Two Detroit museums net $4M each in state budget

Two Detroit museums will receive money from state taxpayers for at least the second year in a row. The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History was granted $4.5 million from the 2024 state budget. The Detroit Historical Society was awarded $4 million.

The Wright Museum was awarded two separate grants from the 2024 budget. The budget provided a $500,000 grant from the Department of Civil Rights. It is also included on a list of “Labor and Economic Opportunity” grants, slated to receive $4 million.

“The Wright has and will be using these funds for capacity building and capital improvement projects that are considered essential to the Museum’s current and future operations and sustainability,” said Neil A. Barclay, president and chief executive officer of the museum.

CapCon reported on Nov. 25, 2022, that the Wright Museum would receive $6 million from the 2023 state budget. The museum’s Form 990, submitted to the Internal Revenue Service for 2021, shows it received $17,558,201 in contributions and grants. Total revenue the same year was $20,198,151, with $12,269,244 remaining after expenses.

The Detroit Historical Society will receive $4 million from the 2024 state budget. The museum was also granted $6 million in the previous year’s budget. It received $3,879,921 in grants and contributions for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, with $4,585,280 in total revenue, according to a Form 990. After expenses, the historical society had a loss of $329,010.

Historical society officials did not respond to a request for comment.