Fundraising from members has never been more critical. With the elimination of federal grants from agencies like IMLS and NEH, many museums and historic sites are facing serious gaps in funding. So where do you turn for help?
What if you borrowed a playbook from one of the most successful (and controversial) fundraising machines in the country?
Imagine hiring the same team that writes the direct mail letters for Judicial Watch—the political juggernaut that’s raised millions from everyday Americans, including, I should note, my own mom. Their formula? Urgency, clarity, conviction—and a whole lot of bolded phrases.
So, what would a museum fundraising letter sound like in their hands?
Here’s what GPT came up with when I asked it to write a high-energy, parody-style appeal for the Juan Motime House, an imaginary small historic house museum in Southern California:
The winter holidays are some of the most beloved and heavily attended times of year for museums and historic sites—but interpreting them can be a challenge. Whose stories are told? What traditions are represented? How can we ensure our programs are welcoming, accurate, and relevant to our communities?
If you’ve been asking these questions, join me at an upcoming webinar hosted by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH):
“Interpreting Winter Holidays with Your Community”
I’ll be speaking alongside Ken Turino, Martha Katz-Hyman, and Morgan Lloyd, each of whom brings experience and insights into crafting more inclusive, community-centered holiday programs. We’ll explore ways that museums and historic sites can move beyond nostalgic or monolithic narratives and instead embrace a richer variety of traditions and histories—from Hanukkah to Kwanzaa, from secular seasonal festivals to the complexities of Christmas. Whether you’re revamping long-standing programs or launching something new, this session will offer fresh ideas, examples, and practical steps for engaging your community during the holiday season.
In my portion of the webinar, I’ll share strategies for refreshing an existing Christmas event by incorporating research on state and local history, helping organizations better connect with their communities and interpret traditions in a meaningful context.
The webinar is inspired in part by the recent bookInterpreting Christmas at Museums and Historic Sites, which Ken and I co-edited and which features contributions from many practitioners grappling with these same questions. As a bonus, webinar attendees will receive a 30% discount on the book.
The museum field has always been a challenging place for job seekers. Even in the best of times, there are often more talented people than positions available, and salaries tend to lag behind comparable roles in business or government. But with the recent elimination of federal funding through IMLS and NEH, and with looming threats of layoffs at the Smithsonian Institution, National Park Service, and National Gallery of Art, the situation is becoming even more precarious. I’m deeply concerned about what lies ahead for our field, not just for those losing jobs, but for the ripple effects on institutions, communities, and careers.
Fifteen years ago, I faced a similar moment when the National Trust for Historic Preservation laid off about a third of its staff. I was fortunate: I had a generous severance package and a consulting project waiting (thank you, Jim Vaughan!). But not everyone will be so lucky this time. In that difficult season, a few books proved invaluable to me, and I strongly recommend them to anyone now facing an unexpected job search:
Strong research and writing skills are essential for museum professionals, whether you’re publishing an article, preparing grant proposals, or mentoring new colleagues. That’s why I created a new eight-minute video, Chicago Style Basics, to introduce the fundamentals of citation and documentation using the Chicago Manual of Style — just updated with its 18th edition ($75!).
The video walks through what a citation is, why citations matter, and the basic parts of a properly formatted citation. It also provides real examples of how to cite a book with one author, a chapter within a larger book, and a journal article — essential formats for anyone writing in our field. The video closes with a quick summary and a few resource suggestions for those who want to dig deeper.
At the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University, we require our graduate students to demonstrate professional-level research and writing, and this video was created to support those expectations. But it’s also a useful refresher for anyone preparing manuscripts for publication, developing course materials, or helping new professionals get their footing.
Extent of Eaton Fire, 2025. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
When disaster strikes, how should a museum approach fundraising? A recent appeal from the Gamble House Conservancy offers an excellent model.
Following the devastating Eaton Fire in January 2025, the Gamble House framed its appeal not simply around its own needs, but around its role in the community’s recovery. The letter powerfully connects the Gamble House to the larger regional tragedy, emphasizing the museum as a place of respite, inspiration, and service. Rather than focusing solely on damage or lost revenue, the appeal highlights how the museum has already acted: removing collections, supporting staff and volunteers, surveying visitors to guide future programs, and partnering with displaced nonprofits like the Pasadena Audubon Society.
The Conservancy also effectively maintained its core mission. Ongoing conservation efforts, such as addressing water intrusion and repairing the side yard gate, are presented alongside expanded community initiatives. This dual focus reassures donors that their gifts support both immediate public needs and long-term stewardship.
Finally, the letter makes giving easy. In addition to traditional mail-in donations, a QR code directs supporters to a secure online portal, meeting donors where they are.
The takeaway for museums and nonprofits? After a crisis, connect your organization’s needs to the broader recovery, demonstrate early action, and align core mission work with new community service roles. Fundraising after a disaster isn’t just about survival — it’s about showing how your institution remains essential to the life of the community it serves.
By Mary A. van Balgooy, Vice President, Engaging Places LLC
Last week, I attended the 2025 AASLH Historic House Museums Summit, “Interpreting Historic House Museums Today,” held at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. Over 100 museum professionals from across the country came together to assess where interpretation stands today and how it should evolve over the next decade. The Summit’s objectives were clear: attendees would examine the current scope of historic house interpretation, identify trends for the next 10-15 years, and define the major issues shaping the field. Through keynotes, breakout sessions, and informal discussions, attendees tackled major questions about our roles, responsibilities, and hopes for the sector.
Big Ideas from the 2025 AASLH Summit
One of the most powerful themes to emerge was the need to embrace “whole history.” Instead of narrowly focusing on furniture, technology, or architectural details, participants stressed telling a full, human-centered story. This includes voices often left out of traditional interpretation: women, people of color, laborers, and marginalized groups. The idea is not merely to add these perspectives but to reframe interpretation through them, reflecting the complexity and moral ambiguity of historical figures and events.
A second major idea was that historic house museums must move beyond passive presentation into active engagement. Museums should create dialogic experiences where visitors reflect, question, and even challenge the past. Skills like listening, civil discourse, and conflict navigation were identified as essential for future staff training.
I know, we’re barely out of winter and we’re talking about winter holidays?? If you work at a museum or historic site, I know you’re already planning and we’re here to help!
Building upon the AASLH publication Interpreting Christmas at Museums and Historic Sitesand our 2024 webinar on Maximizing Your Museum’s Holiday Potential, this webinar will explore how historic houses and history museums can transform the holiday season into a powerful opportunity for community engagement, inclusivity, and innovation. Focusing on Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, this presentation will offer case studies of successful programming and exhibits from across the country and brainstorming on how participants can scale and adapt these ideas to fit their local contexts and community needs.
When I was chatting with John Wetenhall, director of the GW Museum, he mentioned a business analysis tool I had never heard of: VRIO. It was a surprisingly lively conversation about whether this corporate framework could apply to museums and historic sites—and it piqued my curiosity. Developed by Birger Wernerfelt in his landmark 1984 article “A Resource-Based View of the Firm,” and later refined by Jay Barney in “Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage” (1991), VRIO offers a way to evaluate whether an organization’s internal assets truly contribute to long-term success. The acronym stands for Value (does it help the organization exploit opportunities or neutralize threats?), Rarity (is it scarce among competitors?), Imitability (is it difficult to duplicate or substitute?), and Organization (is the organization structured to fully leverage it?).
What began as a theoretical framework for corporations turns out to have practical potential for cultural institutions as well. Tools like logic models and Porter’s Five Forces are helpful, but what about the museum’s internal capabilities? How do we know if our collections, staff, or community ties are truly strategic advantages? Two articles by Paul Knott at the University of Christ Church (New Zealand) offer guidance by critically examining the popular VRIO framework—and how it can work better for cultural institutions.
Insight #1: Strengthening Strategy with an Expanded VRIO Model
In “Integrating Resource-Based Theory in a Practice-Relevant Form” (2009), Knott builds on the traditional VRIO model—Value, Rarity, Imitability, Organization—to create a more actionable and dynamic approach. He emphasizes that internal resources (like a museum’s brand, reputation, or community partnerships) are only strategic if they are used under the right conditions. Critically, he introduces a matrix that shows how the same resource can be a strength, weakness, missed opportunity, or rigidity depending on how it’s managed. This is a significant improvement over the traditional SWOT exercise because it requires you to evaluate each asset or resource with specific questions.
Last week, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”. Aimed at federal cultural institutions—especially the Smithsonian—it calls for more patriotic presentations of American history, emphasizing unity, greatness, and optimism while discouraging exhibits that focus on racism, inequality, or gender identity.
Right now, the order applies only to federal museums. But what if it didn’t?
Let’s imagine the impact on non-federal museums and historic sites across the country—many of which have spent years expanding their stories to include previously marginalized voices and difficult truths.
What the Executive Order Says
The order encourages museums to promote “our extraordinary heritage” and to avoid what it calls “ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives.” It criticizes content that is “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed” and that “deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame.” Instead, it wants museums to emphasize “American excellence” and the “progress America has made.”
While these directives may be aimed at the Smithsonian Institution, many worry they signal a broader trend—one that could influence funding, public opinion, and professional standards.
Site by Site: Imagined Impacts
George Washington’s Mount Vernon (Virginia)
Current approach: Includes honest depictions of slavery and Washington’s complicated legacy. Potential impact: Decreased focus on the lives of enslaved people; Greater emphasis on Washington’s military victories and presidency; Shift toward a more heroic and simplified narrative
Today, the White House issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”, which aims to reshape the presentation of history within federal institutions—particularly the Smithsonian. The directive calls for the removal of “divisive or anti-American ideology,” restoration of monuments that have been “improperly removed,” and new restrictions on federally funded exhibits that “degrade shared American values.” While some may see this as a return to patriotic education, as a historian and museum professional, I see troubling implications for our field.
The Illusion of a Single Truth
At the heart of the order is the assertion that a “true” version of American history must be restored. But history is not a static set of facts—it is a discipline grounded in evidence, interpretation, and debate. Historical understanding evolves as new sources emerge, as questions shift, and as voices long excluded are brought into the conversation. There is no single, timeless narrative to return to—only a continuing effort to make sense of the past as honestly and inclusively as possible.
Independence Under Threat
The Smithsonian Institution, like many of our most trusted public history institutions, relies on scholarly rigor and curatorial independence. By assigning Vice President JD Vance a role in overseeing content and linking congressional appropriations to ideological compliance, this executive order politicizes museum interpretation and undercuts professional standards. When history is shaped by political power instead of evidence, public trust erodes.
Engaging Places 