I wish I weren't on deadline for something else, because this is a topic
near and dear to my heart and I could write endlessly about it! And the
Higgins was just 50 miles away, so it is an institution I am familiar with.
I think the closing (and the transfer of at least some of the collection
that doesn't get auctioned off to the Worcester Art Museum) also brings
up the issue of organizations not telling their publics they are in deep
trouble until it is too late (I'm talking about you, Hull House, and
you, Opera Boston ;-) ) "If only I/we had known..." is a refrain that
echos too often in such cases. There is a delicate balance between not
crying wolf or frightening off donors because the organization appears
to be sinking and making a strong and urgent case for support.
As a seasoned fundraiser, I don't see crowd-sourced fundraising as a
replacement for old fashioned major gifts fundraising, especially in
terms of sustainability. For every story of success a la Amanda Palmer
or Karen the bullied bus monitor, there are hundreds (perhaps thousands)
of campaigns that never even approach their goal. I do wish there was
more research on this too, but there isn't enough of a history with the
platform to move beyond anecdote and into evidence. The healthiest
organizations, whether museums or other, have a diversified revenue
stream so that a shortfall in one area can be compensated for in
another. Some things (perhaps the purpose of a particular object) lend
themselves to the newer model, while other things (e.g., the director's
salary) are decidedly less attractive for an Indiegogo or Kickstarter
platform.
I think we can learn a lot from "failures" and closures but the right
people have to be willing to share information and then the right people
elsewhere have to be willing to listen and learn.
Susan Ruderman
Fundraising Consultant
On 3/8/2013 11:04 AM, Deb Fuller wrote (among other things):
> Are museums starting to look to new economic models for fund-raising
> and support? If so, how successful are you at it? Do you see it as a
> sustainable way to keep your museum going? Are there any studies about
> this?
>
--
Susan C. Ruderman, Ed.M.
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Boston, MA area
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