Submitting a Proposal for Donation

Once your institution has reviewed a listing and decided it would like to receive the object or collection as a donation, the next step is to submit a proposal to the donor.

This article explains what a proposal is, when to submit one, how proposal submission works in Museum Exchange, and what happens after a proposal is sent.

What is a proposal?

A proposal is a formal expression of interest from an institution to receive an object or collection as a donation. When an institution submits a proposal, it is indicating that it has reviewed the object or collection and would like to be considered as the recipient of the donation.

A proposal gives the donor more information about your institution and why the object or collection would be a good fit.

When to submit a proposal

A proposal should be submitted only after your institution has completed its internal review and is prepared to receive the donation if selected.

In the Museum Exchange app, this includes:

• adding the object or collection to Objects of Interest
• moving the object or collection to Curatorial Review
• submitting the formal proposal after Curatorial Review is complete

Before submitting a proposal, your institution should be confident that:

• the object or collection is a fit for the institution
• the necessary internal review has taken place
• the institution is prepared to move forward if the donor accepts, including covering any shipping costs

For Collections, it is important to remember that the institution must be prepared to receive all objects in the Collection as a single donation.

What a proposal is for

A proposal helps the donor understand:

• who your institution is
• why your institution is interested in the object or collection
• why your institution believes it is a good fit to receive the donation

The purpose of the proposal is to help the donor decide which institution they would like to move forward with.

How to submit a proposal

Before an institution can submit a proposal for an object or collection, that object or collection must move through the institution’s internal review steps in Museum Exchange.

An institution cannot submit a proposal immediately from the catalogue. Instead, the object or collection must first be added to Objects of Interest. This allows the institution to identify the works it wants to track and consider more formally.

From Objects of Interest, the object or collection can then be marked for Curatorial Review.

Only objects or collections that have been marked for Curatorial Review are eligible for proposal submission.

When your institution is ready to proceed:

1. Review the listing carefully.
2. Confirm that internal review and approvals are complete.
3. Complete or update your Institution Profile with the most current and thorough information. Your Institution Profile is shared with the donor as part of the proposal.
4. Prepare the institution’s proposal with details specific to the object or collection, including images if relevant.
5. Preview and confirm the final proposal.
6. Submit the proposal through Museum Exchange.

Once submitted, the proposal is sent to the donor for review.

What to include in a proposal

A proposal contains two parts:

• a link to your Institution Profile
• additional details specific to the object or collection

Your Institution Profile contains background information that helps the donor learn more about your institution. You can review and edit your Institution Profile at any time from the Settings menu.

Because institution information is already included in your Institution Profile, a strong proposal should focus on clearly explaining your institution’s specific interest in the object or collection.

Depending on your workflow, this may include:

• relevant information about your collection
• why the institution believes the object or collection is a good fit
• any context that helps the donor understand the institution’s interest

The goal is to help the donor make an informed decision.

After a proposal is submitted

Once the proposal is submitted, the donor reviews it along with any other proposals they may receive.

At that point, the donor may:

• accept your institution’s proposal
• accept another institution’s proposal
• wait before making a decision

Because donors may receive multiple proposals, submitting a proposal does not guarantee that a match will occur. Submitting a thorough and detailed proposal is recommended.

What happens if the donor accepts your proposal

If the donor accepts your proposal, a match is made.

Once matched, the donation moves into the standard post-match donation process. From that point forward, the institution begins the next stage of the workflow, including confirming the donation and assigning a registrar.

What happens if the donor does not accept your proposal

If the donor selects another institution, your institution will not move forward with that donation. In that case, the proposal does not proceed into donation processing.

Best practices for institutions

To help proposals move smoothly:

• complete internal review before submitting
• complete or review your Institution Profile
• ensure your institution is prepared to move forward if selected
• clearly explain why the object or collection is a fit
• review the listing carefully before submitting a proposal
• remember that Collections must be received together as one donation

Common questions

Can more than one institution submit a proposal for the same listing?

Yes. A donor may receive multiple proposals from different institutions.

Does submitting a proposal create a match?

No. A match only occurs if the donor accepts your institution’s proposal.

Should we submit a proposal before internal approval is complete?

No. Proposals should only be submitted once your institution is prepared to move forward if selected.

Can we submit a proposal for a Collection?

Yes. However, if the donor submitted multiple objects together as a Collection, your institution must be prepared to receive all objects in that Collection as a single donation.