Janice: I appreciate the efforts of the Roundtable on Small Museums. Working for small museums, I also found that there is much bias and/or prejudice against granting funding to smaller organitions. Let me explain. 1. Often the money goes where the succesful skills, budgets, exhibits, professionals are already at, i.e., to the larger museums. For example, a larger museum can show its sucessful exhibits, track record and management, and that gives them points in getting future grants/funding, while the smaller museum does not have the background of receiving sucessful fundings, so in a no win situation to get to the bigger grants. I think the fund-givers need to take this into account, and some sensitivity and compassion given to the small museums. And no not "mini-grants" -- that is very bias against small museums whose programs may be or of more important than those of larger museums. Solution: Maybe have seperate categories for smaller museums or/and not base receiving the funds on budgets, what has been done in the past and what it will do to "help" the museum educate or complete its mission, goal/project, etc. And have the funding amounts the same. NOT basing any aspect of winning the grant on musuem size, budget, prior programs, etc. but upon the quality of the program and the impact it will have on the community and visitor. 2. Larger museums, as mentioned, has the staff, the funds and the "extra" to spend time in writing grants, and are often in larger population areas where the money is available. As mentioned, without the staff, the time and the resources it puts a damper on smaller museums and they cannot apply for the needed grants. 3. Regional, state and federal agencies need to be trained on non- discrimination because of size or location of a museum. They need to focus on the ENTIRE state, and not just on the larger population areas (of course a "small" museum can be in a large population area) where the votes are and funding. 4. Small museums need to collaborate together to teach and spread the world about themselves out into the community, networking, branding, building teams and communicating their museum out into the world. If small museums within a region would bond together, maybe working together on a grant, this would be a progressive way to obtain larger grants, and spark the attention of the grant-givers. 5. More "small museum" discussions at AAM, musuem meetings and conferences. 6. State/regional museum associations inviting small museums onto their boards...there should be an equal share of smaller museums to serve on committees, and having them on boards, etc. Have "selected spots" that only smaller museums can fill. If a committee or board has 10 members, the number of members from small/large museums should equal the ratio of the total number of small/large museums and not simply based upon the population, since most of the population would be in larger population/urban areas. Is that clear? 7. State museums and historical organizations should have available professional consultants to work with smaller museums through the Internet, trips, phone, etc. Yes, "on-line training" Yes, give awards for helping smaller museums...maybe have partners, i.e., a larger museum taking on a smaller museum as a form of buddy program. 8. Smaller museums should each be on the Internet....it makes the museum on the same footing/ground as the larger museum. Develop web sites that brings the visitors to the homepages of the smaller museums, through state/regional museum web sites. More ideas...yup...but better go spend some holiday time with the family. ;o) John Looking for work in SLC ********************************* Get your free E-Mail and Homepage Go to http://www.networld.com ********************************* ========================================================= 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).