I attended a conference shortly after I had become the Executive Director of the Michigan Museums Association (MMA) and attended a session focusing on being a “Charismatic Organization.” At the time, MMA was floundering. Our membership had been dropping, programming was limited, and we were really struggling to find some traction. But, that session, and the book it was anchored on, got me excited. It helped me better understand how to build an organization that embraced community building. I shared the idea with the board and recruited some volunteers and off we went.
One of the things I remember the most about the session is the idea that everyone who engages with the organization is part of it, and that everyone who wants to can be given the opportunity to participate in the organization’s work. The sample organization in the session was Kid’s Food Basket in Grand Rapids, which provides food for children to take home on weekends and breaks when their households may not have enough to feed everyone. The director talked about how they used volunteers to significantly increase their capacity, and that they worked hard to find meaningful ways to involve anyone who was interested. The example that I remember most was how they had (and still do have) people decorate the bags they use to pack the food. It’s a super easy (and fun!) activity and makes the food being distributed even more special. But that is just one of many ways to help and be part of their work. And, that is the point. They worked hard to understand how people wanted to be involved and provided as many ways as they could.
It's probably been a half-dozen years since I last looked at the book, but a quick Google search helped me find a refresher, and I am delighted to see that I think MMA is following most of their principles or at least trying to. Our goal is to provide as many ways as possible for people to be involved. Off the top of my head, here is a list of all the things people can do right now to be part of the Michigan museum community through MMA:
- Submit a conference session proposal.
- Nominate someone for an award for leadership.
- Become a member of the Michigan Museums Association.
- Propose a half-day workshop for the conference.
- Nominate someone who is an advocate for the Michigan museum community for an award.
- Become a Museum Partner or Corporate Partner with the Michigan Museums Association
- Attend an online program, or several.
- Attend Arts and Culture Advocacy Day.
- Nominate an organization for a community engagement award.
- Contact your elected officials to amplify the efforts of MMA staff and others in advocating for Michigan museums and the people who work in them.
- Donate to MMA or MMA’s endowment.
- Submit the name of a colleague to receive recognition as a colleague champion.
- Consider including MMA in estate planning.
- Share MMA social media posts.
And, that doesn’t even include things we offer other times of the year including joining a member community, attending and volunteering at the conference, attending mixers, and participating in the scholarship and year-end appeals.
What, you might ask, is the point of all of this? Am I asking for money AGAIN? Well even though I am never not asking for money, my point here is about action. Our intent is to build and sustain a community of people working and volunteering in Michigan’s museums. We are trying to provide a wide range of ways you can be part of something bigger than just your job or your museum. We are trying to help you learn from, connect with, and inspire and be inspired by others. We are doing what we can to provide opportunities, whether to join them is up to you.
Lisa Craig Brisson
Executive Director
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