Does California State Railroad Museum Foundation donate to fundraisers?

Eligible: preschools, kindergartens and elementary schools or their PTAs; middle and high schools in the greater Sacramento area; and registered California nonprofits whose mission supports arts, culture, history and education.

Organizations should align with the museum's mission, and the event's purpose must not be contrary to the mission of the Foundation, the museum or California State Parks.

The standard donation is four Excursion Train Ride Trip Passes, a $36 value, valid for one year from issue.

Passes must be used as a fundraising item for an auction or raffle and cannot be resold.

No donations for third-party or individual requests.

One donation request per organization per year.

The Foundation has a limited number of passes to donate each year, so a request is not a guarantee.

Tips from the program page: The Foundation asks that you not send a receipt: as a nonprofit it gets no tax deduction for the donation.

What California State Railroad Museum Foundation donates

California State Railroad Museum Foundation donates item.

California State Railroad Museum Foundation has typically donated: Four Excursion Train Ride Trip Passes ($36 value) for an auction or raffle.

Who can apply

California State Railroad Museum Foundation limits donation requests by area: Elementary schools and PTAs; middle and high schools in greater Sacramento; California nonprofits (arts, culture, history, education).

How to apply

California State Railroad Museum Foundation asks every request to include the following.

• Request at least 30 days before you need the donation.
• Send a request letter by email (the address is on the museum's donation request page).
• Include the name of your nonprofit or school, the date of the fundraiser, its purpose and beneficiary, a contact name and details, and the address for the passes.

What California State Railroad Museum Foundation will not fund

California State Railroad Museum Foundation states in its own published guidelines that it will not fund the following.

• Third-party or individual requests
• More than one request per organization per year

This covers only what California State Railroad Museum Foundation states. A request can still be turned down for reasons a company does not publish.

When to ask

California State Railroad Museum Foundation states a lead time of 30 days. Count back that far from your event date and send the request no later than then.

Across more than 25,000 fundraising events in our own records over fifteen years, March, April and May are the busiest months for fundraisers, October is the next busiest, and July and December are the quietest.

Work backwards from your event rather than forwards from today, and if your event falls in the spring peak, ask earlier than the stated lead time rather than later.

Common questions

Can a school, team, or individual apply to California State Railroad Museum Foundation?

California State Railroad Museum Foundation states that it will not fund: Third-party or individual requests; More than one request per organization per year. Check your organization and your event against that list before you apply — those are the restrictions California State Railroad Museum Foundation publishes itself.

How far ahead should we ask California State Railroad Museum Foundation for a donation?

California State Railroad Museum Foundation's stated lead time is 30 days. Work backwards from your event date: count back that far from the day of the event and send your request before that point.