The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation is, at its core, an educational institution.

Michael Folsom founded the museum as a place to understand and be inspired by America’s industrial heritage. 

While there may not be scaffolding on the walls, make no mistake: We are building. We are taking up the challenge Folsom laid out in 1983: 

“We do not want to be perceived as a local museum, of real interest only to residents of this city. The issues we raise are of keen importance to the history of the entire New England region and to the shaping of our essential national institutions.” 

We are a regional museum with national ambitions. 

This summer, we are inviting you to invest directly in our work. Whether you support young visitors who might never otherwise set foot in a museum, fund the next generation of historians, or ensure a sustainable future for our programming, there is a place for your generosity in what we are building. 

Your support means something. For this special place, it means everything. 

Stephen A. Guerriero, M.A., M.Ed., Director of Education

Invest in our future:

$100 to $250 can:

• Sponsor community admissions for young visitors like Boys and Girls Club members, local Scouts, and regional public school students. 

$250 to $1,000 can: 

• Refresh our archival conservation supplies 

• Stock the CRMII Research and Education Library with primary and secondary sources in industrial history, labor history, and New England manufacturing 

• Build the Learning Corner with high-quality books for kids and families and LEGO Education sets that bring innovation thinking to life through play 

$1,000 to $7,500 can: 

• Sponsor classroom field trips to the Charles River Museum 

• Fund a semester internship in Education or Collections 

• Establish a Named Book Award recognizing the best original scholarly work in industrial or labor history, the Industrial Revolution, or American innovation 

$7,500 to $15,000 can: 

• Create a Named Internship in Education or Collections, providing a full semester with your name attached to the position permanently 

• Sponsor a full academic year of K-12 education programming 

• Name the GenRad and Teradyne Collections Processing Project, support the cataloging, identification, and display of one of the most significant acquisitions in the Museum’s recent history 

$15,000 to $50,000 can: 

• Support CRMII’s expanding digital footprint, including a robust website, professionalized social media channels, and a digital archive of our collections accessible to researchers worldwide 

• Establish a Named Education Fund, supporting the Director of Education’s programming budget for one full year across school groups, public programming, and community partnerships 

• Endow the Folsom Founders Oral History Initiative, sustaining our effort to record and preserve firsthand accounts from those who knew Museum founder Michael Folsom, ensuring that institutional memory remains accessible and alive  

$50,000 to $100,000+ can: 

• Sponsor a permanent gallery renovation, with naming recognition 

• Endow the Scholar in Residence program  

• Fund the Director of Education position for one full year, sustaining every school program, public lecture, oral history initiative, and educational innovation at CRMII 

• Establish a Named Exhibition Fund, enabling original exhibitions that connect New England’s industrial heritage to contemporary civic and cultural conversations 

• Name the CRMII Education and Public Programs Department as Founding Patron, endowing a permanent fund with naming recognition across the department and a central role in CRMII’s next chapter