I'd suggest being careful how you approach such a board. -- especially if the town is small or even if it is not! Try doing a lot of home work first try reading any articles about the museum which might have appeared in the newspaper to learn who has actually done what annual reports? Flyers etc. ask around about who is who maybe try the exec of the local United Way? Does the museum get any funds from the? Who are $ contributors? Who contributed collections? some of the volunteers might be best friends or relatives of board members! be sure to praise and give credit to the past and current volunteer efforts and time -- criticism should be gentle -- if at all. They are probably doing their best -- they must think the museum is worthwhile too Could be that one or more might be on your side, recognizing that their skill and time is limited On the other hand, some might be very possessive of their roles and be very vocal about that. Gentle and slow and steady Barbara Hass, retired librarian and former exec of a non-profit volunteer agency In a message dated 7/12/2010 8:31:04 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: How can I convince the Town that an >> investment in myself and the museum is worthwhile ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).