Financing Museums: Towards Alternative Solutions? Evidence from Italy

In recent years museums are experiencing the progressive decline in the public and governmental funding as a consequence of the recent crisis. Museums are currently competing for innovative forms of funding in order to attract new sources of financing like sponsorships and donations. In this perspective, the aim of this paper is to analyse new approaches to museum financing and fundraising in context, like continental Europe, characterised by high levels of competition and the decrease in public policies and funds. The research adopts a cross-case analysis focused on a group of 40 Italian State museums.