A country that has few museums is both materially poor and spiritually poor …
museums, like theatres and libraries, are a means to freedom.”
– Wendy Beckett
YOUR SUPPORT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
Museums all around the world are struggling. UNESCO and the International Council of Museums have estimated that 1 in 8 museums
worldwide will permanently close due to the pandemic. In the U.S., the American Alliance of Museums estimates that one-third of museums could permanently close by this fall.
Our region was then devastated by wildfires that will have a lasting on impact our community. Thousands of homes and businesses were lost, and thousands more were displaced. Education was further disrupted for students in our community.
We need your support to ensure we can weather this ongoing storm, overcome unexpected challenges, and adapt to these rapidly changing times.
DESPITE THE ODDS
We want to thank all of our members and broader community members who have supported us so far
by shopping, donating, using the workshop, volunteering, sharing our advertisements and helping bring in traffic, and sending along funding opportunities we might be able to take advantage of. We appreciate all of you, and we can continue our mission because of your support.
Because of supporters like you, the Crater Rock Museum is thriving despite the obstacles presented in 2020, and we want to keep it that way. We have received word that we will be awarded a stipend for Museum Education focusing on resiliency during COVID-19. We are establishing exciting new partnerships that will expand our audiences and reach. This year, we have been able to hire professional staff who have been hard at work inventorying our collections and identifying priorities to ensure their preservation for the museum’s long-term future. We have joined the American Alliance of Museums, the Western Museums Association, and the NASA Museum and Informal Education Alliance. We have installed new exhibits and created plans for exciting, dynamic, and accessible programming. We have also helped rock shops in our region rebuild their inventories after the fires and collections specimens from the disaster for a future Memorial Exhibit that will also benefit fire relief efforts.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
We are working hard to make sure that the collections and exhibits are taken care of and that there will be exciting things to show you in the near future. We have accomplished a lot this year, but there is still much to be done. Our collections inventory has revealed that many of our artifacts and specimens are at a turning point, and need to be addressed with specialized care and storage to ensure they will last to share with future generations. We will need funds for additional specialized materials, tools, and professional staff to embark on these projects. Additionally, our collections are still expanding thanks to enthusiastic and generous donors, which means we will need to continue to renovate our existing storage spaces with efficient solutions that allow us to house all of our specimens and objects!
WE NEED YOU!
Your donation today will go to one of three critically important capacity building projects, as well as ensuring our long-term survival through the pandemic. These projects are:
- Collections Care and Preservation: The Museum’s closure doesn’t mean environmental factors stop affecting our specimens! Over time, all things begin to wear, age, crack, et cetera, unless we take steps to mitigate environmental factors. Our new Conserv software allows us to identify specimens that are being most affected by environmental degradation. A donation today will help fund the care of specimens most at risk!
- Creative Education Initiatives in the Age of COVID-19: A donation today well help us develop digital and virtual education programs, as well as fund the construction of EARTH science, archaeology, and paleontology activity boxes that can be picked up from our Gift Shop!
- Exhibit Updates: New discoveries are made in science all the time, and 2020 saw exciting developments in many fields, including astrogeology and paleontology. We believe strongly in bringing you dynamic exhibits and the latest discoveries and breakthroughs that engage you with our planet. A donation today will help us design and install exhibits that take your breath away, leave you in awe of the natural world, and inspire the next generation of scientists, rockhounds, and enthusiasts!
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW
You can make a donation to the Crater Rock Museum by coming in person, mail, telephone, or by clicking the Donate button below. (Don’t forget to ask your employer if they’ll match your donation!)
If you find yourself in a position able to donate, remember that the CARES Act has additional tax incentives for charitable donations through the end of the year! This includes a $300 above-the-line deduction for cash donations from those who do not itemize their deductions, and an increase in the limitation on charitable contribution deductions from 60% to 100% of an individual’s Adjusted Gross Income (learn more here). Act now to take advantage of these additional incentives!
Thank you, again, for your support of Crater Rock Museum! We appreciate your generosity and your support of our mission. The work we do would not be possible without donors like you!