Open Forum

1.    What is your job title? What tasks do you do on a daily basis?

My name is JM Huck, and I’m a development coordinator at The Neon Museum in Las Vegas. I track my time monthly (not daily) and typically spend the most of time doing 1) contribution entry/acknowledgements and donor stewardship (40%), 2) CRM work, such as plans/portfolios or “moves management” as they say in fundraising (20%), and 3) marketing-type projects (20%).

2.    How did you get started working in museums?

There aren’t many where I live, so maybe it’s chance, but museums were my target industry. I think it helped to have a nonprofit background and experience in marketing, since development and marketing are seen as two sides of the same coin.

3.    How does the writing you do serve the mission of your institution?

I have helped with impact reporting, producing the first annual/accomplishments report in many years.

https://www.neonmuseum.org/about/fy23-accomplishments-report

I also interview donors on our blog.

https://www.neonmuseum.org/the-collection/blog/why-we-give-erica-norgaard

These are stewardship and recognition efforts, from a development standpoint. Basically, these writings aim to show appreciation for existing donors and help attract future gifts.

4.    What is the most important thing you want to express in your writing?

Since we are viewed as an “attraction,” a lot of our work is branding and trying to remind visitors that we are a 501c3.

5.    Other than the writing you mainly do, what are some of the conventions and purposes of different types of genres of writing in the museum field? 

I will speak for development only, since I’m quite sure marketing and education are different. In prospect research, you can compile biographies of potential donors and also craft pitch decks. Of course, most are aware grant writing involves letters of interest and proposals. Different members of my team write each of those.

6.    What are some of the constraints and/or benefits of the types of writing you’ve done or are familiar with in the museum field?

I would say that appeals, whether for annual fund/individual giving, or pitches and proposals for major giving, audience drop-off is a concern. The Internet and social media have shortened our attention spans, so keeping readers engaged is more challenging.

7.    What advice do you have for people who want to have a job in the museum field? Are there any skills specific to writing that are important?

In my opinion, museum writing must strike a balance between being fun and being scholarly. Museums are, after all, places of learning.

8.    What writing project are you proudest of in your museum career?

Thus far, my projects have not involved raising money. When they do—and hopefully they’ll raise a lot—I’ll be proud of that. 😊

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judimaehuck

Hi Terry,

Feel free to reach out if you have any more questions. Best of luck in your studies!

1. What is your job title? What tasks do you do on a daily basis?

   1. Curator. My main duties revolve around the museum's collections. These include but are not limited to: accepting donations and preparing Deeds of Gifts & Thank You Letters, accessioning items into the collection, updating our database, preparing exhibits. I am the first hire whose job is to solely focus on the collections in over 10 years. Previously, it was the secondary job of the Education Manager so a lot of my time right now is spent organizing and updating thousands of entries in PastPerfect. I am one of three full-time staff so I also help with running the gift shop, managing our tour guides and interns, giving tours, scheduling group tours (if the Education Manager is out of the office), cleaning, etc.

2. How did you get started working in museums?

   1. I always wanted a career in museums, specifically military museums. When I was an undergraduate, I volunteered at an art museum for a few years and then had a few internships. My last internship landed me this gig when I graduated and began searching for job.

3. How does the writing you do serve the mission of your institution?

   1. A lot of my time is spent writing research papers on Naval ships (we are primarily a WWII naval museum). Much of that writing is for family of deceased veterans wanting to learn more about their loved one's service. I have also started writing digital exhibitions on topics related to our museum's mission.

4. What is the most important thing you want to express in your writing?

   1. My number one goal in anything I do is to bring a human element into my writing. The naval ships we represent are, for the most part, named in honor of US naval personnel killed in combat during WWII. I try to learn about that person's childhood and life outside of the military to remind visitors of the sacrifice of the Greatest Generation. The hundreds of young men that served aboard these ships are another major aspect of my research and writing. I want to be able to tell the stories of each man, not just the exploits of the ship.

5. Other than the writing you mainly do, what are some of the conventions and purposes of different types of genres of writing in the museum field? 

   1. Outside of the general research and writing I do, other staff create educational programs targeting school groups, write grant applications, and manage the museum's finances. As a non-profit, we need to account for each monetary donation, membership, ticket sale, gift shop sale, etc. that occurs on a daily basis. Reports are then written by our Executive Director and Business Manager for Board presentations and publication in our quarterly newsletter for our members. Speaking of this newsletter, we have two. One is sent digitally to anyone interested each month. It summarizes the major events that our staff and volunteers accomplished. The quarterly newsletter is a physical booklet mailed four times a year to our members. This builds upon the monthly publication to include articles from our Board members, a researched historical article, and any letters we received with donations.

6. What are some of the constraints and/or benefits of the types of writing you’ve done or are familiar with in the museum field?

   1. The biggest constraint is financial cost. As a small museum, we cannot afford to have extremely long quarterly newsletters despite wanting to write our hearts out. We spend thousands of dollars annually on printing the newsletter itself, and that's with a hearty discount from the publisher. The benefit of the type of writing I do is that a lot of it is going digital. This allows me to reach a larger audience that may not be able to visit the museum or afford a membership. 

7. What advice do you have for people who want to have a job in the museum field? Are there any skills specific to writing that are important?

   1. Don't be afraid to start in a museum that isn't in your specialty. I am not an art enthusiast but I spent many years as an intern and volunteer at art museums. This allowed me to learn the basics of handling collections. Network, network, network. You never know who you are talking with. My biggest piece of advice is get comfortable with public speaking. Not only is it a great life skill outside of the museum, but if you wish to be proficient in your job and move up the ladder, you need to be comfortable talking to the general public and your peers. Skills for writing? Don't be afraid to be critiqued. Have a class mate, professor, or advisor read your writing. If they offer advice, use it to better your yourself.

8. What writing project are you proudest of in your museum career?

   1. It's kind of different, but our social media posts. Each day we write something on our Facebook page. It ranges from a few sentences to a few paragraphs but it typically incorporates a photograph. The responses we receive from veterans who relate to the photograph is always heartwarming. They will openly share stories and reminisce about their younger days. Family members will often share stories of their loved ones who may no longer be with us. And every once in a while, we happen to share a photograph of a young sailor and someone will recognize them. The grateful messages we receive are priceless.