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All museums are seeking an influx of resources—especially cash. Traditional fundraising methods are foundational to museum sustainability: individual giving, corporate sponsorships, and grant writing.

Individual giving can take the form of one-time donations, recurring gifts, or major contributions from private donors. Corporate sponsorships bring in financial support from businesses in exchange for brand visibility or community goodwill. And grant writing—whether through governmental agencies or private foundations—helps fund special projects, exhibitions, or operational needs.

In addition to these core strategies, museums often turn to special events like galas, silent auctions, and membership programs to bring in extra revenue. These are all important, necessary tools in a nonprofit’s toolkit.

But here’s the thing: fundraising doesn’t always have to just serve your museum.

Sometimes, the most impactful fundraising happens when you start with a desire to serve your community—and the community turns around and serves the museum right back.

Let me tell you about my accidental fundraiser.

It Started with Some Glue

Every January and February, my museum closes for winter. It’s a quiet time when staff and volunteers clean, reorganize, take inventory, and make repairs.

Three years ago, I was sorting through our workshop and programming supplies. As you might imagine, this consisted of half-used craft kits, scraps of paper, and bottles of glue that were more “mostly used” than full. I didn’t want to throw anything away—they were still perfectly usable—but schools and libraries weren’t interested because the supplies weren’t complete sets. That’s when one of our volunteers suggested we hold a rummage sale.

We’d invite the public in right before our spring reopening. People could fill a plastic grocery bag with anything they wanted—for just $5. The proceeds would go back to our workshop and programming fund. We posted a few photos and went live on Facebook to spread the word. No printed flyers, no ads, no major campaign. We didn’t expect much.

But the response? Overwhelmingly positive.

People were excited. They loved the concept. They loved the low cost. And they really loved supporting a museum that was making a conscious effort to reduce waste. That first year, with hardly any promotion and minimal effort, we raised over $500.

Year Two: The Tidal Wave

The next winter, we didn’t have enough leftover supplies for a second sale. So we asked the community if they’d be willing to donate craft items and workshop materials. And wow—did they ever come through.

We received twice as much stuff as the previous year. I did a few more Facebook posts and videos, but again, nothing major. Still, when we opened our doors, it was like a Black Friday tidal wave. I think my volunteers still have a little PTSD from that day—we were not prepared for the crowd. But by the end of it, we’d raised over $2,000—enough to purchase a special tool for our workshops that had previously been out of budget.

Year Three: The Evolution

By year three, we were ready. The community donated again, and this time we adjusted how the sale was organized—entry flow, check-out system, signage, all of it. The tweaks paid off. The funds raised that year were directed toward restoration projects, broadening the impact of what began as a small, one-off idea.

Start With the Community

Here’s the thing: when we started this event, we weren’t trying to fundraise. We were trying to avoid throwing away usable materials and maybe give someone a good deal. But the simple act of serving our community ended up turning into an annual fundraiser that brought in thousands of dollars—and more importantly, built trust, goodwill, and a sense of shared ownership.

Museums and communities are truly symbiotic. When we look for ways to help our communities thrive, they find ways to help us thrive in return. So the next time your organization needs funding, don’t just ask what your community can do for you. Start by asking what your museum can do for your community.

You can download the Accidental Fundraiser Mini-Toolkit, which can help you identify opportunities within your museum to create meaningful, low-cost fundraising events that start by serving your community first. If you need help brainstorming, reach out directly insight@kaleidoscopehf.com or in the comments. Together we can help each other.

Alt Text: Playful watercolor illustration of a stylized green dollar bill with a white dollar sign in the center, framed by swirling flourishes in blue and teal on the left and yellow, orange, and red on the right.

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Next Sunday’s feature is, Reframing Your Visit, with the Reframing Your Visit Mini-Toolkit.