Strategic planning and organizational development with boards and staff
Strategic planning and organizational planning are imperative for start-up museums, but all organizations live in a dynamic and ever-changing world. Taking stock, asking the right questions, getting good data, understanding the needed resources, and taking actions that will strengthen the organization is all part of taking fiduciary responsibility required of trustees and professionalism among staff. Some clients of Anne’s strategic planning work include: KidsCommons (Indiana); Museum in the Community (West Virginia); Children’s Museum of the Arts (New York); Museum of Russian Icons (Massachusetts).
Master planning for museums and other institutions including business plans and pro formas
In some cases museums and cultural organizations need to undergo an institution-wide master planning process often involving architects, designers, audience research and branding specialists, museum educators and others for a total re-look at every aspect of an emerging or established but changing museum. Anne’s work on master planning includes that for: the National Women’s Hall of Fame (New York); the Nantucket Atheneum; the Uintah County Western Heritage Museum (Utah); Seneca Iroquois Museum (New York); the Hershey Museum (Pennsylvania); the Museum of Natural History/University of Michigan; Hillwood Museum and Gardens (Washington, D. C.)
Capital Campaigns – planning, feasibility studies, campaign materials content, and board and staff training
Capital Campaigns are major fundraising efforts that go beyond the normal development programs for annual and project support. Fundraising feasibility studies is a research process intended to take the pulse among current and prospective donors, uncovering misperceptions and opportunities. Presenting the case for support generally requires a set of materials (not necessarily printed and bound) and training for board and staff who have not solicited funds before. Clients for capital campaign work include: Cranbrook Institute of Science (Michigan); Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute; Edgartown Library Association (Massachusetts); Aloha Foundation (Vermont).
General fundraising and development planning
General development work sometimes benefits from a through look from someone with strong fundraising experience who is not on staff. Is the museum focused on the right prospects? Are staff priorities maximizing the fundraising opportunities and channels? What’s in the pipeline? Is there a moves management system in place? Answering these questions and making appropriate adjustments can strengthen the ongoing development program. Clients have included: Old South Meeting House (Massachusetts); the Barnes Foundation (Philadelphia); Strawbery Bank (New Hampshire); Bermuda National Trust; Harvard Museum of Natural History.
Proposal development including program funding research and development with particular expertise with national foundations, corporations and government agencies
Proposal development often requires a different skill set than those of a good individual gifts or membership officer. A program for institutional givers (foundations, corporations and government agencies) can often add much-needed income especially for exhibitions, programs, and special projects that may be hard to fund or unappealing to individual donors. Anne’s extensive work in this area brings a wealth of knowledge about institutional funders, their requirements, and special interests; her proposal-writing skills have produced a track record of funded grants at three or more times the national average. Some of Anne’s clients include: Field Museum of Natural History (Illinois); Brooklyn Children’s Museum/Brooklyn Public Library/Brooklyn Museum of Art (New York); Museum of Science (Massachusetts); Peabody Essex Museum (Massachusetts); Mississippi Blues Trail.
Governance, including assessments, governing documents, and training
Boards are formed, grow and change like every other aspect of a museum or cultural organization. Creating and updating governance documents maximizes board performance, and training regarding the responsibilities of board members maximizes their effectiveness, creating a solid environment in which the staff can perform their role in achieving the mission and creating impact in the community. Most recently Anne worked with the strategic planning team at the Association of African American Museums to create an entire set of new governance documents including by-laws, board expectations, conflict of interest, and nomination/re-nomination policies and other materials.