SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES FOR NONPROFIT MUSEUMS DURING FINANCIAL DOWNTURNS

“Sustainability strategies for nonprofit museums during financial downturns” analyzes data surrounding the Great Recession and also surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic to explore museum strategies and outcomes. Three nonprofit museums from Berkshire County serve as case studies: The Berkshire Museum, Norman Rockwell Museum, and MASS MoCA. Each museum’s strategy is assessed for its contribution to sustainability, finding many overlaps across the two crises. The paper concludes that nonprofit museums can prepare for financial downturn by building an operating reserve, engaging with the community, and curating exhibits that reflect what is happening in the world.