The Challenge
Arts and culture are vital elements of society, reflecting present circumstances while inspiring people in the future. However, many members of the latest generation of philanthropists haven’t been as committed to supporting arts and culture, leaving more and more organizations to compete for the same dollars. At the same time, the Clark Art Institute director had goals that stretched the limits of the existing facility and endowment revenue to cover expanding operations.
Funding Solution
When Jim Manton died in 2005, he left behind a sizable art collection, valued at $40 million at the time. His daughter Diana thought carefully about which institution should be responsible for the collection, which Jim stipulated had to remain intact. It was important to find an institution that would properly care for these works, and the Clark Art Institute was in the position to do so. The early 19th-century British work contained in the Manton Collection would also fill an existing gap in the Clark’s permanent collection. This led the Manton Foundation to donate the collection to the Clark Art Institute while also committing to a financial gift of $50 million.
The Impact
The Manton Foundation’s contributions both safeguarded the collection and supported the research facility, formally renamed the Manton Research Center in 2007 when the gifts were publicly announced. The combined gift was reportedly the largest gift made to an American museum in 2007. The Manton Research Center officially reopened in November 2016, promoting scholarship in arts and culture at a moment when the field needed critical support.
*Amount does not include legacy gifts.
