Open Forum

A new program or maybe, a special event. Like, "50 facts about the museum" or something similar? 

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Daniel Williams
Museum Volunteer
Macomb IL

Original Message:
Sent: 05-26-2016 07:10 PM
From: Monica Miller
Subject: anniversary planning

Hello,

I'm looking for some guidance in planning our 50th anniversary. I seem to be having trouble communicating the difference between a 50th Birthday Party and using the 50th to do something big like create an endowment campaign or launch a new program. Does anyone have experience or could you offer and resources for me to turn to?

Thanks!

My suggestion would be to embrace the 50th birthday party concept. By nature and definition these milestones are about the past and trying to make it be about the future is like swimming upstream, which is most likely why you're having trouble getting people on board. Take time to celebrate the accomplishment and express appreciation and gratitude to those who made the accomplishment possible. This is an excellent opportunity to reflect on and recognize what your donors and supporters have done for the museum. (I'll assume, as it isn't noted in your post.) Sincere and very public recognition is essential to driving future support and doing so without asking for more in the same breath compounds the effect.

This type of celebration is typically narrow in focus, centering on or near the day of the anniversary. You have the celebration and everyone moves on. From a vision, fund raising and program stand point the entire 50th year should be looked at as a launch pad. Starting at anniversary celebration +1 day develop and launch campaigns and programs to support the next 50 years. I believe you will find it much easier to get people excited about the future vision if you plan to start it on day 18,263.

Just my opinion for what it's worth.

Congrats on 50 years and good luck!

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Kenneth Bennett
Director of Security
Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas TX

Original Message:
Sent: 05-26-2016 07:10 PM
From: Monica Miller
Subject: anniversary planning

Hello,

I'm looking for some guidance in planning our 50th anniversary. I seem to be having trouble communicating the difference between a 50th Birthday Party and using the 50th to do something big like create an endowment campaign or launch a new program. Does anyone have experience or could you offer and resources for me to turn to?

Thanks!

Lindsay Wildlife Experience celebrated its 50th in October 2015. As we are located next to a city park, we hosted the celebration in the park and in our exhibit hall. Everything was free to the public. As the coordinator, I planned for 2,000 and I think we had over 5,000 attend. Our exhibit hall was open from 10 to 5. Our festival in the park was from 10 to 3 pm. Food trucks provided the food. (Yeah!) As we are a nature/wildlife center, we invited like-minded organizations to exhibit. We had face-painting, art activities, animals on display, information about rescue organizations, animal adoptions, a banjo club provided entertainment. We had a center stage with live animal presentations including featuring our animals and an outside group. Boy Scouts and a local high school service group helped with set-up, clean-up, etc. Our city was great in providing lots of support, suggestions. Membership department hosted a special "Members only" Hawk's Hallow complete with drinks, food and a cool place to hangout. This event was a highlight of our fall and included involvement by every department. Lots of work and well worth the time and energy.

It was a great day and people in the community loved it.

Melissa

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Melissa Strongman
Director of Education
The Lindsay Wildlife Museum
Walnut Creek CA

Original Message:
Sent: 05-27-2016 10:59 AM
From: Kenneth Bennett
Subject: anniversary planning

My suggestion would be to embrace the 50th birthday party concept. By nature and definition these milestones are about the past and trying to make it be about the future is like swimming upstream, which is most likely why you're having trouble getting people on board. Take time to celebrate the accomplishment and express appreciation and gratitude to those who made the accomplishment possible. This is an excellent opportunity to reflect on and recognize what your donors and supporters have done for the museum. (I'll assume, as it isn't noted in your post.) Sincere and very public recognition is essential to driving future support and doing so without asking for more in the same breath compounds the effect.

This type of celebration is typically narrow in focus, centering on or near the day of the anniversary. You have the celebration and everyone moves on. From a vision, fund raising and program stand point the entire 50th year should be looked at as a launch pad. Starting at anniversary celebration +1 day develop and launch campaigns and programs to support the next 50 years. I believe you will find it much easier to get people excited about the future vision if you plan to start it on day 18,263.

Just my opinion for what it's worth.

Congrats on 50 years and good luck!

------------------------------
Kenneth Bennett
Director of Security
Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas TX

Hello Monica,

Congratulations on the anniversary! I find it inspiring when organizations use big milestones--25, 50 or 100 years--to look forward as far as they can look back. This is a great opportunity to get input from stakeholders (be it the community, your staff or board) and do some big picture visioning about long-term goals. Sometimes the resulting products (scenarios, stories or artifacts of the future) are fun, interesting sharables that spark attention and additional ideas. The National Park Service, for example, just held a two-day symposium, in conjunction with their hundredth anniversary, looking at the future of education in the parks. They combined a program of speakers with break-out visioning sessions. This doesn't have to be an expensive exercise--the San Angelo Museum of Fine Art in Texas (a relatively small art museum) has several times held "futures challenges" inviting the public to create maquettes embodying their visions for the future of their community, or of the museum.

Best wishes for a great celebration.

Yours from the future,

Elizabeth

Director, Center for the Future of Museums & VP Strategic Foresight, American Alliance of Museums 

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Elizabeth Merritt
VP Strategic Foresight & Founding Director, CFM
American Alliance of Museums
Arlington VA

Original Message:
Sent: 05-26-2016 07:10 PM
From: Monica Miller
Subject: anniversary planning

Hello,

I'm looking for some guidance in planning our 50th anniversary. I seem to be having trouble communicating the difference between a 50th Birthday Party and using the 50th to do something big like create an endowment campaign or launch a new program. Does anyone have experience or could you offer and resources for me to turn to?

Thanks!

Hi Monica,

I agree with Elizabeth that a big anniversary provides an excellent opportunity for some long term and broad reaching planning. You might consider commissioning something appropriate for your institution, a publication of some sort, community events that bring in new constituents and hopefully new sources of funding.  You might plan some special trustees and donors trip or visits to other institutions that would support your vision and, at the same time, raise additional donations.  Don't forget one or more parties to invite loyal supporters as well as new ones.

I have worked on a few big anniversary projects.  If you would like to talk more you can reach me at ssbloom@aol.com.

Best wishes,

Susan

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Susan Bloom
Exhibition Producer
New York NY

Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2016 08:59 AM
From: Elizabeth Merritt
Subject: anniversary planning

Hello Monica,

Congratulations on the anniversary! I find it inspiring when organizations use big milestones--25, 50 or 100 years--to look forward as far as they can look back. This is a great opportunity to get input from stakeholders (be it the community, your staff or board) and do some big picture visioning about long-term goals. Sometimes the resulting products (scenarios, stories or artifacts of the future) are fun, interesting sharables that spark attention and additional ideas. The National Park Service, for example, just held a two-day symposium, in conjunction with their hundredth anniversary, looking at the future of education in the parks. They combined a program of speakers with break-out visioning sessions. This doesn't have to be an expensive exercise--the San Angelo Museum of Fine Art in Texas (a relatively small art museum) has several times held "futures challenges" inviting the public to create maquettes embodying their visions for the future of their community, or of the museum.

Best wishes for a great celebration.

Yours from the future,

Elizabeth

Director, Center for the Future of Museums & VP Strategic Foresight, American Alliance of Museums 

------------------------------
Elizabeth Merritt
VP Strategic Foresight & Founding Director, CFM
American Alliance of Museums
Arlington VA

I think I would focus on the anniversary, while, like others suggested, making plans to mount a large campaign soon after while people are still interested.  Big milestones only come around once.  Nobody believed that this museum would last even five years, much less the over twenty that it has.  And it missed the opportunity to capitalize on its survival at the ten, fifteen and twenty year anniversaries.  I came on right before the twentieth and was able to at least organize a celebration, which nobody had thought about.  But I think we are gaining a little traction on going big for the twenty fifth anniversary and launching a long overdue capital campaign to correct deficiencies caused by financial shortfalls from the initial campaign.

A fiftieth anniversary is a huge opportunity and your institution should have a major internal discussion on where you want to go next and what it is going to cost you.  Miss it and it will be twenty five years before another really big opportunity presents itself.

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David Beard
Director
Museum of the Gulf Coast
Port Arthur TX

Original Message:
Sent: 06-02-2016 05:52 AM
From: Susan Bloom
Subject: anniversary planning

Hi Monica,

I agree with Elizabeth that a big anniversary provides an excellent opportunity for some long term and broad reaching planning. You might consider commissioning something appropriate for your institution, a publication of some sort, community events that bring in new constituents and hopefully new sources of funding.  You might plan some special trustees and donors trip or visits to other institutions that would support your vision and, at the same time, raise additional donations.  Don't forget one or more parties to invite loyal supporters as well as new ones.

I have worked on a few big anniversary projects.  If you would like to talk more you can reach me at ssbloom@aol.com.

Best wishes,

Susan

------------------------------
Susan Bloom
Exhibition Producer
New York NY