92%
Learned something new at the "Dinosaurs of Patagonia" exhibition
85%
Had a positive overall experience at "Dinosaurs of Patagonia"
88%
Thought the exhibition was well produced and presented.
86%
Agree the WA Museum site they visited gave them a sense of joy, beauty and wonder
75%
Agree the WA Museum provides enjoyable and vibrant spaces for visitors
83%
Would attend another WA Museum exhibition in future based on their experience.
Your donation will last forever
When you donate to the Foundation for the WA Museum, your generous gift flows into the Discovery Endowment Fund for the WA Museum, where it is responsibly invested and continues to grow year after year.
As the Discovery Endowment Fund grows over time, the grant amount we can provide to the WA Museum through the Foundation’s Annual Grant Program increases, financing some of the WA Museum’s most impactful programs and initiatives with a focus on:
- Collections and acquisitions
- Research and fieldwork
- Exhibitions and storytelling initiatives
- Education, learning and outreach programs
- State-wide projects and facilities.
This enables the WA Museum to have a bigger social, scientific and cultural impact for the people of Western Australia.
Our mission is to keep growing the Discovery Endowment Fund through the support of private donors and corporate partners, and by applying a low-risk, long-term investment strategy. This will ensure our annual grants are available to the WA Museum year after year to achieve the museum's priority programs in perpetuity.
This way, your donation will last forever and be a powerful gift to the people of Western Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an endowment fund?
An endowment is a permanent, self-sustaining source of funding. In an endowment fund, the principal is invested in perpetuity and only a portion of the investment’s earnings is used each year to support the fund’s purpose. Any earnings in excess of this distribution are used to continue to grow the fund’s market value.
Why was the Discovery Endowment Fund established?
The Discovery Endowment Fund was established to provide the Western Australian Museum with a source of grant funding independent of government funding and help secure its long-term future.
How is the Discovery Endowment Fund managed?
How can you support the Discovery Endowment Fund?
All donations to the Foundation are directed through the Discovery Endowment Fund. A portion of the Fund's investment earnings is used each year to support the WA Museum. The annual support to the Museum is provided through the Foundation's Annual Grant Program, which is aligned to the Foundation's five pillars of support for the Museum.
What are the Foundation's five pillars of support for the WA Museum?
The Foundation supports five pillars of the Museum’s work.
The five pillars include the acquisition of new items for the WA State Collection; ground-breaking research and fieldwork; major exhibitions and storytelling initiatives; education, learning and outreach programs; and state-wide projects and activities.
You can find more information about the five WA Museum pillars we support on our page about the Foundation's impact.
The Foundation for the WA Museum's Annual Grant Program
Thanks to the support of the Foundation’s Founding Partners, other corporate partners and private philanthropic support, the Discovery Endowment Fund has grown to a size where a carefully calculated and measured return can start flowing to the Museum.
