TrendsWatch

TrendsWatch: Questioning Assumptions

Welcome to TrendsWatch, CFM’s annual forecasting report. This year the report looks at challenging preconceptions about the world and the future, as well as spotlighting opportunities for museums to shine amidst changes to our operating landscape.

Members and Museum subscribers received TrendsWatch first, as the January/February 2026 issue of the magazine. Join today or renew your membership to receive future issues and access all member benefits.

In the report:

  • Welcome to TrendsWatch
  • The Philanthropic Future: How can museums build a healthy stream of charitable support?
  • The Looming Leadership Crisis: How can museums successfully develop the next generation of leaders?
  • Securing the Future of the Nonprofit Sector: How can we defend the nonpartisan nature of nonprofit status and empower the public to support our work?
  • Short Take: Cultivating Compassion: Examine how museums can foster compassion, which can promote health and well-being, reduce burnout, combat loneliness, foster healthy aging, and reduce prejudice.
  • Trend Alert: Museum Insurance and Climate Disruptions: As climate risk disrupts the insurance industry, learn about alternatives to traditional insurance models that can help protect cultural institutions from disaster.
  • For Your Radar: Outrage Fatigue and Model Collapse: A brief guide to terms that may be popping up in your news feeds.

The format is designed to be practical and immediately actionable, providing a scaffold for discussions and decision-making by the museum’s staff, board, and stakeholders. Each chapter:

  • Introduces the issue
  • Suggests critical questions for museums
  • Describes the challenge
  • Summarizes how society, and museums, are responding
  • Presents a framework for action
  • Documents examples of museums tackling these issues
  • Provides additional resources

Want to explore more about these or other topics with your team?

Book a lecture, presentation, or discussion today through the Alliance Advisors and Speakers Bureau.

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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
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