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Endowment Opportunities

A long term endowment fund of $10 million will guarantee a strong future for the new National Hellenic Museum. Endowment gifts will sustain ongoing exhibitions development, support important educational programs and ensure a rich and rewarding visitor experience. The National Hellenic Museum will live on for generations.

Endowment gifts to the National Hellenic Museum insure continuity of programming and operations for the future. Major contributors to the Endowment Campaign will be publicly acknowledged on the museum’s major donor wall and recognized in appropriate printed and electronic materials.

Temporary Exhibitions ($5 million)

Temporary exhibitions keep the museum fresh and encourage visitors to return again and again. Two to three temporary exhibitions, highlighting specific areas of Greek history, culture, or art, will be created each year. Installed in the building’s Great Hall, these unique exhibitions will be introduced with opening receptions, special lectures and programs that will encourage public participation.

Museum Permanent Exhibitions ($2 million)

Exhibitions are the focal point of any museum, providing a vital connection to museum visitors and the community at large. Full support for all semi-permanent museum exhibitions includes design, fabrication, installation, curatorial research, marketing and promotion, and other expenses related to each exhibition. An Exhibitions endowment will allow the National Hellenic Museum to create a rich variety of educational and interactive experiences for visitors.

Oral History Project ($2 million)

The museum’s Oral History Project captures the stories of the Greek American community before they are lost. Each video story added to the collection assures historical continuity for the Greek American community. Funding for the Oral History Project includes maintaining the database (HOMER), travel and fieldwork, research, production, transcription, archive maintenance and software updates and replacement.

Public Programs ($1.5 million)

An endowment for public programming will support the museum’s access and relevance to the general public with annual events, lectures, symposia, workshops and special free days and programs. Periodic events for young people, women, art aficionados and other groups are included in the museum’s public offerings. Special events related to temporary exhibitions are also supported by this endowment.

  • Visiting Artist Series ($250,000) – Artists whose works are currently on display at the museum will visit to discuss their works, inspiration, and artistic techniques. These artists would be asked to be available for both educational events and public programming. Two to three events annually.
  • Educational Symposia ($250,000) – Two events annually that feature expert panels to discuss issues of special interest to Greeks in the areas of current events, cultural affairs or history.
  • Women’s Symposium ($100,000) – An annual event in recognition of International Women’s Day, the Women’s Symposium addresses women’s issues within a cross-cultural forum and highlights common threads among different cultures.
  • Greek Film Festival ($100,000) – Beginning in 2012, this unique bi-annual event will feature the best and most provocative of Greek films and will attract filmmakers and filmgoers from around the world.

Collections ($1 million)

This endowment provides for the growth, preservation and cataloguing of the museum’s important collection of antiques, textiles, photographs, artifacts and works of art, currently totaling about 7,000 pieces. Photographing and digitalizing each piece in the collection for future online accessibility is also supported by the Collections endowment.

Library ($1 million)

The museum’s current library includes over 10,000 volumes in Greek and English on myriad subjects. Ancient and new, fiction and factual, historical and biographical, the books in the library tell important stories. The library endowment will support acquisition, conservation, translation, repair and cataloguing of current and future library holdings.

Educational Programming ($2 million)

Education is at the core of the National Hellenic Museum’s mission and is vital to the community it serves. An educational endowment for the entire education program will include funding for regular yearly children’s programming, research of new programs, marketing, and purchasing of class materials.

Specific Education Programs available for endowment include:

  • Opportunity Grants $500,000 - This endowment will specifically fund museum field trips for students at underserved schools. These grants will cover bus transportation, admission fees, lunch, teacher substitutes and other expenses as needed.
  • Museum Odyssey Program (10 kits @ $50,000 each) - For schools that cannot visit the National Hellenic Museum due to distance or other circumstances, Museum Odyssey kits will be available for rent for teachers to use in the classroom setting. Kits will include pre- and post-visit materials along with supplementary Power Points, handouts, books, archaeological replicas, and suggested curricula.
  • Greek Language Classes ($500,000) – This endowment will fund semester-long classes in beginning, intermediate and advanced Greek for Hellenes and non-Hellenes alike. Partnerships with Greek schools will be sought to provide a pool of participants as well as contributions to curriculum and materials.
  • Studio Series ($500,000) – An endowment for semester-long courses taught by professional artists dealing with mission-related subject matter including sculpture, mosaics, iconography, theater and dance relating to Greece and the Greek experience.

Annual Student Trip to Greece $1 million

Designed specifically for high school or early college students during school vacation periods, the museum’s trip to Greece will offer an exciting opportunity for young people to visit Greece for an educational yet fun trip with their peers. The trip will focus on history, archaeology, geology and art. The museum will seek to partner with organizations such as the Field Museum of Natural History or the Archeological Institute of America for collaborative development of curriculum and itinerary.

Accessibility $500,000

An accessibility endowment allows the museum to be inviting to all patrons, including the physically, visually and hearing impaired. This endowment will include funding for the development of audio tours as well as special programs such as “touch tours” and kits for adults and children with disabilities. Funding will also assist with the production of signage, labels, special seating and availability of wheelchairs and other assistive devices.

Staff Positions

Executive staff positions are the most important component of a vibrant institution. A creative and diverse staff enables the museum to provide and grow its comprehensive range of programs. Endowments are available to support the following positions:

  • Executive Director ($2 million)
  • Curator ($1.5 million)
  • Director of External Affairs ($1.5 million)
  • Librarian ($1 million)

Paid Internships ($1 million)

Applicants from accredited backgrounds will follow a rigorous application and evaluation process in areas such as Education, Collections, Oral History and Archives/Library.