Social Impact

The effect that museums have on the social fabric of their communities and the well-being of the individuals and families who live there.

Crushing on Our Summit Speakers

By Elizabeth Merritt

If I were a different age, I might be saying “OMG OMG!” (or possibly “squee!!!”) but being who I am I’ll just say that our speaker lineup for the virtual Future of Museums Summit is mass…
Asset-Based Community Development: Shifting Museums’ Center of Gravity

By Susan Longhenry

Twenty-two years ago, I was leading the strategic planning process for a museum education department when I noticed something interesting. Even though we called ourselves the “education” department, we had worded nearly all of our intended …
Evidence of Things Not Seen

By Jessica O'Connor

The current edition of TrendsWatch includes a “Short Take” on how our country and our sector are beginning to grapple with how to compensate descendant communities for historic harms. Reparative practice may take the form of actions that …
A Toolkit to Measure Your Museum’s Social Impact

By Michelle Mileham & Emily Johnson

While social and community impact is increasingly viewed as central to museums’ missions as acknowledged in the Alliance’s most recent strategic framework, the issue of measuring that impact with a reliable and valid tool has been a …
Take a Deep Dive into the Future of Museums this November

By Elizabeth Merritt

Have you registered for the Future of Museums Summit? Taking place from 1-5 pm ET November 1 and 2, this virtual conference will explore four themes from the current edition of TrendsWatch: the evolution of digital practice, workplace …
Museums as Disaster Responders: A Q&A with Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate

By Adam Rozan

Have you ever wondered what it takes to create a strong, lively community? Recently, this question led me to revisit the work and writings of Ray Oldenburg, who first developed the concept of the “third place,” and a conversation I had …
A History of Museum Resilience: Q&A with Author Samuel Redman

By Adam Rozan

When the pandemic arrived and made its far-reaching impact on our people and institutions, many wondered if we would ever recover. Few could recall such an existential crisis during their careers, where the work of museums was so …
B.U.I.L.D.-ing Empathy: A Framework for Reinvigorating Your Workplace

By Ashley Witherspoon

One of the throughlines of my career in social services has been witnessing the power of empathy. I first discovered this power as an undergraduate criminal justice major, when I completed a field placement at a local juvenile detention …
Measuring Museum Social Impact: Lessons and Resources from a National Study

By Michelle Mileham, Sabre Moore, and Jen Kindick

With IMLS funding, the Measurement of Museum Social Impact study has spent months working with museums across the US to validate a social impact instrument. Watch this recorded session from the 2023 AAM Annual Meeting to hear about the …
How Emotional Intelligence Can Create Happier and Healthier Museums

By Jennifer DePrizio

After twenty years of working in museums, I’ve seen all sides of the field—the good, the bad, and even the ugly. But regardless of the negative experiences, my hopes are still as high as when I began my career. I still believe deeply that …