Corporate sponsorship holds the key to completing community
fundraising for the $40 million redevelopment of the Toitu
Otago Settlers Museum, museum organisers say.
About $9.83 million has already been raised towards an
initial target of $10.8 million, but that figure had since
been increased to $12.05 million, museum director Linda
Wigley said.
The target had been increased to cover a loan of more than $1
million extended to the project by the city council from
savings in the redevelopment's fourth stage.
In a report, tabled at this week's museum board meeting, Ms
Wigley said the museum had put together a "sponsorship pack"
providing information for potential sponsors about options,
including "adopting a gallery".
"It's sponsorship we're looking at now, rather than
donations," she said.
Earlier fundraising had gone "very well", with about $6
million provided by the Government, and about $1.3 million by
the Otago Community Trust in two grants.
It was hoped that most of the remaining funds would be raised
before the museum opened to the public on December 8, Ms
Wigley said.
The museum will have a cafe for the first time when it
reopens.
It would be supported by a small kitchen, but most of the
food would be prepared off-site, museum director Linda Wigley
said.
Museum organisers had earlier considered establishing another
cafe, backed by a larger kitchen, inside the museum's
southern entry, and close to the Dunedin Chinese Garden, but
there had been little immediate interest in that site.
- john.gibb@odt.co.nz
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