The sector has a long history of working with individual donors and corporate organisations. In the current economic climate, sponsorship has continued to meet the sector’s needs as other revenue streams decline.
The Code of Ethics clearly states that museums and governing bodies should:
3.6 Carefully consider offers of financial support from commercial organisations and other sources in the UK and internationally and seek support from organisations whose ethical values are consistent with those of the museum. Exercise due diligence in understanding the ethical standards of commercial partners with a view to maintaining public trust and integrity in all museum activities.
And in recent times this aspect of the Code has been embraced by activists and museums alike.
In this section we explore this in greater depth.