What Is PatronView?
This page started as our launch announcement in June 2025. It has been rewritten as a plain explanation of what PatronView is and how it works.
PatronView is a searchable database of cultural philanthropy. We collect the donor recognition lists that museums and cultural institutions publish in their annual reports, and we organize them so you can explore giving by patron, by institution, and by donor level.
Today the database holds more than 4.5 million contribution records from over 650 institutions across the United States, covering more than 1.5 million patrons.
Where the Data Comes From
Almost everything on PatronView comes from public documents that institutions publish themselves: annual reports, honor rolls, and donor recognition pages. We also use IRS 990 filings for board member information. On most patron pages you can see thumbnails of the actual source documents, so you can verify a record against the original page it came from.
What a Contribution Means
A “contribution” on PatronView is one appearance in one institution’s donor recognition list for one reporting period. Institutions usually publish giving in named tiers and ranges, such as “$100,000 to $499,999”, rather than exact amounts. When we show dollar totals, we use the midpoint of the published range. That means our totals are documented giving, not complete giving. Almost everyone in the database has given more than what we show.
What We Leave Out
Anonymous gifts are not in the database, because they are not published. Giving to institutions we have not yet imported is not here either. We add new institutions every month, so coverage keeps growing.
If you appear in the database and want your information removed, we honor those requests. See our removal page.
Where to Start
- Top Museum Donors in America ranks the 100 largest documented donors.
- Browse institutions to explore a specific museum’s supporters.
- Search for any patron by name.
Questions or corrections are always welcome. Email me at hello@nickgray.net.