Who would have thought in 1986 when the Dictionary of English Furniture Makers was published that it would morph into British and Irish Furniture Makers Online and be freely available to all, with an ever-increasing raft of new material, at the click of a mouse? BIFMO has been a catalyst not only for developing scholarship but also for encouraging the young to participate, to learn and to seek inspiration from the Society’s broad remit. The fact that BIFMO’s online courses on the history of furniture are profitable, with the money being ploughed back into its work is due to an enthusiastic audience and above all to those scholars who give their time and expertise. The BIFMO project is both ambitious and expensive. It receives external grants towards its editorial and outreach work and is supported by the Society’s Anniversary Fund. BIFMO has huge potential and will continue to develop and expand in imaginative ways. However, fundraising remains a perennial requirement.

Donors and Grants:

The Albert Dawson Educational Trust

Robert Copley

The Decorative Arts Trust

Peter Scott-Edeson

Marc Fitch Fund

Mobile eV - Society of Friends of Furniture and Room Art

Foyle Foundation

The Furniture History Society 50^th Anniversary Appeal

J. Paul Getty Trust

Sir Nicholas and Lady Goodison

Lady Heseltine

Marigold Lamb

George Law

John Makepeace

Michael Marks Charitable Trust

Regional Furniture Society

Sarah Medlam

The Monument Trust

The Worshipful Company of Art Scholars

Susan Weber

Simon Wedgwood

Several donors and grant-funding bodies who wish to remain anonymous