Posts
Financial Stability
In Times Like These: Managing Museums Through Crises
On March 23, I sent out a tweet thread to encourage museum peers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little did I know those simple tweets would resonate with so many. I wrote: Having led museums …
How Nonprofits Can Apply for Loans and Other Emergency Benefits
In this Chronicle of Philanthropy article, Dan Parks and Michael Theis provide useful information on who can apply for nonprofit loans and what types of monies are available during the …
Tips for Fundraisers
In the unforgiving economic environment in which museum fundraising staff find themselves these days, it can be tempting to throw in the towel and wait until conditions improve—and whenever …
Strategies for Short-term Financial Survival
Support Free COVID-19 Resources for the Field: The current crisis is taking a distressing financial toll on cultural organizations, and AAM is no different. The Center for the Future …
TrendsWatch: Building Financial Resilience in a Time of Crisis
Support Free COVID-19 Resources for the Field: The current crisis is taking a distressing financial toll on cultural organizations, and AAM is no different. The Center for the Future …
American Alliance of Museums Urges US Congress to Include $4 Billion for Nonprofit Museums in COVID-19 Economic Relief Legislation
For Immediate Release March 19, 2020 Arlington, VA-The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, urges the U.S. …
Not here to stay: what makes private museums suddenly close?
This article explores the reasons behind a trend of abruptly closing private museums in the United States and abroad, using the Marciano Art Foundation as a prime example. It explains how …
Why Do Millennials Donate to Cultural Organizations?
Millennials represent the largest generation in the US, and they are thus the most frequent visitors to cultural organizations such as zoos, aquariums, museums, and performing arts …
Toxic Philanthropy
We live in a time in which the public is hyper sensitive to the ethics of where money comes from, and where it goes. As I observed in TrendsWatch 2015, nonprofits don’t get a free pass in …
Investing in the Creative Economy for Good and Profit
When it comes to managing their endowments, museums typically focus solely on financial return. This is a missed opportunity to advance their mission-related work. Some avoid investing in …
Financial Sustainability Is Everyone’s Responsibility
Prepared Remarks of Laura L. Lott President & CEO of the American Alliance of Museums Opening General Session of the 2019 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo May 20, 2019 Good morning and …
Weeksville, a Haven for Free African-Americans Before the Civil War, Is Fighting for Survival
This article highlights a case of precarious financial sustainability and what is at stake when museums can’t make ends meet. The Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, which …