Thursday, May 24, 2012

Tips for Top 10 Nominees - 2012

Hello! If you are reading this, you may be considering whether to nominate an artifact to Virginia's Top 10 Endangered Artifacts 2012. Nomination forms will be online from June 1st - June 15th, so don't miss out on this opportunity to be a part of this award-winning program! Here are just a few tips for nominees that might help you get inspired to make this a winning year for conservation at your institution!

ENGAGEMENT = INTEREST = INCREASED DONORS AND FUNDING!

• Utilize social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest) to encourage voting within all constituencies (employees, visitors, donors, board).
• Promote voting via all communications vehicles: website, email blasts, newsletters, blogs, facility signage, direct mail, etc .
• Create a handout that directs people to vote.
• Post a YouTube video to website and Facebook.
• Talk about voting at meetings, in classes, and at special events.
• Host a function – vote in person, $10/vote/offers chance for “conversation around conservation.”
• Identify national story trends, anniversaries, events that relate to your item – for publicity, or just a way to call attention to
your item and the need.
• Create a special interest group for fundraising and a measurement tool (thermometer) for informing your constituencies
about fundraising progress for the object. Post everywhere.
• Sponsor a quarterly “Top 10” contest displaying potential nominees for next year; $10/vote, executed through Facebook or
on your website.
• Develop a special acknowledgement for the donor(s) who pay for conservation of the item, with certificate or other
item…great hook for media coverage as a follow up.
• Report on item conservation. Show progress reports online, in person at your museum, showing conservation at work.
• Develop an event themed around your particular item, held on a significant date for the item.
• Think about gift shop opportunities: Create a mouse pad, t-shirt on your artifact. Proceeds go to conserving it. Give this
item to donors who give more than a certain amount.
• Display your item at community events (if possible; if not, display photos).
• Find opportunities to bring the item into educational venues.
• Keep your donors informed!
• Develop a special appeal for donors and include this in as many outreach areas as possible.

We hope to see your nomination soon!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Open Space Workshop & Free-Flowing Formats

Unfortunately, I missed being a fly on the wall at yesterday's Open Space Workshop at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond (sadly, I had succumbed a stomach bug, thanks to my loving children). One attendee responded that this was the most helpful workshop he had ever attended. NICE! Rather than following a set agenda and positioning experts at the front of the classroom with attendees playing a more passive role, this format was much more free-flowing and interactive. More work on the part of the attendees, for sure, but also more engaging and, well, social (for lack of a better term). These days, networking meetups and "open" concept professional development help to blur the line between networking and professional development. Indeed, do we need to make a sharp distinction? Both professional networking and skill development are critical to a healthy and vibrant career, after all.
Have you been involved in a recent networking group, meetup, or professional development experience that you have found energizing to both your career network and your career knowledge? If so, we'd love to hear about it here! As for VAM, I don't think we've seen the last of "Open Space" workshops! 
*Note: our generous facilitators, Melissa and Jim York, FoxHedge LTD, donated their time for our recent workshop. Thank you Melissa and Jim!

 - Heather