Select Clients
The Chickasaw Nation. ABC led a team that included People, Places & Design Research and Marketplace in the development of a comprehensive business plan for the new $35 million Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Cranbrook Educational Community. The Community’s Institute of Science underwent a $31 million capital expansion and senior management transition. ABC provided year -long guidance and support to capital campaign volunteers and staff in all phases of capital, annual and program development and membership efforts.
The Nantucket Atheneum. The 166-year old island library is known for its historic structure and adjacent park, the only green space in the town center. With a co-consultant from the TMG, ABC led board members in the development of a strategic long-range plan that uses current and emerging technology to improve its special and general collections, increase its programs and services to the community, build its long-term financial stability and preserve the building and parkland. As part of implementing the plan, ABC worked with the leadership on board development and program funding.
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. This 30-year-old institution expanded into a new 120,000 square foot building that made it the largest African-American Museum in the country. ABC worked with the director, board and others to create a dynamic transition to the new building. ABC was later part of a team that developed the five-year strategic business plan.
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. A major new programmatic thrust to prepare for the Museum's centennial coincided with a $42 million capital campaign managed by the museum's development office. To ease the load, ABC provided successful program proposal development services on such wide-ranging topics as Egypt, the Pacific, geology and Africa to federal agencies and private foundations.
Rhode Island Children's Museum (now the Providence Children’s Museum). After a decade of successful operations, this museum had to expand or move. ABC led a board committee through the strategic planning and research that resulted in a plan of action. Later, ABC conducted a fundraising feasibility study for the Museum, and was then counsel to their capital campaign.
Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. This institution provides Bermuda and its visitors with a dynamic look at the fascinating world under the ocean's surface. ABC was part of a team working with the Board to develop all aspects of the Institute, with major responsibility for the $22 million capital campaign. ABC has provided staff and board training and consultation on development and membership.
United States Information Agency/The American Center, Warsaw, Poland. ABC was invited by the Arts America Program to work with the US Embassy's American Center to develop and present a three-day seminar geared to help the directors of 60 Polish museums make a successful transition from centrally controlled and funded operations to independent museums with diverse revenue streams. Mini-seminars for museum directors and personnel from the ministries of culture and tourism were presented in four additional Polish cities.
Institute for Training and Development/Russian Museum Directors Project. Lead trainer in museum management and operations for three-week program to introduce directors of eight major regional museums in Russia to American museum management. Classroom work was coupled with on-site visits to two dozen American museums.
The George Frederick Handel House Museum. The 17th century home near London’s fashionable New Bond Street where Handel composed Messiah and other masterpieces has been transformed into a house museum, performance, recording and research facility. ABC was retained to spearhead support for this project in North America.
The Children's Museum of the Arts. This small museum in the SoHo area of New York City draws on the richness of the local artist colony for inspiration. ABC worked with the founder to plan each phase of the project: from mission statement and criteria for board selection to program planning, budget forecasting and overall facilities concept. ABC provided guidance throughout the initial implementation phase.
Additional Clients
- Aloha Foundation
- Association of African American Museums
- B. B. King Museum and Interpretive Center
- Barnes Foundation
- Bermuda National Trust
- Boston Center for the Arts
- Bostonian Society
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum
- Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
- Children’s Museum of Memphis
- Children’s Museum of Phoenix
- Children’s Museum of S. E. Connecticut
- Children's Museum (Portland, OR)
- Children's Museum of South Dartmouth
- City of Wichita
- Dallas Contemporary
- Edgartown Library Foundation
- Freedom Trail Foundation (Boston)
- Harvard University Museum of Natural History
- Hershey Museum
- Hillwood Museum & Gardens
- Historic Annapolis Foundation
- ImagiNation Afrika (Dakar)
- Kentucky Historical Museum
- KidsCommons , Columbus, IN
- Lied Children's Museum (Las Vegas, NV)
- Long Island Children's Museum (NY)
- Louisiana State Museum
- Lyric Stage (Boston)
- Mashantucket Pequot Museum
- Mississippi Blues Trail
- Museum in the Community (W.VA)
- Museum of Natural History, University of Michigan
- Museum of Russian Icons
- Museum of Science (Boston)
- National Science Foundation/Association of Science-Technology Centers
- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati)
- National Women’s Hall of Fame
- New Bedford Whaling Museum
- New England Historic Genealogical Society
- New England Museum Association (NEMA)
- New England Science Center (Eco-Tarium)
- Old South Meeting House (Boston)
- Peabody Essex Museum
- Penn Center (SC)
- Pleasant Company
- Providence Children’s Museum (formerly Children’s Museum of Pawtucket)
- Seneca Iroquois National Museum
- Smithsonian Institution: Experimental Gallery
- Society for the Preservation New England Antiquities (now Historic New England)
- Strawbery Banke (Portsmouth, NH)
- Timmy’s Town Center (Scranton, PA)
- Uintah County Western Heritage Museum
- UNESCO/University of Texas, Conference on the African Diaspora and African-Americans in the New World
- USS Constitution Museum (Boston)
- Wenham Museum
- Wisconsin Children's Center/Madison Children's Museum (WI)
- Woonsocket Industrial Development Corporation (RI)
Testimonials
“What a pleasure to work with Anne! Anne’s immense experience continues to inform our work and most importantly our planning, nearly 3 years later. Her professional committment to quality and how quality learning can be supported by organizational and ficsal targets is a great lesson not only for start up museums like ours, but museums going through change and transition. My whole team fondly remembers Anne and the tremendous work she invested in us to help get us open!”
“Anne Butterfield is a premier advisor and consultant in the museum field. I can say this with great confidence because my firm has conducted audience research/evaluation with 191 museums and cultural organizations, and when I see a need for strategic planning, financial planning, and Board development, she’s the one that comes to mind. We’ve worked with her on children’s museums, science museums, history museums, the Association of African American Museums, and more – and she’s always been thoughtful and productive, raising everyone’s “game” with her insights. If you need to know more, call me!”
“We were in the early stages of planning for a children’s museum in our community. We had done enough work to know we had a feasible idea and some strong backing, but we needed industry expertise to help us craft that into a business plan and a scale that made sense for our community. Anne provided that invaluable guidance to us at a critical time. Her knowledge and industry connections were invaluable and she was wonderful to work with. Our museum has now reached and exceeded its targeted attendance goals and is financially sustainable. We credit Anne with setting us on the right path and helping us succeed!”
“With 40 years’ experience, Anne Butterfield brings her expertise in strategic planning, leadership and development in museums to the process of grant writing. Anne Butterfield guided Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) through the process of proposal development from the focus of the project to the clarity of the proposal with her professionalism and experience with national foundations and government agencies. She quickly grasp the scope and concept of the project and clarified the challenge of a complex proposal to successful completion.”
“Anne is a consummate professional. She stepped in to help the Association of African American Museums create a 4 year strategic plan that reflects the vision, needs, and capacity of the organization. AAAM has since retained Anne to assist with the build-up of fundraising infrastructure needed to implement the strategic plan, which will take the organization to its next evolutionary stage.”