The Science Museum of Minnesota recently lost a legal battle regarding water damage to its popular, $100 million building. As a result, the museum must secure the $26 million needed to fix said damage.
The museum plans to request $13 million from the state Legislature next year, but it remains unclear how it will obtain the other half of the required cash. Interim museum president John Stanoch said he did not plan to raise admission fees in order to provide what is
required to fix the building.
The museum has handled its legal loss with quite a bit of grace. Going forward, there are a few effective methods I believe would work for the museum to raise the money it needs.
Donation boxes — such as those utilized by Como Park Zoo and Conservatory — would be a discreet option for the museum to ask its visitors for a little extra help to improve the building.
Another option would be for the museum to hold a few galas, where the private donors giving the most would receive special perks and public recognition. This would be similar to the Minnesota Zoo’s “Beastly Ball,” which is a high-class, black tie gala held for some of the zoo’s most generous contributors.
The museum could even offer a portion of its building to be named after the person with the most generous donation. While this tactic may seem a bit of a stretch, there are people who would pay handsomely to put their name on such a popular destination.
The Science Museum of Minnesota is an incredibly popular tourist attraction. It refuses to raise admission prices despite its financial needs, and that makes it worthy of a little extra assistance from the public.
Keelia Moeller
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Ronald Dixon
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