The Future Is Now: Fall 2014 Campaign Update

Visitors in Shapiro Family Courtyard around Chihuly's Lime Green Icicle Tower
Visitors in Shapiro Family Courtyard around Chihuly's Lime Green Icicle Tower

Campaign Update—Fall 2014

As we steadily move forward in the second year of the MFA’s The Future Is Now Campaign, there is exciting news to share about our fundraising progress. As of mid-September, we passed the halfway mark in our three-year $200 million goal well ahead of schedule. This would not have been possible without the generosity of the entire MFA family, from Trustees and Overseers to Patron Members and Museum volunteers. We are grateful to all of you for your continued support of our mission.

It is also our pleasure to report that the September 6 Gala and MFA by Moonlight Party celebrating the 20th anniversary of Malcolm Rogers as the Museum’s Ann and Graham Gund Director were tremendously successful, raising a total of $2.3 million. The proceeds will benefit the MFA’s education, community, and access programs. A portion of the funds has already been directed toward expanding the MFA’s Manager of Accessibility position to a full-time role, which will allow the Museum to serve an even greater number of visitors with disabilities.

 

Total Campaign

$200 million goal
 

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The Future Is Now has five overarching priorities, and we have raised critical support for each. Some of our major milestones to date include:

  • 3 newly endowed staff positions and 6 new funds supporting a broad range of programs, as well as many gifts to ensure the MFA’s long-term financial well-being
  • 7 renovated galleries across the Museum
  • funding to construct a state-of-the-art Paintings and Objects Conservation Suite
  • 2 new scholarships for SMFA students, as well as the start of several critical campus improvement projects
  • 13 significant gifts directed toward investments in new programs, positions, and initiatives
  • 13 multi-year commitments to the Patron Program and the Corporate Partners Program

Our goal is to maintain this extraordinary momentum through the current fiscal year and into the third and final year of The Future Is Now. We encourage you to consider making a gift to the Campaign today to support initiatives that will ensure the most exciting future for the MFA.

Campaign Challenge

A Campaign Challenge currently underway increases by 50% those gifts that are either unrestricted or otherwise intended to strengthen the Museum’s balance sheet. The Challenge is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the next generation of growth at the Museum and to highlight the importance of unrestricted giving to all nonprofit organizations. It is our hope that many members of the MFA family will join in support of this crucial initiative. For more information on the Campaign Challenge, please contact Maria Muller, Deputy Director, at mmuller@mfa.org or 617-369-3494.

 

A summary of our progress in each of the five priority areas of the Campaign follows:

Net Endowment

$130 million goal
 

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Increasing the net impact of the endowment through a combination of budget-relieving and financially stabilizing gifts will ensure the strongest possible foundation for the MFA for the future, and secure the long-term stability of successful programs and critical staff positions.

 

Gallery Renewal

$20 million goal
 

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Our goal is to bring all of the Museum’s galleries and public spaces to the high standards set by recent gallery renovations, the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, and the Art of the Americas Wing.

 

School of the Museum of Fine Arts

$10 million goal
 

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During the transformation of the SMFA into an independently accredited college, increased endowment, along with unrestricted and current-use gifts, will support financial aid, campus renovation, and other strategic initiatives, assuring the future success of students as creative leaders in a global community.

 

New Investments

$15 million goal
 

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The MFA aims to make new investments in strategically important areas, focusing on the development of new programs and the use of technology to enrich the visitor experience.

 

Annual Support

$25 million goal
 

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Annual support provided through the Patron Program, Museum Council, Corporate Partners, SMFA Medici, and other programs is critical to the operations of the Museum and the School, and included in the Campaign.

 

A busy fall season is underway at the MFA with an exciting roster of exhibitions and programs. We invite you to visit the Museum soon to take advantage of these opportunities and to see for yourself the tremendous impact that the Campaign is already making across the building.

Thank you, once again, for your support of this great institution.

Barbara Alfond
Co-Chair, The Future Is Now

Richard Lubin
Co-Chair, The Future Is Now

For more information on The Future Is Now, please contact Maria Muller, Deputy Director, at mmuller@mfa.org or 617-369-3494.

Campaign Updates

Final Update
Winter 2016
Summer 2015
Winter 2015
Spring 2014