Mission & Institutional Planning

Point of View: The Era of Traditional Planning Is Over

By Elizabeth Merritt

“‘Inconceivable!’ You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” —Mandy Patinkin, in the role of Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride This article which appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of Museum magazine, a …
New TrendsWatch! Navigating a Disrupted Future

By Elizabeth Merritt

In a normal year, TrendsWatch explores the impact emerging forces of change may have on museums in the next decade or longer. Some, such as demographic shifts, affect all museums in the present. Others, such as the rise of blockchain …
onePULSE, Many Perspectives: Collaborating with Diverse Stakeholders to Develop the National Pulse Memorial & Museum

By Barbara Poma, Pam Schwartz, Mark Knott, and Anne Voshel

In the aftermath of a tragedy, there is no one way for communities to grieve and heal. This is especially true when the event impacts people on a national or even international scale. The response, as well as any attempt at permanent …
TrendsWatch: Building Financial Resilience in a Time of Crisis

By Elizabeth Merritt

Here at the Alliance, we know that COVID-19 is inflicting severe damage on museums. Our sector is just beginning to assess the impact of closures, travel bans, cancellation of major events (including fundraisers), and the implementation of …
Sustainable Investing: A Practical Guide for Museums – Part 1

By Anna Raginskaya

Earlier this year a guest post on this blog advocated for museums harnessing their endowments to mission-related goals through a financial practice known as impact investing. In today’s post, Anna Raginskaya, Financial Advisor, Blue Rider …
Double Duty: How a historic botanical garden reached a balance in managing its plant and art collections

By Jordyn Melino and Julianna Razryadov

All museums face many challenges maintaining and displaying their collections. But these challenges are exacerbated when collections of vastly different needs and care protocols share the same display space. At Phipps Conservatory and …
Pursuing Learning through Intentional Practice

By Randi Korn

Most museum staff yearn to affect those who visit their museum; they want to create meaningful experiences that will be remembered long after people’s encounters. Stephen Weil believed that museums are uniquely suited to make a positive …
A Case Study—in Progress—of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Brand Refresh

By Linda Butler and Jennifer Sonderby

With the arrival of a new director and CEO in 2016, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco expanded its largely encyclopedic approach to art history by introducing a curatorial department dedicated to collecting and presenting contemporary …
Attack of the 100-Year Old Startup

By Brendan Ciecko

At first glance, museums and startups may not seem to have an overwhelming amount in common. The majority of museums are not-for-profit, mission-driven institutions and operate in a different realm than the high-growth (and high risk) …
Restructuring Nonprofit Organizations: Mergers, Acquisitions, Consolidations, Partnerships and Separations

By Elizabeth Varner

*Please note that I am not your attorney, I am not giving legal advice and there is no attorney-client relationship. All legal questions should be directed to your legal counsel. This article seeks to raise awareness of some key …