Pushing the Marshals Museum

guest commentary by Sandi Sanders, project director of the U.S. Marshals Museum

Two years ago this week the effort to create the U.S. Marshals Museum began. With  a total of $1,825 in the bank, no organizational structure yet in place, no office, no equipment, but tons of enthusiasm, the community joined forces to begin the work of planning and creating a first-class national museum.

Few of us knew much at that time about the components of a national museum and the resources needed, but we plunged into the work and soon learned the complexity of this business.  

A quick summary of the work accomplished to date, without all the details, indicates the months of work required just to create an effective organization to begin planning the Museum.

Among the outcomes are:
• a Memorandum of Understanding between the Museum and the U.S. Marshals Service; 

• establishment of a strong board of directors;

• selection of the site for the Museum;

• numerous communications and presentations to local, county, and state government, resulting in $2.5 million raised to be used for planning and design;

• development of the exhibit storyline;

• 501 (c) 3 status approved by the IRS;

• offices established and staff hired; exhibit designers selected and completion of the exhibition master plan;

• architectural design firms interviewed and a team selected;

• fundraising counsel selected and planning for the national campaign completed;

• establishment of the Foundation board;

• and four educational programs implemented.

Lobbying for federal funds is on-going. We’ve made presentations to more than 50 organizations and invited many groups to provide ideas, input and guidance.

In the previous week, the architectural team, Cambridge 7 Architects/Polk Stanley Architects, presented the building design to the Museum Board of Directors. The architectural team will utilize all feedback and continue working until the final design is presented to the Board on June 9.

Looking back over the past 24 months, we are amazed at the progress of the organization and grateful for the continued support of this region and the entire state.  Creating the plan for the museum has really been the fun part of planning. Our efforts now will not be as public. Our focus will be on meeting and presenting proposals to individuals, organizations, businesses and foundations throughout the country. This campaign, due to the large amount of funding required, will take a lot of time, so we ask for your patience. Almost all national museums require five to 12 years for planning, design, fundraising, and construction, and many take even longer.

The efforts of the Foundation Board of Directors are focused primarily on individuals, corporations and foundations throughout the entire country.

Because individuals give approximately 80% of charitable donations, the first step was to begin identifying those individuals in our nation with a strong interest in the U.S. Marshals Service and the ability to make a major gift. The next phase, which is already underway, is developing positive relationships with those individuals. Relationships and involvement are essential before we even begin talking about major gifts. Individuals in this region are interested in both the Museum and the economic development opportunities to be created by the Museum. Potential donors in other states have more of an interest in the stories of our country and the U.S. Marshals Service in general.  This period of development work will take time and is the quiet phase.  

Although you may not be enjoying all the excitement that occurred when the Steering Committee landed the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, or when Arkansas made a big investment in the project, or when the planned exhibits were unveiled, you can be assured that we are out there in living rooms and in board rooms telling the story and asking for support. When you think that it seems little is being done, know that many people, both in this region and in the rest of the country, are working diligently to raise the funds to build the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas.