Museums Alaska Inc
Museums Alaska Inc is a public charity based in Anchorage, Alaska. It is a statewide professional association that supports museums and cultural centers through grant programs, professional development, networking, information sharing, statewide initiatives, and advocacy.
Museums Alaska Inc at a glance
In short: Museums Alaska Inc gave $395K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), mostly in Alaska. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $395,334
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- +17.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,767
- +3.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $19,552
- Total assets
- $218,435
- -1.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Alaska (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Museums Alaska Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 625 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99501
Phone: (907) 371-4348
Website: https://museumsalaska.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Museums Alaska Inc
Who Museums Alaska Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Alutiiq Heritage Foundation ($45K). Together the top 10 received $262K.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 81 grants of 83 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2024 went to recipients in Alaska.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Museums Alaska Inc open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $19K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $97K (2020) to $395K (2024). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $395K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alutiiq Heritage Foundation Kodiak, AK | CMF/AAF, Scholarship | $45,482 |
| Sitka Sound Science Center Sitka, AK | AAF, Scholarship | $35,000 |
| Sealaska Heritage Institute Juneau, AK | CMF and AAF Grant | $34,915 |
| Sheldon Jackson Museum Sitka, AK | AAF, Scholarship | $25,743 |
| Sitka Historical Society Inc Sitka, AK | CMF Grant | $21,007 |
| Aleutian Pribilof Islands Assoc Inc Anchorage, AK | CMF Grant | $20,000 |
| Bristol Bay Historical Society Naknek, AK | CMF Grant | $20,000 |
| Native Village of Eyak Cordova, AK | CMF Grant | $20,000 |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum of the North Fairbanks, AK | AAF Grant | $20,000 |
| Aunt Claudia's Doll's a Museum Juneau, AK | CMF Grant | $19,994 |
Ready to take the next step with Museums Alaska Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $218,435 | $562,370 | $561,817 | $395,334 | 20 | $570 |
| 2023 | $221,511 | $561,220 | $558,596 | $323,624 | 17 | $473 |
| 2022 | $207,520 | $628,372 | $615,032 | $386,815 | 19 | $409 |
| 2021 | $246,164 | $428,263 | $415,536 | $324,322 | 19 | $814 |
| 2020 | $213,012 | $220,495 | $190,564 | $97,372 | 8 | $461 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to support museums and cultural centers in Alaska and enhance public understanding of their value. Its programs include the Alaska Art Fund (AAF), Collections Management Fund (CMF), and Access to Alaska Native Collections (AANC). The organization’s 2024 filing describes AAF and CMF as supporting purchases of art by Alaskan artists for collections and collections-management programs and expenses; AANC provides travel funding to Alaska Native artists to visit Alaska Native museum collections.
Museums Alaska says its grant programs serve qualified nonprofit, government, tribal, or equivalent organizations that hold collections in the public trust, such as museums and cultural centers. For example, the Alutiiq Heritage Foundation describes its work as operating a museum and archaeological repository and preserving and sharing Alutiiq heritage. The Bristol Bay Historical Society describes its work as collecting, preserving, researching, and sharing Indigenous cultural lifeways and Bristol Bay maritime heritage.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Museums Alaska reported 20 grants totaling $395,334. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $45,482, with a median of $19,552. The largest reported grants included $45,482 to Alutiiq Heritage Foundation, $35,000 to Sitka Sound Science Center, and $34,915 to Sealaska Heritage Institute. Other notable awards included $25,743 to Sheldon Jackson Museum, $21,007 to Sitka Historical Society, and $20,000 each to Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Bristol Bay Historical Society, Native Village of Eyak, and University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum of the North.
The 2025 AAF guidelines described a maximum award of $20,000 per organization and required applicants to be active organizational members of Museums Alaska. The guidelines said applicants in that large-purchase AAF cycle could not also apply to the CMF cycle, while the small-purchase AAF cycle could be combined with a CMF application for purchases up to $1,500. The guidelines identified 2025 as the final cycle and final year of the AAF program. Its listed 2025 application dates are past. The organization says applications are reviewed for eligibility and approved grants are monitored through required reporting. Its grants page directs applicants to select a grant fund for program details and the application link.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dixie Clough as executive director, Bethany Buckingham Follett as president, Christine Carpenter as vice president, Heather Pennington and Patricia Relay as treasurers, and Ashley Bivin as secretary. It also lists Sarah Owens, Benjamin Jacuk, Allison Stacy, and Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi as directors. Museums Alaska’s website identifies Dixie Clough as its director.
Museums Alaska Inc is led by Bethany Buckingham Follett, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 12 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Bethany Buckingham Follett
President
Vice President → President & S, 2023
President & S → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Owens
Director
Director → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Betany Porter
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Lagoudakis
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Allison Stacy
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Jacuk
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dixie Clough
Executive Di
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$32K (2021) → $58K (2024)
Patricia Relay
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ashley Bivin
Secretary
Director & Secretary → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christine Carpenter
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Pennington
Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Selena Ortega-Chiolero (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Lisa Kelly Gwynn (2023) — Director
- Former: Sara Hay (2023) — Director
- Former: Sarah Asper-Smith (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Sarah Harrington (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Scott Bartlett (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Kelly Gwynn (2022) — Director
- Former: Amy Phillips-Chan (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Amy Steffian (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Monica Garcia-Itchoak (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Della Hall (2020) — Executive Di
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $58K, to Dixie Clough (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Museums Alaska Inc
How much does Museums Alaska Inc give each year?
Museums Alaska Inc gave $395K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $324K across 17 grants.
What is Museums Alaska Inc's typical grant size?
Museums Alaska Inc's median grant in 2024 was $19,552, and its average grant was $19,767, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Museums Alaska Inc that year got $20K on average.
Where does Museums Alaska Inc give grants?
Museums Alaska Inc gives mostly in Alaska: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Anchorage, AK (4 grants), Sitka, AK (3 grants), Juneau, AK (3 grants) and Kodiak, AK (2 grants).
Does Museums Alaska Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Museums Alaska Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "CMF Grant" (10 grants).
Who are Museums Alaska Inc's largest grantees?
Museums Alaska Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Alutiiq Heritage Foundation ($45,482), Sitka Sound Science Center ($35,000) and Sealaska Heritage Institute ($34,915), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Museums Alaska Inc?
Museums Alaska Inc reported $218K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $562K.
What does Museums Alaska Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to support museums and cultural centers in Alaska and enhance public understanding of their value. Its programs include the Alaska Art Fund (AAF), Collections Management Fund (CMF), and Access to Alaska Native Collections (AANC). See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Museums Alaska Inc?
Museums Alaska Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check museumsalaska.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Museums Alaska Inc's EIN?
Museums Alaska Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 92-0097153. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Museums Alaska Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Museums Alaska Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/museums-alaska-inc-morg_038f963ee02a4dc1a8214aa46a048119
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_920097153_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Museums Alaska Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/museums-alaska-inc-morg_038f963ee02a4dc1a8214aa46a048119},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Museums Alaska Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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