By Jennifer Leavitt, Andrew Farrell, and Nicholas McLaughlin

1. The Case for Free Admission PRESENTED BY ANDREW FARRELL, SHANNON KNIGHT, JEN LEAVITT, & NICHOLAS MCLAUGHLIN

2. How do you balance providing access to museums while generating revenue to sustain the institution? #bbcon
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3. Today’s Panelists
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4. Today’s Panelists
Andrew Farrell, BMA
Development Associate – Database Manager
Nicholas McLaughlin, BMA
Development Officer – Visitor Services and Sales
Shannon Knight, RISD Museum
Director of Special Projects
Moderator: Jen Leavitt, Blackbaud
Altru Consultant
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5. Birmingham Museum of Art

6. Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA)
•The BMA has had free admission all 63 years it has been in existence
•In Fiscal Year 2012-13 (FY12-13), the BMA welcomed 146,328 visitors through its doors
•Cash donation boxes at each entrance brought in just under $23,000 in FY12-13
•The BMA had an average membership base of 4,578 households in FY12-13
•Membership dues brought in $338K of revenue, or 5.6% of our operating budget
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7. RISD Museum
By offering access to objects, their making, and the ideas they present, the RISD Museum cultivates a culture of creative learning and inspires lifelong relationships with art and design.
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8. RISD Museum
•Attendance – approximately 101,000 annually through daily admissions, events, and programs.
•Admission is free every Sunday (10 am–5 pm) and on the third Thursday evening of each month (5–9 pm).
•Certain visitors are always free:
•Members
•Children under 5
•Staff, faculty, and students of RISD or member institutions (with valid ID)
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9. RISD Museum: General Admission
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40% Fee-based
60% Free

10. What are the greatest challenges of offering free admission?
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