The Future of Museums: A Crisis of Relevance (with nico wheadon and Melissa Cowley Wolf)

NPFX: The Nonprofit Fundraising Exchange

As a sector, museums have been slow to engage underserved audiences and adapt to the evolving needs of the communities they serve, leading to a crisis of relevance for many organizations. In today's podcast episode, our panel discusses how cultural institutions can redefine themselves to stay relevant and better fulfill their duty to the public good.

Free 30-minute consultation for NPFX listeners: http://www.ipmadvancement.com/free

Want to suggest a topic, guest, or nonprofit organization for an upcoming episode? Send an email with the subject "NPFX suggestion" to [e-mail].

Additional Resources

IPM's free Nonprofit Resource Library: https://www.ipmadvancement.com/resources

Museum Metamorphosis: Cultivating Change Through Cultural Citizenship https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538130421/Museum-Metamorphosis-Cultivating-Change-Through-Cultural-Citizenship

[NPFX] Next Gen Donors and the Arts https://www.ipmadvancement.com/blog/next-gen-donors-and-the-arts

nico wheadon is an independent arts consultant, curator, educator, and writer based in New Haven, CT. She is also founder and principal of bldg fund, LLC; a visiting critic at the Yale School of Art; and a board member at The National Academy of Design, and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. As a consultant, nico delivers cultural strategy to artist-entrepreneurs, cultural institutions, government agencies, and philanthropic foundations—her approach is informed by her unique perspective as a practitioner working across sectors. She is the author of Museum Metamorphosis: Cultivating Change Through Cultural Citizenship. nico holds an MA in Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship from Goldsmiths, University of London (2011), and a BA in Art-Semiotics from Brown University (2006). https://www.nicowheadon.com/ https://bldg.fund/

Melissa Cowley Wolf has 20 years of experience in philanthropy, strategic planning, and programming for art museums and higher education institutions across the United States. A philanthropy consultant for nonprofit organizations, an advisor to next generation philanthropists, and arts advocate working across industries, she was named to the Artnet 2020 Innovators List as one of 51 global innovators transforming the art industry. Melissa founded advising firm MCW Projects LLC in 2017 to expand the next generation of cultural philanthropists, advocates, and audiences. She is also the founding director of the Arts Funders Forum (AFF) an advocacy, media, convening, and research platform designed to develop new models of impact-driven financial support for the cultural sector. https://www.mcw-projects.com/ https://www.artsfundersforum.com/

Rich Frazier has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years. In his role as senior consultant with IPM Advancement, Rich offers extensive understanding and knowledge in major gifts program management, fund development, strategic planning, and board of directors development.

Russ Phaneuf, a co-founder of IPM Advancement, has a background in higher education development, with positions at the University of Hartford, Northern Arizona University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. As IPM's managing director & chief strategist, Russ serves as lead fundraising strategist, award-winning content creator, and program analyst specializing in applied system dynamics.

Nonprofits Mentioned in the Episode:

The Studio Museum in Harlem https://studiomuseum.org/