The Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the DMNS Foundation, a supporting organization, have announced a $25 million gift from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

The largest gift in the museum’s history includes 10 percent allocated for initial staffing, equipment, and launch activities. The remaining 90 percent will establish an endowed fund in support of the museum’s conservation work over the long term. The museum’s Science Division collects and cares for a natural history collection composed of 4.3 million artifacts and specimens, including significant objects in archaeology, ethnology, geology, paleontology, health sciences, and zoology.

"Collections are treasures held in the public trust. Preserving them and making them accessible to source communities, scientists and the public has long been an institutional priority,” said Stephen E. Nash, DMNS director of anthropology and senior curator of archaeology. “This unprecedented gift will take our work to another level, with the expertise and state-of-the-art analytical equipment needed to advance the field, and train the next generation of conservation professionals from a wide range of backgrounds. It will position the museum as a leader in culturally inclusive object conservation in the Rocky Mountain region, nationally and internationally.”

(Photo credit: DMNS by Sarbjit Bahga, creative commons)