Planting the Seed: An Examination of Individual Donor Cultivation at an Art Museum

Abstract

Economists predict an enormous transfer of wealth within the United States over the next 50 years due to demographic and generational shifts. Much of these funds are expected to be donated to nonprofit organizations. Art museums in the United States derive a major portion of their annual funding from individual donors. Therefore, development professionals working for art museums should be re-examining their methods for donor cultivation. This project will explore the Portland Art Museum as a case study for how individual donor cultivation occurs at major art museums.