the Conservation of Museum Artifacts in Colorado

The Greenwood Fund, administered by The Denver Foundation, is a donor-advised grant program that supports the preservation of cultural heritage through targeted conservation and collections care funding. Established by Charles Greenwood Patterson III—known as Carl—the fund reflects his lifelong dedication to museum conservation. Carl spent over 18 years at the Denver Art Museum, where he led significant improvements in conservation labs and storage systems. After retiring in 2009 as Director Emeritus of Conservation, he launched the Greenwood Fund the following year. Though Carl passed away in 2020, the Greenwood Fund continues his legacy by supporting small museums across Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. This funding opportunity targets conservation and collections care projects in museums with annual conservation budgets under $1 million. These funds aim to extend the lifespan of valuable cultural objects through appropriate conservation treatments and preventive care. Eligible projects include interventive treatments like stabilization, cleaning, or reassembly, and collections care activities such as rehousing artifacts using approved archival materials. Projects must follow best practices in conservation and preservation, with additional resources and guidance available from the Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000. However, for the 2025 cycle, an additional $2,500 may be requested to support video fundraising appeals. This supplemental funding responds to recent federal funding cuts for museums and encourages applicants to create media highlighting their collection’s importance. Videos may include artist testimonials, institutional storytelling, or thematic presentations—provided they are used to promote fundraising. Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit museums or have a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor. Museums run by religious or governmental institutions are also eligible. To qualify, institutions must be located in Colorado, New Mexico, or Wyoming, have permanent public access to exhibits, and maintain a collections/conservation budget below $1 million. Preference is given to museums with permanent collections on display. Prior grant recipients are welcome to reapply, although past funding does not guarantee future support. Applicants must submit a detailed proposal that includes: a description of the items to be conserved (e.g., paintings, furniture, photographs), quantity estimates, timeline and materials, and a treatment plan if interventive care is proposed. Resumes for key personnel, including collection managers or conservators, are required. Interventive treatments must be managed by professionally trained conservators, while collections management projects can be overseen by lay staff, provided industry best practices are followed. The application must also include a budget with itemized costs, the museum’s annual conservation budget, relevant photographs (as a single PDF), and, if applicable, a final report from the previous year’s funding. The grant is open from July 1, 2025, to August 15, 2025. All projects must be completed within 12 months of funding. Applicants must register and apply through The Denver Foundation’s grant application portal. For inquiries, applicants may contact the foundation at greenwoodfund@denverfoundation.org or call 303.300.1790. The fund continues to honor Carl Patterson’s deep commitment to preserving cultural artifacts by enabling small museums to carry out essential conservation work that might otherwise be out of reach.

Follow best practices in conservation and reference resources from the Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums.