Warbird Information Exchange

Hi everyone,

My second post here, and I'm not sure if this is the right place for it, but I imagine there are a lot of you involved with aviation museums.

I have been a member/volunteer of a museum since I was 10 years old, and now I'm 24. The museum has become a major part of my life and I always want the best for it. Finding funding/sponsors is a problem for us, as I imagine it is for every museum out there, and I was wondering if there's anyone out there that has any suggestions as to how an organization that doesn't save lives, or cure diseases, or feed the starving can find major sponsors.

Any suggestions or stories of what has worked for other museums would be really helpful.

Cheers,

David McIntosh

Not sure what the focus of your museum is, but these thoughts should apply regardless:

I think the charter for most museums is that of education (knowledge management). Right now there is also a good opportunity to record oral history as the WW2 era veterans pass on in greater numbers. Korean and Vietnam vets are not that far behind in age either.

Look to local businesses that have an association with the charter of your museum. Any local aerospace concerns?

Who donates to any museum? Acquarium? Observatory? None of these institutions save lives either. Wealthy folks are often looking to add to their legacy. Bob Pond donated a large hangar to Planes of Fame for instance.

Any aviation luminaries on your board of directors? Find people with good networking skills like local politicians that support your cause. Make some friends at successful local museums you aren't competing with and ask them what they do

Thank you for some very insightful ideas bdk! I am also a volunteer/member of a museum and am trying to think of creative fundraising. We recently aquired a TF-102 that preliminary checks indicate our President Bush may have flown at one point. We are all keeping our fingers crossed that this is the case and that we may make some inroads towards some major funding...

This will be my first post after coming in from time to time and browsing what all of the fantastic people here have to say Man...there are some really smart people in here! From what I have read so far though, you all seem to be my kind of people, so no-one will laugh at me when I say that I love the smell of JP-4 in the morning!

_________________
Earn my respect and never lose it.
Demand my respect and never gain it. -Me

...just another plane dreamer.

David,

Glad to hear from another young person up here in Canada who is committed to the cause of vintage aircraft.

I'm on the Board of Directors for an aviation museum in Ontario and can sympathize with the challenge of funding.

In our case income comes from three main sources:

1) Airshow revenue

2) Movie and Film Work

3) Membership fees and donations

We'd like to source something in the world of sponsorship also, but putting together a professional proposal and trying to sell it takes time and effort. As I'm sure you know from working in this kind of outfit, many rely on volunteer effort. In our case there is no paid or full time staff, so we're fully at the mercy of how much time the members can contribute, and to some degree what kind of work they want to do.

For us, at the end of the day things like aircraft maintenance have to take precedence over fundraising efforts when people have limited time to contribute. Considering our major sources of income depend on having serviceable aircraft this is a pretty obvious reality.

It’d be nice to have alternate funding so that wasn't the case, but it all takes time and work. The tough part is that ever after putting in that effort there are no guarantees you'll hook a major sponsor.

None the less, we keep on doing our best to support these old birds and keep them in the air.

Cheers

Edward