Smithsonian has bonanza year in fundraising

Secretary G. Wayne Clough did have one thing to smile about this week. He reported that the Smithsonian, on the fund-raising front, had had its best December ever, bringing in $50 million.

And the rest of the year wasn't bad either. For the fiscal year 2010, which ended September 30, they raised $158 million. The previous year the tally was $126.6 million.

Helping the Smithsonian recover from the hit its private fund-raising and endowment took during the recent recession were several large gifts.