Charleston’s International African American Museum to furlough all staff, will remain open

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Charleston’s International African American Museum will furlough all staff, including leadership, due to financial pressure, according to a statement from museum officials.

The temporary 20-day furlough will be implemented between July 1 and Dec. 31 in staggered incTrements. Museum officials said that, like many museums and nonprofits, the financial pressures and shift in the political and funding environment have made operations “uniquely more challenging” for the institution. The museum will remain open and isn’t closing its doors.

“This action is being taken to reduce expenses and avoid layoffs while we refocus on sustainable revenue growth and fundraising efforts,” according to a statement from the museum. “We know this affects our employees and their families in real ways. Keeping this team together and supporting them through difficult times is why we chose this path rather than deeper cuts.”

First opening on June 27, 2023, the news about furloughs comes just ahead of the museum’s third anniversary.

“The International African American Museum tells a story that could only be told here in Charleston, and that makes it one of the most important cultural institutions in the country,” Charleston Mayor William Cogswell said. “We are deeply committed to IAAM’s long-term success, and as we build out our Tourism Management Plan, supporting institutions like IAAM is exactly the kind of work we will be doing.”

The museum has welcomed hundreds of thousands of people, and it has also served as a historical testament to the institution of slavery that ensnared the United States before it became a nation and the generations following.

“We are strengthening our fundraising and financial strategy,” the IAAM said in a statement, “and we will continue to communicate openly as that work progresses.”

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Latest available tax filings show the museum, which operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, generated over $11.1 million in revenue in 2024, up from the $7.4 million it generated in 2023, which was the year it opened. Over $8 million of 2024’s revenue came from contributions, nearly $2.2 million of which came through government grants. Government grants totaled over $4.3 million the year prior.

Despite those contributions and grants, the museum operated at a loss in 2024, tax records show. Almost $1.3 million was paid out to curatorial consultants to help with exhibit curation and installation, part-time or temporary data and marketing leadership services, and technology maintenance. Over $2.4 million was paid in occupancy for the museum’s building at 14 Wharfside Street, and around $4.7 million was spent on employee salaries and wages, benefits, and payroll taxes. The museum reported expenses in excess of $12 million, leaving it at a $883,273 operational deficit for 2024. Additionally, the museum reported almost $18.6 million in total liabilities for that fiscal year.

Most museums post operational losses, but the shifting political and funding environment IAAM officials cited is making things more difficult for institutions felt across the globe.

Researchers have found that there has been a global decline in public funding for museums in recent decades, fueled in part by the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the International Council of Museums (ICOM), an 80-year-old organization made up of museums and over 60,000 museum professionals in 139 countries and territories around the world. ICOM, the International Research Alliance on Public Funding for Museums, and Shanghai University found in a 2025 report that with governments exerting pressure on museums to generate their own revenue, many museums are shifting towards self-generated and hybrid funding models, and that even when museum budgets remain stable, inflation and increased responsibilities can lead to real decreases in available funds. Of those surveyed, affected museums reported job losses, decreases in outreach programs, impacts on museum operations, and temporary closures.

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) surveyed 511 museum directors across the United States and found that more than half reported seeing fewer visitors than they did prior to the pandemic, and nearly one-third said they saw decreased attendance in 2025 due to weakened travel and tourism due to economic uncertainty. “We’re seeing attendance and financial performance trending in the wrong direction for the first time since the pandemic, with recovery not just stalling but reversing,” AAM President and CEO Marilyn Jackson said when the results were published in November. “This should be a wake-up call for policymakers and philanthropists alike.”

One third of the 511 museums surveyed had government grants or contracts cancelled due to executive orders and federal actions in 2025, and most reported not being able to replace those lost funds, AAM found.

“Even as museums struggle financially, they’re investing in the future of their communities,” Jackson continued. “Museums are doing their part by adapting their business models, engaging with lawmakers, and continuing to serve their communities despite financial headwinds. Now we need policymakers and philanthropists to recognize that investing in museums is investing in education, economic development, and community cohesion.”

The International African American Museum will remain fully operational throughout the furlough process, according to museum CEO Dr. Tonya Matthews, who encouraged the community to come out for the museum’s upcoming annual Juneteenth celebration.

In its third year, Juneteenth on the Yard will take place Friday, June 19, from noon to 5 p.m. at the IAAM African Ancestors Memorial Garden. It is free to attend and will feature outdoor festivities, music, storytelling, fellowship, and complimentary museum admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day, according to organizers. For more information, click here.