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Q&A: How do you prepare for a donation?
The Museums Accreditation Program (MAP) offers
some guiding principles in the preparation for receiving donations
of objects. The recipient institution needs to ensure against future
questions concerning any donations. The best way to do this is to
draw up a donor contract and have an explicit collection policy.
A collection policy is essential in ensuring
the relevance of the objects to be donated to the existing collection
and principles of the museum. Refusal of objects should be based
on the requirements of the collection policy and on the ability
of the museum to house and maintain new items. The limitations of
the museum can be included in the collection policy and revised
as storage and exhibition facilities improve.1
The donor contract should be looked over by
a legal association to confirm that it is accurate and binding.
It should contain a declaration that includes the full name of the
donor, the nature of the donation (ie. unconditional ownership including
copyright) and a detailed description of the object. Provisions
need to be dealt with in a separate contract (ie. loan forms or
exhibition agreements) as these are not part of a donor agreement.
The form needs to be signed, dated and witnessed by a member of
the museum staff and copies made for the donor.
For sample forms and further information contact
the office on (03) 8341 7344 or freecall 1800 680 082.
1. For more information on drafting museum
policies and deaccessioning see Insite, Feb-March 2000.
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