Sponsorship Opportunities

The Whale Museum needs your support!

Make a Donation

Our Orca Adoption Program, Exhibit Hall Admissions, and Gift Shop do raise funds for our education and research programs, but they do not raise them all. The Whale Museum needs you to help fulfill our mission. Your special gift makes a big difference. Please click the blue button to make a contribution now. If you would prefer to have your gift designated for a specific program or need, please let us know in the "questions/comments" field. Below is a partial list of current needs and opportunities. Thank you!

Specific Need

• Pandemic Gap: While the Exhibit Hall is re-opened, we are operating at reduced hours. This continues to have an impact not just on in-person stewardship efforts but on raising much needed funds.  We are reliant on visitors to help us reach our goals.

Programs and Seminars

• Soundwatch: sponsor one full-day of Soundwatch patrols on-the-water - $500 per day, May-September
• Title 1 (Low Income) Schools Program & Museum tour: $300 per school

Evening Events (Currently, on hold during COVID-19)

• Guest Speaker Event  - $500 per sponsor
• Guest Performer Event - $500 per sponsor
• Summer Science Lecture Series (ten lectures) - $75 per lecture or $500 per series
• "Artists & Authors" Events (six events annually) - $75 per event or $300 per series

Behind-the-Scenes

• Facility Sponsorship (help maintain our historic building, built in 1892) - $500 per month
• Exhibit Hall Sponsorship (help protect and upgrade this public space) - $500 per month
• Exhibit Hall Refurbishment: replace panels - $175 per panel; Chinook salmon and the Southern Resident orca exhibit - $600; history of The Whale Museum exhibit - $500 
• Research Publications: We have additional research publications in the works; each costs about $3,500 to process and get published. It'd be great to publish each year. $3,500.
• Library/Collections Sponsorship (help maintain and build this collection which is available to the public; our library is part of the San Juan Library system!) - $250 per month
• SeaSound Upgrade & Maintenance: $26,450.  The hydrophone streams live on the internet (http://seasound.org).  Maintenance dives and hardware upgrades are needed to keep the hydrophone going (5 dives at approximately $450 each; $1,200 equipment upgrades). An expansion hydrophone site would cost $26,500 to get it in place and streaming.
• Lime Kiln Webcam: $2,500. We have a webcam at the Lime Kiln lighthouse which streams live on The Whale Museum's YouTube channel. Equipment upgrades and monthly service charge for fiber connection are needed.
• Support HVAC System by helping with increased utility costs: estimated $200/monthly. It is still exciting news that the HVAC/Temperature Control system is installed in the Exhibit Hall. 

Additional Programs/Departments:

• Education (includes school tours, Pod Nods, workshops, and Marine Naturalist Training)
• Soundwatch (educating boaters and kayakers year-round, the busiest period is May-Sept.)
• Research (primarily focused on acoustics and sightings)
• Marine Mammal Stranding Network (operates year-round, busiest period is June-Sept.)
• Sightings Network, since 1976, we have been collecting data on all marine mammal sightings in the Salish Sea. This long-term dataset is robust and used by local, regional and national managers on both sides of the border. Decision-makers use this data to help determine habitat policies and protections for species like the endangered Southern Resident orcas.

Additional sponsor benefits: Invitation to a private sponsor event in the Exhibit Hall. Annual passes to the Museum.

Nuts & Bolts

• Gift Shop: window blinds (three sets estimated at $375 each)

Special Opportunities

• 2nd Phase of Building Renovation: Insulate the last wall in need, estimate $20,000
• Install Elevator: estimated cost for full project - $350,000
• Replace side porch: $50,000
• Fire Alarm/Sprinkler System: estimate $150,000

In general, what do sponsors get in return?

• Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation!
• Recognition: in specific printed program/event materials, in program/event marketing, and on our website.
• Acknowledgment on our in-store Sponsor Board and in the Cetus newsletter

To sponsor, please click the "Make a Donation" button at the top of this page and indicate what you are sponsoring in the "Questions/Comments" field.