USS Midway Museum Streamlines Donation Program with DonationMatch and Galaxy Connect™ Integration

The USS Midway Museum has strengthened its charitable giving program through a partnership with DonationMatch and an integration with Galaxy Connect, creating a more efficient, secure, and scalable donation process that benefits staff, volunteers, nonprofit partners, and the broader community. The museum has given 2,481 tickets equating to $101,721 through the platform, since adopting it in February 2026.

A Galaxy user and Gateway Ticketing Systems partner since 2007, the museum first learned about DonationMatch at the 2025 IAAPA Conference through Renee Zau, CEO and Co-founder of DonationMatch. The platform is designed to simplify and secure the donation request and fulfillment process for attractions and nonprofit organizations as well as restaurants, service-based businesses, and brands.

A Flexible Platform Aligned with Museum Operations
DonationMatch has worked closely with the museum to tailor its dashboard to meet operational needs, complementing Galaxy’s highly configurable interface.

The transition from paper-based donations to digital ticketing has delivered significant advantages. Digital tickets include timestamps and configurable expiration dates, allowing the museum to establish clear validity periods. Unlike paper tickets, digital tickets can be tracked through redemption, helping ensure they are used only once. Administrators can also modify expiration dates or cancel tickets entirely when necessary. 

These capabilities provide greater control, visibility, and flexibility for the museum’s philanthropic initiatives while improving the experience for recipient organizations.

“DonationMatch has significantly improved our donation process,” Paulette Mello, Marketing/Outreach Coordinator at USS Midway Museum, said. “Its functionality and capabilities have streamlined the workflow, making it easier and more efficient to review and process donation requests.”

A Secure, Efficient Approach to Ticket Donations
Founded in 2010, DonationMatch helps companies streamline and safeguard their charitable giving programs across the United States and Canada. The platform verifies nonprofit legitimacy, requestor authority, and eligibility against donation criteria before requests reach a company’s review queue for approval.

A key advantage of the DonationMatch platform is its integration with Galaxy Connect. Using the Galaxy Connect API connection, DonationMatch receives a direct-to-gate ticket in real time upon donation request approval, thus eliminating the need for manual ticket exports and distribution. 

By automating many of the administrative tasks associated with donation requests and fulfillment, the platform reduces staff workload while providing confidence that donated tickets are distributed to qualified recipients. The result is greater operational efficiency, improved accountability, and meaningful time savings for both employees and volunteers.

“At Gateway, we’re committed to helping nonprofit organizations operate more efficiently so they can focus on advancing their missions,” Michael Andre, President and CEO of Gateway Ticketing Systems, said. “Galaxy Connect gives these organizations the tools and flexibility they need to expand their reach, increase their impact, and continue making a difference in their communities.”

Many attractions are unaware that donation management can be made more efficient and secure through technology. DonationMatch was created to assist companies in reducing administrative burdens, improving oversight, and connecting more effectively with qualified nonprofit organizations to maximize fundraising impact.

“Many people are surprised to learn there’s a better way than managing donation requests through email and online forms alone,” Zau said. “We’re still one of the industry’s best-kept secrets.”

Galaxy Connect for Faster, More Secure Transactions
Since its launch in 2016, Galaxy Connect has streamlined online ticket sales by replacing the outdated voucher system with direct, real-time integration between attractions and online travel agencies (OTAs). Attractions receive payment for tickets regardless of guest attendance, gain clear visibility into ticket sales, and can implement dynamic pricing.

They also maintain full control over inventory and availability by managing pricing, blocking high-demand periods, and updating ticket availability in real time through Galaxy, ensuring OTA sites always display accurate information. Since Galaxy Connect integrates with the DonationMatch platform, this combination provides security and real-time tracking while functioning similarly to standard OTA transactions.

Finding the Right Solution
The USS Midway Museum began its search for a no-cost solution to modernize its donation solicitation program with key non-negotiables in mind. The museum needed a platform that could provide strong customer support, comprehensive reporting capabilities, and a professional, consistent brand experience across donation materials. Equally important, the solution needed to simplify day-to-day processes for staff and volunteers. 

Immediate Benefits for Staff and Volunteers
Implementation proved seamless. Because users only need a single DonationMatch account that can be used across participating organizations, the process required minimal effort.

Since adopting the platform in February 2026, the museum has reduced its paper mailing outreach significantly, lowering both administrative costs and labor requirements. Volunteers particularly have benefited from the web-based solution, which allows them to review and approve donation requests remotely when they are unable to be onsite.

“It’s been great,” Mello commented, adding Zau has been quick to respond to emails and outreach. “The immediate response with solutions is very nice to have in the partnership.”