the Museum’s Annual Benefit and Online Auction, and its Landmarks Education Workshops bring the lessons of crowdfunding and online philanthropy into focus.

The Ireichō National Tour Crowdfunding Campaign

The Ireichō National Tour brings the Ireichō, a sacred book containing the names of 125,284 people of Japanese ancestry who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II, to historically significant sites across the US. JANM partnered with the Irei Project on a seven-week digital crowdfunding campaign from January 2 through February 19, 2025, to raise $125,284. Each dollar was in honor of every name in the book. Funds raised covered transportation, staffing, and insurance costs.

We chose the Day of Remembrance, the day that commemorates the signing Executive Order 9066 that ordered the incarceration, as the end date of the campaign. Through our campaign’s structured timeline and strong asset development, combined with targeted prelaunch appeals, a call to action across JANM’s website and social media with accompanying newsletters, and personal thank you messages from the project’s director, Duncan Williams, JANM surpassed its goal and raised $132,209 towards the Ireichō National Tour. JANM also followed up with individual donors, including one who was the descendant of a camp survivor and gave $50,000.

JANM’s Annual Benefit and Online Auction

Our annual Benefit and Online Auction was held on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles. This year’s theme, Unlocking the Future, celebrated JANM’s critical past, dynamic present, and ambitious future through stories of courage, determination, and resilience. JANM raised over $1.2 million to support its mission and educational programs.

Our Benefit honored the legacies of three inspirational community leaders: Toshizo “Tom” Watanabe, Nobuko Miyamoto, and Judi Oyama. Watanabe was honored for his lifelong dedication to strengthening the relationship between the US and Japan. Miyamoto was honored for her artistry, activism, and work that touches the soul and reveals humanity’s interconnectedness. Both received JANM’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Oyama was honored with the Museum’s Award of Excellence for her fearless dedication and contributions to competitive slalom and downhill skateboarding. A pioneer female competitor and now a mentor to the next generation, she continues to dominate the field after fifty years of competitive skateboarding.

Festivities were livestreamed and also included the Bid for Education Program (BFE) and the online auction. The BFE—the galvanizing force behind JANM’s educational programming that serves over 12,000 students and educators each year—raised $177,880. The online auction ran for ten days from Thursday, April 3, through Sunday, April 13, 2025, and raised $50,706, surpassing its initial goal of $50,000.

Landmarks Education Campaign

In April 2025, JANM received a stark message from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in a letter that read in part, “Due to a change in the Administration’s funding priorities, DOGE has made the decision to terminate NEH awards.” In a Los Angeles Times article “Japanese American National Museum takes a stand against DOGE cuts to NEH,” Board Chair William T Fuijoka talked about how the loss of the $175,000 NEH grant affected our educational programming and how we decided to stand up to the pressure it faced to scrub its website of references to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

When the Los Angeles Times article went viral, unsolicited gifts from donors across the nation poured in, many referencing Mr. Fujioka’s rallying cry, “scrub nothing.” One anonymous donor pledged $85,000 to underwrite JANM’s costs with the challenge that the Museum raises the rest from the community. JANM sent out an appeal to its donors through email and social media, which brought in matching gifts ranging from $5 to $50,000. Our goal was to reach $93,600 and we have since surpassed it, raising over $310,000 that not only supported this summer’s Landmarks program and educator stipends but also will support next summer’s workshops. We were able to quickly pivot on subsequent digital appeals to further amplify the successful #ScrubNothing message.

We offer our experiences as an opportunity to reflect upon fundraising strategies that uphold our principles, engage audiences with our mission, and inspire the next generation to give. Through the Ireichō National Tour, a new generation can learn about an important chapter in our nation’s history with their families at annual pilgrimages. Our community can see what we’re doing and where we’re going next during our annual Benefit and Online Auction. And our supporters and the general public can stand beside us as we raise our voice in opposition and speak history to the present. Together, we can keep JANM’s mission alive for the next generation—so they continue to inspire resilience, spark understanding, and strengthen our democracy.