Creating an Account

Museum Exchange supports two account types: donor & representative accounts and institution accounts.

This article explains how to create an account, what to expect after signup, and how account approval works for donors.

Account types

Donor accounts

Donor accounts are for individuals or representatives offering an object or collection for donation.

After a donor account is created, it must be reviewed and approved by Museum Exchange before the account can fully access the platform.

Create a donor account

• Go to the Museum Exchange account creation page.
• Select the account type Donor
• Enter the required account information.
• Create your password and submit.
• Confirm email address by clicking on the email sent to the email address used to sign-up.

Once your account is created, complete your application by providing the following details:

• If you plan to list items on Museum Exchange from your collection (My Collection) or if you are representing a donor or donor(s) to list their collections (Other Collections).
• Your primary location. You will be able to confirm your object location and shipping details individually later.

After your donor account is created, it will enter a pending approval state.

This means your account has been successfully created Museum Exchange must review and approve the account before full access is granted.

Donor accounts are typically reviewed within 1-2 business days. If your donor account is approved, you will receive an email confirmation. Click the link in the email to sign-in and complete account registration by setting-up 2-factor authentication.

Institution accounts

Institution accounts are for museums and other collecting institutions participating in the donation process.

Institution users can create an account to access Museum Exchange as part of their organization’s participation in the platform.

Create an institution account

To create an account:

Go to the Museum Exchange account creation page.

• Go to the Museum Exchange account creation page.
• Select the account type Institution
• Enter the required account information.
• Create your password and submit.
• Confirm email address by clicking on the email sent to the email address used to sign-up.

Once your account is created, complete your application by providing the following details:

• Which institution you will be representing. Select from the dropdown of available institutions. Note: if your institution is not listed, please contact us.
• Your role at your institution.

After your institution account is created, it will enter a pending approval state. This means your account has been successfully created Museum Exchange must review and approve the account before full access is granted.

Institution accounts are typically reviewed within 1-2 business days. If your institution account is approved, you will receive an email confirmation. Click the link in the email to sign-in and complete account registration by setting-up 2-factor authentication.

Two-factor authentication

Museum Exchange uses two-factor authentication (2FA) to help protect accounts.

During account creation and sign-in, you will be asked to verify your identity using the phone number associated with your account. Your phone number is added and 2FA is configured once your account is approved by the Museum Excahnge team. This adds an extra layer of security and helps protect access to sensitive donation information.

Common questions

Why is my account blank when I sign-in?

All donor and institution accounts must be approved by Museum Exchange after signup. If there is nothing in your account, the account is still pending, and still under review.

Can I use the platform immediately after creating an account?

Not fully. Donor accounts must first be approved before they can access the full platform experience.

I created an account, but I cannot sign in

Make sure that:

• you are using the same email address you registered with
• your password is correct
• you can complete two-factor authentication using the phone number on file
• If you are a donor, your account may also still be awaiting approval.

I signed up with the wrong account type

If you created the wrong type of account, contact support before creating a second account. This helps avoid duplicate records and access issues.