Shipping – Museum Exchange

Shipping

Once an object moves to donation processing, the institution is responsible for arranging shipping.

Museum Exchange supports shipping coordination through Arta Shipping, or through an institution’s own shipping provider.

This article explains how shipping works for institutions, what information is used to arrange shipping, and what to expect when using the Arta workflow.

How shipping fits into the donation process

Shipping takes place during the “post-match” phase of the donation process after the donor and institution have completed their initial forms and either a loan agreement or deed of gift has been executed. The donor confirms:

Location of the object
General pick up availability
Packing details
Insurance value

Arta or your institution will use this information to arrange shipping.

Institution shipping options

Institutions have two options for shipping:

Using Museum Exchange’s integrated shipping (powered by Arta)
Using their own shipping provider

The workflow differs depending on which option the institution selects.

Option 1: Arta shipping provider

When an institution uses Arta Shipping, Arta coordinates the entire shipment and communicates with the donor.

In this workflow, the institution:

Selects “Use Arta Shipping Provider”
Confirms or edits the delivery address
Selects any additional services such as shipping protection, condition checks, condition reports, deinstallation (at origin), and building COIs
Selects a shipping method such as Parcel or Premium
Pays the shipping quote

Arta works directly with the donor to coordinate pick up and shipping logistics to streamline the process and keep shipment coordination tied closely to the donation workflow.

What Arta helps coordinate

When Arta Shipping is used, Arta helps coordinate:

Pick up window with the donor
Additional packing needs with the handler
Transportation via fine art shuttle or common carrier depending on selected service level
Communication related to shipment updates
Delivery with the institution contact

This allows the institution to use an integrated shipping workflow rather than managing each step manually outside the platform.

Option 2: Institution shipping provider

When an institution uses its own shipping provider, it must make all arrangements with its provider directly and input the pick up information into the platform.

In this workflow:

Institution uses the donor’s packing and location information to obtain quotes for the shipment
Institution proposes a pick up window based on the donor’s availability
Donor confirms or rejects the proposed pick up window
Institution books the shipment and provides the day of pick up contact to the shipper
Donor communicates any release approvals to their storage facility, if applicable
Institution communicates any shipping schedule changes to Institution Liaison to relay to the donor

If the donor rejects the proposed pick up window, the institution submits an alternative.

What information institutions use to arrange shipping

Shipping is arranged using information collected during early stages of the donation processing.

This includes:

Donor-provided pick up address
Donor-provided pick up availability
Donor-provided packing details
Donor-provided object dimensions and related listing information
Donor-provided insurance value
Institution-provided delivery address

Complete and accurate donor information helps institutions arrange shipping more efficiently.

Loan Agreement

Many institutions require a Loan Agreement to be completed before the object is shipped.

This typically applies when an object is being sent to the institution for donation consideration before final approval into the collection and before the deed of gift is issued.

Delivery Receipt

Once the object is delivered, the institution must generate or upload the delivery receipt to the donation. This confirms that the object has arrived and been received by the institution.

Who typically covers shipping costs

In most cases, shipping costs and wall-to-wall insurance are covered by the institution unless otherwise agreed upon prior to matching.

Institutions should be prepared to account for shipping as part of their donation planning and review process. Even if the donor agrees to pay for shipping, the institution is still responsible for booking the shipping.

Best practices for institutions

We recommend using the Museum Exchange shipping option. This option is native and integrated within Museum Exchange, and provides competitive rates.

To help shipping move smoothly:

review donor packing and location information carefully, including your delivery address
decide early whether you will use Arta or your own shipping provider
issue the loan agreement or deed of gift promptly
if using your own shipper, provide a realistic pick up window
upload the delivery receipt as soon as the object is received

Common questions

When does shipping happen?

Shipping happens during the “post-match” phase of the donation process, after the donor and institution have been matched and the pre-shipping requirements have been met, such as completion of a condition report or execution of a loan agreement

What is Arta Shipping?

Arta Shipping is the integrated shipping workflow in Museum Exchange, powered by Arta.

What happens when an institution uses Arta?

When Arta Shipping Provider is selected, Arta obtains instant quotes and upon booking it works directly with the donor to coordinate pick up and with the institution to coordinate delivery.

Can the institution use its own shipping provider?

Yes. Institutions may use their own shipping provider instead of an Arta Shipping Provider.

What if the donor rejects the proposed pick up window?

If the institution is using its own shipping provider and the donor rejects the proposed pick up window, the institution must reschedule the pick up and enter the new proposed dates.

Is a delivery receipt required?

Yes. Once the object is received, the institution is required to upload the delivery receipt to the donation workflow.