The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has received a $50,000 grant from the Hutton Parker Foundation in support of its efforts to completely redesign its website. The website redesign is part of a larger campaign by the museum to rebrand and refresh itself, as an element of its 2016 Centennial celebration.
“The museum’s current website was designed in-house, and was pieced together over the years, as the needs of the museum and its various divisions have changed,” said Luke Swetland, the organization’s president and CEO.
“The new website will be much easier for our many visitors, volunteers, and community members, such as teachers, to navigate,” he said. “It will also serve as an effective portal for the many scientists worldwide who access our online database containing information about the three and half million specimens we currently hold in collection.”
The collections database is a scientifically-important part of the services the museum provides; also important is the role the website plays in supporting the museum’s school programs, camps, and other educational ventures; promoting events and programs held at the museum’s Mission Canyon campus and Sea Center; and opportunities for volunteers and community members to get involved.
The grant results from a focus on key operating support for nonprofit organizations, an important part of the mission of the Hutton Parker Foundation.
The Hutton Parker Foundation “strives to provide organizational sustainability to community-based nonprofit organizations throughout Santa Barbara County and to assist agencies in achieving their highest level of performance and delivery of services resulting in stronger, more efficient communities for all.”
“The Hutton Parker Foundation, through its grant-making efforts, offers vital core support to nonprofit organizations. This is in line with our vision to help to provide greater sustainability for nonprofit organizations overall,” said Pamela Lewis, Hutton Parker Foundation, COO.
“We are proud to support the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History with this project and with its efforts to provide valuable scientific and educational benefits for our community,” she said.
The revamp of the website is part of a multi-year effort to refresh its communications, programs, and facilities. Other projects underway include safety and accessibility improvements to the museum’s front entrance and “backyard” area; total replacement of the Butterfly Pavilion; and renovation of some exhibit halls.
As only a small portion of the museum will be under renovation at any one time, day-to-day operations, events and programs will continue as normal.
“It’s an exciting time for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History,” said Swetland. “We are proud to inspire a thirst for discovery and a passion for the natural world, and we are very grateful for the support of the Hutton Parker Foundation in achieving our mission.”
— Danielle Moran for Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.