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  • 1.  MOU between Friends groups and Museums--can you share examples?

    Posted 11-26-2025 10:54 AM

    Please excuse cross-posting-

     

    My museum has had a wonderful Friends group for many years, but we've never established a formal MOU with them, and it's well past time to cross our Ts and dot our Is.

     

    We are a municipally owned museum and our Friends are a 501(c)(3).  Is anyone willing to share sample MOUs from their or other facilities?  Just wanting to be sure we have everything included we should and/or get a good idea of the appropriate framework.

     

    Thanks in advance for your help!

     

    Take care,

    Rena Lawrence, Log Cabin Village (Fort Worth)

     

     

     



  • 2.  RE: MOU between Friends groups and Museums--can you share examples?

    Posted 11-26-2025 11:38 AM

    What a great question. While I don't have an example, I have a story. I'm on the board of directors for our local library, and my wife is on the Friends of the Library board. I asked both our Director and my wife (the treasurer of the Friends) and both said we don't. But it's sparked a conversation as we have a new Library Director starting next year! Thanks for the question @Rena Lawrence and I'll be watching for examples! 



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    Dan Moyle
    Solutions Consultant
    Digital Reach Online Solutions
    (he/him/his)
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: MOU between Friends groups and Museums--can you share examples?

    Posted 11-27-2025 10:12 AM
    Hi, Rena!  I am a retired museum director helping the local Historical Society (501(c)(3)) AND Historical Commission (municipally appointed).  I have been encouraging them to do the same... and would be interested in what the hive mind returns!  Vivian



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  • 4.  RE: MOU between Friends groups and Museums--can you share examples?

    Posted 12-01-2025 12:19 PM

    Hi Rena!

    We are currently working on a Letter of Agreement with our Friends organization. It started as an MOU draft but our city attorney has advised they prefer LOAs. It is currently under legal review but I'm happy to share that once it has passed the lawyer's review.

    We referenced multiple Friends of the Library MOUs to develop the draft (a Google search of friends of the library MOU turns up multiple examples that we gleaned from).

    Like you, we currently have a great relationship with our Friends board but no existing agreement. We decided that the best time to formalize the relationship was when there were no conflicts.

    Jenn



    ------------------------------
    Jennifer Landry
    Museum Director
    Irving Department of Arts and Culture
    Irving TX
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: MOU between Friends groups and Museums--can you share examples?

    Posted 12-02-2025 09:37 AM

    Jen,

     

    That would be incredibly helpful-thanks so much!  I think this will probably be a major organizational goal for both my museum and their group this fiscal year.

     

    Happy holidays!

     

    Take care,

    Rena

     

    Rena Lawrence, MA (she/her)

    Pronounced Ree-nuh

    Historic Site Supervisor

    Park & Recreation-Log Cabin Village

    2100 Log Cabin Village Lane, Fort Worth, TX 76109

    CONNECT WITH US. 

     

     




    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: MOU between Friends groups and Museums--can you share examples?

    Posted 12-02-2025 09:48 AM

    This is a partial answer. We developed an MOU for groups we were partnering with for programming, so that's a bit different than a friends group. I think you're smart to get some examples, and we used AI to draft our first MOU before running it by the lawyer - then the lawyer spent just minutes to edit, rather than more time to write from scratch. Also, be aware of liability - when we consulted a lawyer about a now-defunct friends group, he pointed out that, without a closer association go the museum, the liability fell on the friends group. Once they found that out, they rethought the whole arrangement and now they fall under the umbrella of our volunteer group, rather than being a "friends" group. That may be a bit outside of your query, but it was helpful in our situation.



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    Dawn Salerno
    Executive Director
    Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum
    New Bedford MA
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: MOU between Friends groups and Museums--can you share examples?

    Posted 12-02-2025 10:18 AM

    Great info-thanks Dawn!

     

    Rena Lawrence, MA (she/her)

    Pronounced Ree-nuh

    Historic Site Supervisor

    Park & Recreation-Log Cabin Village

    2100 Log Cabin Village Lane, Fort Worth, TX 76109

    CONNECT WITH US. 

     

     




    Original Message


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