Museum Of American Finance

TO PRESERVE, EXHIBIT AND TEACH ABOUT THE NATION'S FINANCE AND FINANCIAL HISTORY.

COLLECTION AND EXHIBITION PROGRAMSIN 2023, THE MUSEUM SHOWCASED OBJECTS FROM ITS COLLECTIONS AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS AND COMPLETED THE FIRST PHASE OF A MAJOR INITIATIVE TO DIGITIZE ITS EXTENSIVE ARCHIVES. IN JANUARY, THE MUSEUM LOANED ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF ITS 18TH CENTURY COLLECTION TO THE US CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER IN WASHINGTON, DC, FOR AN EXHIBIT TITLED "E PLURIBUS UNUM: OUT OF MANY, ONE." THE EXHIBIT, WHICH WAS ON VIEW THROUGH JULY, FEATURED THE US BOND CERTIFICATE SIGNED BY PATRICK HENRY FOR $416.04 OF "ASSUMED DEBT," DATED NOVEMBER 1792. IN OCTOBER, THE MUSEUM DISPLAYED HIGHLIGHTS FROM ITS COLLECTION TO ATTENDEES OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONEY EXHIBITION IN NASHVILLE, TN, WHICH ATTRACTED THOUSANDS OF VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.ALSO IN 2023, THE MUSEUM AND ITS ARCHIVAL PRESERVATION PARTNER, HERITAGE WERKS, COMPLETED PHASE ONE OF THE WIDE-RANGING, MULTI-YEAR COLLECTION DIGITIZATION INITIATIVE, WHICH WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUPPORT RECEIVED FROM PREVIOUS GALAS AND GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM MOAF BOARD MEMBERS. THE MOAF COLLECTION RELOCATED TO AN ARCHIVAL FACILITY IN GEORGIA, WHERE IT WAS PROCESSED, EVALUATED AND PRIORITIZED FOR HIGH RESOLUTION SCANNING AND META-TAGGING. MORE THAN 2,500 OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OBJECTS WERE SCANNED, WITH THE SCANNING PROCESS CONTINUING IN 2024. THIS INITIATIVE WILL MAKE THE COLLECTION MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR BOTH DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL EXHIBITIONS, INCLUDING THE MUSEUM'S OFFICIAL TRAVELING EXHIBIT, WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2024.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATIONFINANCIAL EDUCATION IS AT THE HEART OF THE MUSEUM'S MISSION, AND MORE THAN 112,000 STUDENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN ITS EDUCATION PROGRAMS SINCE 2009. A HIGHLIGHT OF THE MUSEUM'S EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES IS THE MUSEUM FINANCE ACADEMY (MFA), A UNIQUE PERSONAL FINANCE CERTIFICATE COURSE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE TO HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS. THE PROGRAM WHICH IS CURRENTLY PRESENTED IN AN ONLINE FORMAT PROVIDES A FOUNDATION IN PERSONAL FINANCE. THIS PROGRAM IS OFFERED IN THE SPRING AND FALL, WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TOP-ACHIEVING STUDENTS TO EARN PARTIAL COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS. THIS PAST JULY, THE MUSEUM EXPANDED THE MFA WITH A PILOT PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY THAT REACHED 642 STUDENTS.THE MUSEUM ALSO OFFERS A ROBUST SERIES OF MORE THAN 30 PUBLIC EVENTS PER YEAR. AMONG THE DISTINGUISHED PARTICIPANTS ARE NOBEL LAUREATES AND INDUSTRY LEADERS, AS WELL AS AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS. MUCH OF THE MUSEUM'S PROGRAMMING SHIFTED TO A VIRTUAL FORMAT IN MARCH 2020, LEADING TO AN EXPANDED NUMBER OF EVENTS AND A FOUR-FOLD INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE. IN 2023, PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED IN BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL FORMATS. FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDED DARON ACEMOGLU, ROB ARNOTT, ALAN BLINDER, DAVID BOOTH, LEON COOPERMAN, CHERYL STRAUSS EINHORN, EUGENE FAMA, MARIO GABELLI, DIANA HENRIQUES, EDMUND PHELPS, PULAK PRASAD, AMONG MANY OTHERS. THE MAJORITY OF THE MUSEUM'S PROGRAMS ARE PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FORDHAM UNIVERSITY GABELLI CENTER FOR GLOBAL SECURITY ANALYSIS. IN 2023, THE MUSEUM ALSO CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S THOMAS YOSELOFF BUSINESS CENTER ON A FREE FINANCIAL EDUCATION SERIES FOR ADULTS, TITLED "INVESTING A TO Z," AS WELL AS A FREE SERIES ON RETIREMENT PLANNING, TITLED "RETIREMENT A TO Z." BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS ATTRACTED LARGE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES IN 2023 WITH MORE THAN 5,000 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS AND CONTINUE IN 2024.