The Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) gratefully accepts contributions to support the work of the institution. Your donations are fully tax-deductible.
MCI, a unit of the Smithsonian Institution, is one of the world's leading centers for research on conserving museum collections and enhancing their historical and cultural interpretations. MCI programs include the dissemination of research results and outreach programs to increase understanding and awareness of museum conservation and conservation science.
MCI ’s Director works to develop federal and private support for the center's major research, capital and outreach initiatives. While MCI receives most of its basic operational funding from Congress, we rely on private donations to maintain the excellence of our research and outreach programs. We gratefully accept donations toward our work. All gifts are tax-deductible and can be sent to the address listed in the sidebar.
With your contribution, MCI will continue to inspire scientists and educate the general public, consolidating our efforts to conserve museum objects.
The Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute has matched a $1.75 million grant by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with the required $3.25 million in private gifts. The research center now can establish a $5 million endowed director’s position.
The new endowed position will allow MCI’s director opportunities to focus on emerging technologies and deterioration processes that advance the Institute’s conservation science efforts. The 21- member Institute, located in Suitland, Md., is the Smithsonian’s center for advanced scientific study and conservation of museum collections. MCI conducts in-depth studies of artistic, anthropological and historic objects using state-of-the art analytical techniques to explain their provenance, composition and cultural context, and to improve the Smithsonian’s conservation and collections storage capabilities. The Institute’s knowledge of collections and unique analytical capabilities annually result in hundreds of requests for consultations from organizations around the world and about 50 publications per year.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation ranks among the nation’s largest foundations. It makes grants in program areas that include art conservation, the environment, education, scholarly communications, information technology, and the performing arts. The Foundation has been a long-standing benefactor to the Smithsonian, supporting, in addition to this gift, a wide array of scientific, cultural and arts projects.
If you would like to support the challenge grant, a specific project, program, or laboratory, or make your gift in honor or in memory of someone, please indicate this in the "purpose of gift" field on the secure order page.