24 



Annals of the Smithsonian Institution 2000 



• The National Postal Museum received a $10 million gift, 

 the largest in its history, from former Postmaster General 

 Winton M. Blount to create the Winton M. Blount Cen- 

 ter for Postal Studies. The center will conduct research, 

 publish research findings, and develop public programs 

 on the future of postal communications. 



• John and Adrienne Bevis Mars made a gift of §5 million 

 toward the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. 

 Udvar-Hazy Center. 



• A $3 million gift from Royal Dutch/Shell Group will 

 support scientific research that increases our understand- 

 ing of biodiversity and how ecosystems function. 



• Paul Peck contributed $2 million to the National Portrait 

 Gallery for new and expanded programs on the presidency, 

 its role in American history, and its impact on society and 

 culture. This is the largest gift in the gallery's history. 



• A library in the National Museum of Natural History to 

 house rare books and manuscripts received a leadership com- 

 mitment of $2 million from Joseph F. Cullman 3rd of New 

 York City. The Cullman Natural History Library Endow- 

 ment will underwrite acquisitions, programs, and staffing 

 for the new library, to be administered by the Smithsonian 

 Institution Libraries. The gift is the Libraries' largest ever. 



• The Smithsonian Program for Asian Pacific American 

 Studies received its first major gift: a $750,000 challenge 

 grant from The Starr Foundation toward the establish- 

 ment of an endowment for continuing support of its work 

 in integrating the Asian American experience into the 

 Smithsonian. 



The success of fund-raising endeavors in 2000 soared with 

 the rise in attendance at museums, outreach programs, and 

 traveling exhibitions. The name "Smithsonian Institution" 

 garnered even grearer visibility among well-established con- 

 stituencies and new, diverse audiences across the country. 

 From a fund-raising total of $40 million in fiscal year 1996 to 

 an unprecedented $206.6 million four years later — with gifts 

 greater than $5 million each comprising half that total — the 

 Smithsonian's fund raising has gained substantial momentum. 



The Office of Development is spearheading the effort to 

 raise more than $1 billion from private sources in the next 

 five years, seeking new and imaginative resources to help 

 fund four major capital projects, the refurbishment of exist- 

 ing museum facilities, and the creation of vibrant and 

 compelling exhibitions. 



In this annual report, we recognize and applaud the many 

 individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations 

 that have joined the Smithsonian in its eagerness to expand 

 and improve the nation's most visible educational resource. 

 Many such partnerships are described in greater detail 

 throughout this publication. 



Business Ventures 



Developing the potential of the Smithsonian brand 



Newly reorganized as Smithsonian Business Ventures, the 

 Smithsonian's core businesses — Smithsonian and Air & 



Space/Smithsonian magazines; museum retail stores, restau- 

 rants, and IMAX theaters; the mail order catalogue and 

 e-commerce; and licensing and media activities — launched a 

 five-year strategy aimed at doubling net gain. The Smith- 

 sonian has valuable assets in its millions of visitors, its 

 subscribers and readers, and its vast collections. Using these 

 assets to capitalize on the power of the Smithsonian brand 

 can generate significant resources to support the Institution's 

 vision of heightened public impact and influential scientific 

 research. 



• Business activities achieved a total net gain of $24.4 mil- 

 lion in fiscal year 2000, a decline of $5 million from the 

 previous year. The decline in earnings was due principally 

 to Smithsonian magazine advertising, as compared with 

 1999, and disappointing catalogue holiday sales. With 

 new revenue streams and improved management and mar- 

 keting, Smithsonian Business Ventures expects to achieve 

 solid growth and a $30 million net gain by fiscal year 

 2002. This year's accomplishments indicate progress to- 

 ward that goal. 



• Smithsonian Store.com, the virtual superstore, was ready 

 to launch by the end of the fiscal year, offering more than 

 1,000 high-quality products based on Smithsonian collec- 

 tions. A five-year, multimillion-dollar collaborative li- 

 censing agreement was negotiated with The Museum 

 Company for a comprehensive e-retailing program. 



• Smithsonian magazine maintained its circulation of 2.1 

 million even while implementing a price increase. 

 Monthly readership for this flagship business is estimated 

 at more than 7.6 million. 



• Museum stores, restaurants, and IMAX® theaters on the 

 National Mall served more than 6.4 million customers 

 this year. An impressive new 12,000-square-foot store 

 opened in January at the National Air and Space Museum. 



• A five-year, multimillion-dollar media partnership was es- 

 tablished with the Animal Planet network, including tel- 

 evision specials on the giant pandas and a 13-part episodic 

 series from the Smithsonian's National Zoo. 



• Coproduction agreements were reached with Showtime 

 Networks for Smithsonian-brand movies-of-the-week tel- 

 evision programs on the African American experience and 

 a four-part dramatic series chronicling the First Ladies. 



Kenneth E. Behring 



Inspiring others to follow their dreams 



Kenneth E. Behring, a California philanthropist and devel- 

 oper, hopes his gift will "showcase the ideas, the 

 technologies, and most of all, the people who continue to 

 make the United States the greatest country in the world." 

 Behring 's donation is unprecedented in its generosity: a 

 total of $100 million, the largest in the Smithsonian's his- 

 tory. This includes $80 million to the National Museum of 

 American History this year and $20 million to the National 

 Museum of Natural History in fiscal year 1998. 



