How to Transform a Volunteer Program in Six Steps
Are you taking a second look at your museum’s volunteer program? Maybe you’re struggling with flagging recruitment and retention, questioning how the diversity of your corps aligns with inclusion goals, or wrestling with how to integrate a …
Point of View: In Defense of Volunteerism in Museums
Volunteers play a vital role for museums, and museums need to prioritize their voluntee…
Welcoming Change at the USC Pacific Asia Museum
The USC Pacific Asia Museum took a trust-building approach to working with docents on an evolving education program for stu…
Valuing Our Volunteers
This article originally appeared in Museum magazine’s March/April 2024 issue, a benefit of AAM membership. While you may know me as the editor in chief of this magazine, I have another professional identity that is equally dear to me: …
Point of View: A Renewal in the Rebuilding
Docent programs that evolve with the times will continue to serve their museums and commun…
Slowing Down With Intention at the Long Island Children’s Museum
Through reflective practice, the Green Teens volunteers at the Long Island Children’s Museum develop programming for visitors—and lifel…
Pride of Place at the Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum
The Quincy Valley Historical Society & Museum is a community jewel that runs mainly on volun…
Rethinking the Status Quo
What does museum volunteer retention look like in a post-pand…
Non-Traditional Internships Provide New Perspectives, New Educational Tools
Nemours Estate is not your typical historic site. The two-hundred-acre estate, home to Mr. Alfred I. duPont and his family from 1910 until 1970, is set apart from other stately homes of the period by the legacy Mr. duPont left after his …
Steering Your Museum’s Search for a Volunteer Management System
This tipsheet was developed by Elisa Kosarin, CVA, a Volunteer Engagement Specialist at TwentyHats, and Abbey Earich, Lead Volunteer Coordinator for the Smithsonian Office of Visitor Services (OVS). It is based on Abbey’s experience …
