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

Planning for Sustainable Success Fundraising Management in a Changing World

This is a recorded session from the 2020 AAM Virtual Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo. Presenters: Donna McGinnis, President & CEO, Naples Botanical Garden and Kate Brueggemann, VP, Development, Adler Planetarium Transcript Donna …

Applying Art History to Workplace Safety: Saving Lives and Growing Revenue at the Toledo Museum of Art

Over the course of its distinguished 120-year history of art education, the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) has offered classes that extend beyond simple drawing and painting into topics ranging from shop window design to robotics. As unusual …

Measuring Social Impact for Financial Sustainability

This is a recorded session from the 2020 AAM Virtual Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo. This session will unpack one museum’s journey to articulate and measure their social impact. Participants will analyze and discuss the implications …

#AAM2021 Elevate Stage Session: Resilient Together, Philanthropy in Museums

Confronted with the global pandemic, individual and institutional philanthropy has been responsive, engaged, and nimble. What role can philanthropy play in helping museums to recover and become more resilient? Do funders still view museums …

From Preservation to Participation: The Journey of Sandy Spring Museum

Many museums think that serving the needs of more ethnically diverse constituents will lose them “traditional” audience and supporters, but at Sandy Spring Museum (SSM), we’ve found just the opposite. Nearly ten years ago, when a financial …

What’s the Connection Between Financial Capital and Museum Education?  

In this series of posts, EdCom’s Trends Committee is taking a deeper look at emerging phenomena identified in the 2020 edition of TrendsWatch from the Center for the Future of Museums. In this post, they dive into financial capital, with a …

Online and the Bottom Line

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2021 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. The California Academy of Sciences focused on digital fundraising in the age of COVID-19.  The pandemic’s impact on the museum …

Forecasting the Future of Financial Sustainability Webinar

As museums navigate the financial crisis precipitated by COVID-19, leaders need to craft short-term strategies for survival, as well as long-term strategies succeeding in the post-COVID world. This recorded webinar reviews trends and …

Monthly Subscriptions Make Membership Easy to Say Yes To

As cultural organizations continue to face declining membership and significant lost revenue during the pandemic, many are seeking ways to engage new audiences and retain existing members. Luckily, while the long-term impact of the crisis …

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 …

AAM Member-Only Content

AAM Members get exclusive access to premium digital content including:

  • Featured articles from Museum magazine
  • Access to more than 1,500 resource listings from the Resource Center
  • Tools, reports, and templates for equipping your work in museums
Log In

We're Sorry

Your current membership level does not allow you to access this content.

Upgrade Your Membership

Subscribe to Field Notes!

Packed with stories and insights for museum people, Field Notes is delivered to your inbox every Monday. Once you've completed the form below, confirm your subscription in the email sent to you.

If you are a current AAM member, please sign-up using the email address associated with your account.

Are you a museum professional?

Are you a current AAM member?

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription, and please add communications@aam-us.org to your safe sender list.