I'd say number 9 should be "lack of staff due to lack of money", but
otherwise money does seem to be a crucial issue.

Yes, Aaron, I would say paying attention to grant-writing would be a Good
Thing.

But more than that I think we need to learn better how to sell ourselves (in
the nicest possible way).  I speak as a Small Museum director, but hope this
applies to all of us, up to and including the Big Guys who can hire people
who are actually trained in asking for money.

Not only does there need to be a clearly articulated and communicated vision
from the top (Director, Board of Trustees) but  also a sense that this
vision can and is being implemented.  There should be a mission that is both
distinctive and realistic (although the Large Unnamed Midwest Museum that
used to have the mission -- and I paraphrase -- to study life on Earth and
its neighbors seems to be doing OK with getting state funding).  What does
this museum do that none other does and why is it important?

Next that mission needs to be communicated with the outside world.   I
sometimes think that staff and Boards should be drilled so that they can
recite their museum's mission in their sleep (and no, I can't actually do
that, but I can explain what we do and why, which is close enough without
the fancy wording).

Then the mission has to be backed up by everything the museum does (in
academic language the mission should "inform" all museum activities).   How
does this exhibit, this program, this field trip, this space rental, this
anything-the-public-hears-about relate to the museum's
purpose?  And again, that has to be made clear to those who don't have
direct access to the brains of those who thought up the exhibit, program,
etc.

Finally, this whole package needs to be wrapped up prettily and presented to
in a wide variety of ways to people with money.   Like the first part of a
grant, we need to  explain who we are, what we do and why it is important to
the city, state, nation or individual foundation.  Or private individual,
whether it is someone joining the museum at the lowest membership level or
someone buying a Patron's ticket to the annual benefit.

So, somewhere in the List, one of the Issues might be "learning to
communicate why museums (specifically and generally) deserve to be
supported".

janice

Janice Klein
Director
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Kendall College
[log in to unmask]



-----Original Message-----
From: Aaron Marcavitch <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, September 20, 2001 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: TOPIC ONE: Top Ten Challenges


>Stole my idea!
>
>> 1. Lack of money
>> 2. Lack of money
>> 3. Lack of money
>> 4. Lack of money
>> 5. Lack of money
>> 6. Lack of money
>> 7. Lack of money
>> 8. Lack of money
>> 9. Lack of money
>> 10.Lack of (or in poor condition) space--because of lack of money.
>
>Does this mean I should pay better attention in class when he is telling us
how to write a grant?
>
>Aaron
>
>=====
>www.aaronmarcavitch.com
>Webmaster, VAF (www.vernaculararchitecture.org)
>Webmaster, ADM (www.americandinermuseum.org)
>Webmaster, Boston Harborfest (www.bostonharborfest.com)
>Grad. Student Caucus Chair, Am. Assoc of History & Computing
>
>M.A. (Public) History, Middle TN St. Univ

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