Explore dozens of articles, member resources, and On-Demand Programs on financial sustainability in museums.

Monday Musing: Prequel to a Museum

Monday musings are my way of sharing “brain blorts”: brief, off-the-cuff thoughts about something I have read recently, both to help clarify my thinking an in the hopes of generating discussion and response. I give myself 15 …

Research Roundup: SurveyingThe Employment Landscape

 With today’s post, ACLS Public Fellow (and CFM Futurist-in-Training) Dr. Nicole Ivy launches a new occasional feature on the blog: a roundup of recent research relevant to her work and (we hope) to yours. As part of my wonderings about …

Tax Exempt Status: Revocations and Reinstatements

The vast majority of tax-exempt status revocations happened after enactment of the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Prior to this new act, there was no filing requirement for organizations with gross receipts under $25,000. The Internal …

Revisiting the Future of Museums in the New Gilded Age

I recently reread a 2011 post by my former colleague Erik Ledbetter on the effect the “New Gilded Age” may have on museums. He wrote “The decline of the middle class and the reemergence of a true American plutocracy will …

Futurist Friday: Economic “Ifs”

The Economist just released the 2015 edition of “The World If“– a companion to their annual compilation of predictions. I’m working through it today, and you can, too.The editors pose one of my favorite questions: …

Futurist Friday: The Flood Next Time

Bjarke Ingels BIG architects in Copenhagen, won a federal competition to design storm protection for New York City. In this article he speaks about how his work in geoengineering is inspired by science fiction–specifically Kim …

The Sustainability “Myth”

Here’s something I’ve been wondering about: are social service and cultural nonprofits really the same species? Sure, we’re united by our 501(c)3 tax-exempt status, but beyond that, what’s our family resemblance, and is it …

The Future of Funding – Revisited

One of the best things about attending the annual AAM meeting is the serendipitous networking that takes place 24/7. For example, as I ran from event to event one evening, I connected for just a nanosecond with Carl Hamm, deputy director …

Cafeteria Connections: Some food for thought and thought for food

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2015 edition of the Museum magazine.  We have become a nation of food-obsessed individuals. A glance at television’s offerings reveals that we revel in watching food competitions where …

Latest Stories from AAM

American Alliance of Museums and Coalition Partners File Amicus Brief to Protect IMLS from Unlawful Dismantling

Category: Press Release
For Immediate Release Rhode Island–Today, after months of coordinated preparation, …

ISO Your Proposals for AAM 2026

Category: Center for the Future of Museums Blog
Signal boosting the current call for proposals for AAM 2026. I almost typed 2206 there, …

Upvote Museum Sessions for SxSW 2026!

Category: Center for the Future of Museums Blog
The SxSW Innovation conference describes itself as “an opportunity for the global …

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