Posts
Financial Stability
Lessons Learned from SARS (and Strikes) at the Ontario Science Center
Often the best way to foresee the future is to revisit the past. In March, professor Marjorie Schwarzer offered an overview of how US museums responded to three pandemics in the 20th …
Regional Museums Struggle to Survive After Closing Because of Coronavirus
For more than 20 minutes, Akron Art Museum director Mark Masuoka stared into the cerulean recesses of Sky Hook (1981), a somber painting by Gene Davis. Masuoka searched for solace in the …
In Times Like These: Managing Museums Through Crises
On March 23, I sent out a tweet thread to encourage museum peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little did I know those simple tweets would resonate with so many. I wrote: Having led museums …
How Nonprofits Can Apply for Loans and Other Emergency Benefits
Nonprofits interested in taking advantage of new emergency loans and other aid programs should get their papers in order, contact their local FDIC-insured bank, and prepare to move …
Tips for Fundraisers
In the unforgiving economic environment in which museum fundraising staff find themselves these days, it can be tempting to throw in the towel and wait until conditions improve—and whenever …
Strategies for Short-term Financial Survival
Support Free COVID-19 Resources for the Field: The current crisis is taking a distressing financial toll on cultural organizations, and AAM is no different. The Center for the Future …
TrendsWatch: Building Financial Resilience in a Time of Crisis
Support Free COVID-19 Resources for the Field: The current crisis is taking a distressing financial toll on cultural organizations, and AAM is no different. The Center for the Future …
American Alliance of Museums Urges US Congress to Include $4 Billion for Nonprofit Museums in COVID-19 Economic Relief Legislation
For Immediate Release March 19, 2020 Arlington, VA-The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, urges the U.S. …
Not here to stay: what makes private museums suddenly close?
Last spring, I visited the Marciano Art Foundation (MAF) in Los Angeles. Marble and travertine-clad, the virtually windowless edifice on Wiltshire Boulevard boasted mosaic panels and …
Why Do Millennials Donate to Cultural Organizations?
Millennials donate for different primary reasons than other adult generations. Oh, millennials. We frequently talk about them in the cultural sector - and for good reason. Millennials …
Toxic Philanthropy
We live in a time in which the public is hyper sensitive to the ethics of where money comes from, and where it goes. As I observed in TrendsWatch 2015, nonprofits don’t get a free pass in …
Investing in the Creative Economy for Good and Profit
When it comes to managing their endowments, museums typically focus solely on financial return. This is a missed opportunity to advance their mission-related work. Some avoid investing in …