Field Museum launches $250M fundraising campaign
“Because Earth” campaign focuses on environmental change, accessibility and endowment
On Thursday, September 13, the Field Museum publicly launched a $250 million fundraising campaign. Because Earth. The Campaign for the Field Museum will fuel the institution’s work to document environmental change, make the museum accessible to all audiences, and maintain its historic building on the lakefront. Trustees announced the Campaign has secured commitments totaling $201 million, of which $95 million is for new endowments. The public launch of the campaign coincides with the 125thanniversary of the Museum’s founding at the 1893 World’s Fair.
“The Because Earth campaign signals who we are as an institution: a progressive place with a mission to protect our planet and make the wonders of the world accessible to everyone,” said Field Museum president Richard Lariviere. “This campaign will safeguard and support our work, from protecting the Amazon rainforest to updating our exhibitions to make them more welcoming to our visitors regardless of ability, age, and language.”
“Today, fact-based science leadership is more important than ever. The Because Earth campaign will enable the Field to fulfill its potential as a global leader in research and science education,” said campaign co-chair Marshall Field V. “It’s the most ambitious funding initiative in the Museum’s history, and one to which all of our Trustees have contributed.”
A key element of the campaign is an ambitious endowment goal of $125 million. “An endowment is important for institutions like the Field Museum because it’s a stable reserve of funding that we’ll rely on for decades to come,” said Field.
The campaign is already making its mark on the Field. An early campaign donor, Citadel Founder Kenneth C. Griffin underwrote the creation of the Griffin Dinosaur Experience, including Máximo, the world’s largest dinosaur; a soon-to-be-opened new gallery for SUE the T. rex.; the special exhibition Antarctic Dinosaurs; enhancements to the Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet; and a new dinosaur education program. The displays of both Máximo and SUE will be presented in English and Spanish, and will include multi-sensory experiences for museum visitors with different abilities.
In addition to enabling the Field to create new exhibitions and revitalize its classic ones, the campaign will support research and conservation programs to help the Field document environmental change and fight for sustainable communities.
“We are at a crucial point in our history in which we must take action to defend our planet,” says Lariviere. “The Field Museum can and will play a major part in this fight, and this campaign will equip us with the resources we need to do so. I’m grateful to our trustees and donors for helping make all this possible. ‘Because Earth’ is a rallying cry in our community to ensure the Field Museum thrives and makes a difference for years to come.”