Donor Commits Endowment Gift for Museum Collections
JONESBORO – A generous donor who requested to remain anonymous is making a $25,000 gift commitment to a special endowment in support of Arkansas State University Museum.
The donor specifically directed that the proceeds from the endowment will be designated for the care, management and conservation of the museum collections, and encourages others who are interested in supporting the museum and its mission to add to the endowment fund.
“This gift is as insightful as it is generous. Collections care is crucial to a museum’s existence, yet it is carried out behind the scenes without fanfare and is unnoticed by the public,” noted Dr. Marti Allen, director of the museum. “That the donor chose to remain anonymous is beautifully consistent with the recognition that collections care, a core function of museums, quietly enables every other function.”
Arkansas State University Museum interprets the Northeast Arkansas and Mississippi River Delta regions through collections of archaeological, cultural and natural history artifacts.
The new endowment will help fund the management, care, and preservation of more than 50,000 items, many of which have been donated by people who reside in the region.
The museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1973, denoting its persistent ability to operate within national standards for museums as deemed by professional peers.
Out of more than 33,000 museums in the United States, fewer than 1,100 are accredited. In the last five years, Arkansas State University Museum has served an average of more than 70,000 visitors annually.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, extra expenses incurred with continuing the museum’s operations have been largely offset by a grant from a National Endowment for the Humanities cultural programs grant through the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act.
Individuals and organizations interested in adding a gift to the museum’s collections care endowment may do so by making a gift online, or by sending a check payable to the ASU System Foundation, with “ASU Museum Collections Care Endowment” in the memo line, to P.O. Box 1990, State University, AR 72467.
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