That’s what Friends are for
Museums are wising up to the fact that membership and Friends schemes can boost their revenue and profile. Gareth Harris reports
The National Gallery’s recent launch of a membership scheme has highlighted the growing importance of these initiatives for museums in raising profile and revenue.
For an annual fee of £50, National Gallery membership benefits include free unlimited entry to all exhibitions (the average cost of a temporary exhibition is £18), an online magazine and invitations to after-hours events.
“Thanks to modern technology, we are now able to listen to our audiences much better and find out exactly what it is they want,” says a gallery spokeswoman.
“The overwhelming message we were getting is that they want more engagement with us – they wanted to belong.”
Bendor Grosvenor, an Edinburgh-based art historian, says: “It is a good move by the National Gallery. It is all about widening its funding base. The gallery can use the membership scheme as a base for developing a wider pool of philanthropic support, particularly among small and medium-level donors, which will be essential in the tougher funding environment of the future.”
The institution, like all national museums, faced a 15% drop in grant in aid in 2010, and a further 5% government cut in revenue and capital funding last year.
Friends membership fees account for a third of the Royal Academy’s revenue, while Tate raised £9m through its members in 2013-14. Last year, membership income at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London was £2.24m, with £1.85m invested in the museum.
A V&A spokeswoman says the financial benefits of a scheme extends beyond the joining fee, as members often support the museum in other ways – as volunteers, with additional donations or by leaving a legacy.
Museums have discovered that “blockbuster” shows can drive up their membership figures. “There is a direct link between membership numbers and popular exhibitions,” adds the V&A spokeswoman.
Last year’s David Bowie Is exhibition helped the museum reach its highest ever membership, peaking at 60,000 (it has since dropped to 54,000).
The British Museum has experienced a similar phenomenon. “A marked rise in numbers must, in large part, be attributed to the overwhelming success of Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum,” says a spokeswoman. Almost 1,000 members signed up in the final week of the exhibition last September.
Paid-up members
Regional museums also benefit from membership schemes. James Williams, the head of marketing and visitor experience at Canterbury Museums and Galleries, says that the £45 membership, introduced in 2012 with the reopening of the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge attracts new audiences and provides revenue.
“Due to our visitor profile and specific offering, membership has proved a good fit for our regional museums,” Williams says. “There are also plans for a new corporate membership offering and a patrons scheme, to enable us to further diversify income streams.”
The Friends of National Museum Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru) donate about £20,000 a year to the museum through their activities. The museum says the scheme offers “participation in an association of like-minded people”.
As cuts in public funding continue, building a loyal audience via membership schemes is a good way for museums to boost income.
For an annual fee of £50, National Gallery membership benefits include free unlimited entry to all exhibitions (the average cost of a temporary exhibition is £18), an online magazine and invitations to after-hours events.
“Thanks to modern technology, we are now able to listen to our audiences much better and find out exactly what it is they want,” says a gallery spokeswoman.
“The overwhelming message we were getting is that they want more engagement with us – they wanted to belong.”
Bendor Grosvenor, an Edinburgh-based art historian, says: “It is a good move by the National Gallery. It is all about widening its funding base. The gallery can use the membership scheme as a base for developing a wider pool of philanthropic support, particularly among small and medium-level donors, which will be essential in the tougher funding environment of the future.”
The institution, like all national museums, faced a 15% drop in grant in aid in 2010, and a further 5% government cut in revenue and capital funding last year.
Friends membership fees account for a third of the Royal Academy’s revenue, while Tate raised £9m through its members in 2013-14. Last year, membership income at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London was £2.24m, with £1.85m invested in the museum.
A V&A spokeswoman says the financial benefits of a scheme extends beyond the joining fee, as members often support the museum in other ways – as volunteers, with additional donations or by leaving a legacy.
Museums have discovered that “blockbuster” shows can drive up their membership figures. “There is a direct link between membership numbers and popular exhibitions,” adds the V&A spokeswoman.
Last year’s David Bowie Is exhibition helped the museum reach its highest ever membership, peaking at 60,000 (it has since dropped to 54,000).
The British Museum has experienced a similar phenomenon. “A marked rise in numbers must, in large part, be attributed to the overwhelming success of Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum,” says a spokeswoman. Almost 1,000 members signed up in the final week of the exhibition last September.
Paid-up members
Regional museums also benefit from membership schemes. James Williams, the head of marketing and visitor experience at Canterbury Museums and Galleries, says that the £45 membership, introduced in 2012 with the reopening of the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge attracts new audiences and provides revenue.
“Due to our visitor profile and specific offering, membership has proved a good fit for our regional museums,” Williams says. “There are also plans for a new corporate membership offering and a patrons scheme, to enable us to further diversify income streams.”
The Friends of National Museum Wales (Amgueddfa Cymru) donate about £20,000 a year to the museum through their activities. The museum says the scheme offers “participation in an association of like-minded people”.
As cuts in public funding continue, building a loyal audience via membership schemes is a good way for museums to boost income.