Institution Profile (Overview) – Museum Exchange

Your Institution Profile helps donors learn more about your institution and plays an important role in the proposal process.

This article explains what the Institution Profile is, what information it includes, and why it is important to keep it complete and up to date.

What is the Institution Profile?

The Institution Profile is the main record of your institution’s information in Museum Exchange. It is used to:

provide donors with information about your institution
support proposal submissions
help customize donation opportunities and matching
give Museum Exchange the information needed to better understand your collecting focus and institutional operations

Some parts of the Institution Profile are visible to prospective donors, while other parts are used only within Museum Exchange.

Why your Institution Profile matters

A complete and accurate Institution Profile helps donors evaluate your institution when reviewing proposals.

It also helps Museum Exchange better understand:

your institution’s mission and background
what kinds of objects you collect
how your institution operates
what donation opportunities may be a good fit

Because your Institution Profile is shared as part of the proposal process, keeping it updated is strongly recommended.

Institution Profile sections

The Institution Profile includes four sections + review:

General
Operations
Background
Collection

Each section captures a different type of information about your institution.

1. General

The General section includes the core identifying details for your institution.

This includes:

institution name
address
website
logo
institution type
whether the institution is affiliated with a university or college
director name
director profilc
public hours
admissions policy

This section gives donors a basic overview of who your institution is and how to learn more about it.

2. Operations

The Operations section provides information about how your institution operates.

This may include:

fiscal year start and end dates
annual operating budget
annual attendance
collection size
annual report
photo gallery
upcoming exhibitions
capital campaign projects

This information helps provide additional institutional context to prospective donors. For example, donors may use this information to better understand the scale of your institution, current activity, and future priorities.

3. Background

The Background section gives donors more narrative information about your institution.

This may include:

mission
history
facilities
collection description

This section helps explain your institution in your own words and can be especially helpful when donors are comparing multiple proposals. A strong Background section can help donors understand not just what your institution is, but why it may be a strong home for a particular object or collection.

4. Collection

The Collection section is used to describe your institution’s collecting focus. The inputs here are only seen by the Museum Exchange team, not by donors.

This may include:

collecting areas
artist wishlist

Collecting Areas help identify the types of works your institution is interested in receiving. Artist Wishlist allows your institution to indicate specific artists of interest.

Review information

The Review section allows you to review the full Institution Profile before saving or updating it. This helps ensure that your information is complete, accurate, and ready to be shared where applicable.

How the Institution Profile is used in proposals

When your institution submits a proposal, your Institution Profile is shared with the donor as part of that proposal.

This means donors may review your profile to better understand:

who your institution is
what your institution collects
how your institution presents itself
whether your institution feels like the right fit for the donation

For this reason, it is a best practice to review and update your Institution Profile before submitting proposals.

Best practices for completing your Institution Profile

To create a strong Institution Profile:

keep all core institution details accurate and up to date
upload a current logo
make sure your website link is correct
complete as many donor-facing fields as possible
write clear and thoughtful descriptions for mission, history, facilities, and collection
keep operational details current where applicable
update your collecting areas and artist wishlist as your priorities change
review your profile before submitting proposals

Common questions

Do I need to complete every field?

Not always. Some fields are optional. However, completing more of your profile can help donors better understand your institution.

Which parts of the Institution Profile are shown to donors?

General, Operations, and Background information may be visible to prospective donors. Collection information is used by Museum Exchange to customize donation offerings.

Can I update my Institution Profile later?

Yes. Your Institution Profile can be reviewed and updated over time. Keeping it current is recommended, especially before submitting proposals.

Why is the Collection section important if donors cannot see it?

The Collection section helps Museum Exchange understand your institution’s collecting interests and tailor donation opportunities accordingly.