New Support for The Furniture Society’s Next Chapter

Dear Furni­ture Society Friends,

I’m thrilled to share some impor­tant and excit­ing updates about The Furni­ture Society. We’ve recently received several mean­ing­ful invest­ments in our work that mark a real moment of momen­tum for the orga­ni­za­tion and the commu­nity we serve. These will help expand programs, strengthen profes­sional devel­op­ment oppor­tu­ni­ties, deepen connec­tions across our field, and build a stronger foun­da­tion for what comes next.

First, thank you. The engage­ment, generos­ity, and belief of our members make all of this possi­ble, and I feel deeply grate­ful to be part of this commu­nity with you.

I want to begin by thank­ing the Schooner Foun­da­tion for its renewed support of our Nuts & Bolts program­ming for two upcom­ing cycles, along with a capac­ity-build­ing grant that will strengthen our inter­nal systems. This support will directly help with member­ship engage­ment, commu­ni­ca­tions, fundrais­ing capac­ity, and the infra­struc­ture we rely on every day to serve you better.

We’ve also received a three-year grant for general oper­at­ing support from a foun­da­tion that has chosen to remain anony­mous, along with new support from the Edelman Family Foun­da­tion. This kind of flex­i­ble funding is espe­cially mean­ing­ful because it allows us to stay respon­sive to member needs while contin­u­ing to build the strength and stabil­ity of the organization.

I’m also grate­ful for the contin­ued part­ner­ship of the Sara Little Turn­bull Foun­da­tion, the Maxwell Hanra­han Foun­da­tion, the Bresler Family Foun­da­tion, and the Moeller Family Foun­da­tion. Their ongoing commit­ment provides steady support that sustains and strength­ens our work in important ways.

I’m partic­u­larly excited about support from the Jenrette Foun­da­tion for a new series of online programs focused on preser­va­tion and conser­va­tion in furni­ture. Launch­ing this summer and contin­u­ing through the 2026 – 27 program year, this series will share knowl­edge from historic sites, collec­tions, and makers’ lega­cies with a national audi­ence. We’re already deep into content devel­op­ment, and I can’t wait to share more soon.

I’m also grate­ful for the support connected to our recently announced stew­ard­ship of the Mineck Fellow­ship. Funding from the Mineck Foun­da­tion and Rob Ketter­son will help us strengthen admin­is­tra­tion, market­ing, and program­ming for the fellow­ship as we grow its reach and impact. I’m honored to help carry this work forward and excited about where we can take it next.

Taken together, these invest­ments reflect real confi­dence in the mission and direc­tion of The Furni­ture Society, and they come at a mean­ing­ful moment as we continue imple­ment­ing the strate­gic plan we launched in January 2025. In very real terms, they will help us expand program­ming, strengthen commu­ni­ca­tions, invest in our infra­struc­ture, and create new oppor­tu­ni­ties for connec­tion across the field.

More than anything, though, I keep coming back to people. These invest­ments matter because of the commu­nity behind them. Our members, makers, educa­tors, schol­ars, collec­tors, and support­ers are at the center of every­thing we do, and I’m deeply grate­ful for the trust you place in this work.

Over the coming year, you’ll see these invest­ments reflected in expanded program­ming, new learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties, stronger commu­ni­ca­tions, and enhanced resources across the organization.

While this support gives us real momen­tum, indi­vid­ual contri­bu­tions remain essen­tial to sustain­ing and growing this work. If you would like to support The Furni­ture Society, contri­bu­tions can be made here. I hope you’ll continue to be part of build­ing what comes next.

I’m grate­ful to be doing this work with you, and I’m genuinely excited about what lies ahead.

With grat­i­tude and excitement,

Monica Hampton
Exec­u­tive Direc­tor, The Furniture Society