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Typically, in municipally -owned and operated history museums, the municipality funds core operations <br />including staff and overhead (building and grounds maintenance, utilities, upkeep, and supplies.) The <br />municipality and /or a consortium of government and civic associations may contract and provide <br />revenue to offset the expense of serving as a visitor center. The balance of the functions, listed above, <br />provide the additional earned income lines of support. <br />"Friends of" groups and foundations are essential to every history museum. Grants, memberships, <br />annual fundraising event revenues, business sponsorships — all these are traditionally made possible by <br />friends and foundation groups. As such, no business plan for a municipal history museum can stand on <br />its own without a parallel plan undertaken by a friends or foundation group, ensuring that the group is <br />able to contribute the needed share of operating revenue. In turn, these funds typically pay for the cost <br />of special or changing exhibits, public programs, educational programs and outreach, field trips, and so- <br />called soft - capital such as display cases, exhibition materials, the cost of retail items, even books. Some <br />Colorado history museum friends groups even maintain their own annual publishing program of books <br />related to local history. <br />This extends to capital funding as well. Friends or foundation groups often provide 25 -50% of the capital <br />funds for new construction. Their role is similar to that of a library friends group, every bit as vital in <br />ensuring capital campaign success from the private sector while also serving as advocates for public <br />sector capital funds. <br />This plan includes recommendations for the Museum's Foundation. <br />RAMP UP AS WELL AS POST - FACILITY PLANS <br />The above list of typical history museum functions includes many <br />functions that museums such as the Louisville Historical Museum provide <br />prior to as well as after a new building. Residents don't all share the same <br />value placed on collections development and archival care, for example: <br />some — especially younger and newer residents — will value youth and <br />adult education programs. Others will place value on a visitor center <br />function and on special programs. <br />For this reason, there are two primary sections to this business plan: pre - <br />building, and post- opening. <br />SCALE OF REQUIRED OPERATIONS <br />By demonstrating the <br />spectrum of important <br />museum functions prior to <br />seeking capital, the <br />institution is better <br />positioned to raise capital <br />funds from both the private <br />and public sectors, and the <br />Museum's partner <br />Foundation is better <br />positioned to advocate for <br />the Museum. <br />The City of Louisville provides $75,000 toward staff salaries and overhead for the <br />museum, and in <br />addition it pays $27,850 of indirect or in -kind support for maintenance and utilities and general <br />overhead. <br />Typically, Colorado municipal governments support 60 %+ of their municipal -owned history museum <br />budgets. This includes revenue from all earned and contributed sources. Thus, if the combined salary <br />Page 1 8 Louisville Historical Museum Business Plan Recommendations <br />