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Idaho Museum of Natural History seeks operating funds to sustain mobile museum after three‑year grant
Summary
The Idaho Museum of Natural History told the Joint Finance group it received a three‑year foundation grant to buy a mobile museum van and fund part‑time staff, and asked the committee for operating support so the outreach program can continue after the grant ends.
Kevin Campbell presented the Idaho Museum of Natural History’s FY2026 request; Director Leif Tapanilla appeared and described a new mobile museum outreach program funded by a three‑year foundation grant.
Tapanilla said the museum received a grant from the David B. Jones Foundation worth $180,000 over three years. The grant, as described, will pay for an initial van purchase (the van is being bought in the first year) and two years of part‑time educator staffing to deliver mobile programming across Idaho. The museum said it expects the mobile unit to travel roughly 6,000 miles annually to visit schools, libraries and rural communities in the state.
The museum’s FY2026 budget request asks for general‑fund support for operating costs associated with the mobile museum so the service can be sustained after the three‑year grant period ends; the committee was told the packet included a partial request to help bridge that funding gap. In discussion, Senator Cook and other members asked for more detail on what the requested operating funds would cover and how the museum measures educational outcomes; Tapanilla said quantifying quality and learning outcomes is challenging but the museum will provide stories and program metrics and welcomed follow‑up on performance measures.
Ending: The museum will provide details of the grant, the intended operating costs and proposed performance measures as the committee considers whether to provide ongoing support for the mobile outreach program.
