CENTENNIAL DIRECTIONS 



* All departments within Field Museum must build 

 their ability to work cooperatively in support of the 

 Museum's dual mission, recognizing that people are the 

 Museum's greatest organizational resource. 



In the remainder of this section, each of these four 

 points is discussed in turn. 



Development as Institutional Advancement 



The development effort needed at Field Museum is more 

 than fundraising; it is institutional advancement — the 

 process of repositioning Field Museum in the minds of its 

 support constituencies as needing and deserving of in- 

 creased support. Increasing understanding, involve- 

 ment, and support are the objectives of this process. In 

 addition, the Development staff must conduct a major 

 capital campaign while maintaining current levels of 

 annual giving. 



If the development program is to adopt such a 

 thrust, this new concept and attitude must extend 

 beyond our Development staff to pervade the entire 

 Museum. Everyone must be a fund raiser and friend rais- 

 er for Field Museum. Board members, staff, and volun- 

 teers must work together in identifying opportunities for 

 improvement; in educating and involving various con- 

 stituencies; and in seeking increased project support and 

 funds for capital and operating support. In addition to 

 broadening the staff's commitment to the Development 

 function, the Museum must broaden its base of leaders, 

 volunteers, members and donors. 



To compete effectively for time, attention, and 

 financial support, Field Museum must continue to shift 

 its emphasis from general donor programming toward 

 more targeted constituency development. Specifically, 

 the Museum must: 



* Define its support groups more clearly and create 

 programs and activities more related to their special 

 interests. 



* Strengthen its communications with these groups and 

 with the public at large, locally and nationally. 



Targeted constituency development will require 

 considerably more planning, testing, program develop- 

 ment, and administrative organization than general 

 donor programming. The shift to a more targeted effort 

 will not happen overnight but such a shift is essential for 

 Field Museum, given current constituent development 

 20 patterns here and at other institutions. 



As part of its effort to effect this shift in develop- 

 ment, Field Museum has articulated several specific 

 goals for its Development function: 



* To expand the scope of Field Museum's constituency 

 development efforts by: 



/ Broadening business solicitation to include 

 mediumsized commerce and industry prospects 



y Broadening solicitation to more individuals, us- 

 ing more effective telephone, personalized mail, 

 and person-to- person contact to enlist donors 

 and upgrade giving patterns. 



/ Broadening membership to 40,000 and creating 

 incentives for involvement and support by 

 members. 



* To personalize development efforts by: 



y Maintaining intensive personal contacts and 

 communication with present, deferred, and pro- 

 spective donors 



y Organizing and staffing Museum interest groups 

 that can provide learning experiences for donors 

 and staff and can play crucial advisory, advocacy, 

 and support roles in specific areas. The Women's 

 Board and Founders' Council are stellar 

 examples. 



y Emphasizing Museum visits as well as instituting 

 an outreach program to bring our message 

 directly to selected groups. 



y Assisting Museum staff in applying for grant 

 support 



y Maintaining government relations programs at 

 all levels 



y Expanding research or project funding possibili- 

 ties 



y Reporting regularly and comprehensively to 

 grantors on funded projects 



* To cultivate gifts in kind to the Museum collections 

 as an essential complement to field trips in building 

 collections 



More supportive Finance and Museum Services 



Finance and Museum Services includes: 



* Income-generating visitor centers (the Museum 



Stores, Special Events, Food Services) 



