Too often, funding models for museum projects are at odds with the adaptability, risk-taking, and agility required to support truly innovative, iterative technology initiatives. What's more, the emphasis of grant-makers on funding digital projects can undermine the ability of an organization to build and sustain long-term capacity. In this session, we'll look at a few real-life horror stories of mis-alignment between funding models and institutional objectives, hear in detail about three successful case studies that point the way toward alternative means of supporting innovation, and talk through a checklist for helping your tech and digital team work with development and funders to build and sustain capacity.

1. Funding Models for Museum Technology Projects
JANE ALEXANDER, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART
DOUGLAS HEGLEY, DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY, MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART
AGNES STAUBER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA, LACMA
LAURA MANN, PRINCIPAL, FRANKLY, GREEN + WEBB
#mcn2016

2. INTRODUCTIONS
MCN 201602

3. Introductions
MCN 20163
Jane Alexander
Chief Information/Digital Officer, Cleveland Museum of Art
@janecalexander
Douglas Hegley
Director of Media and Technology, Mia
@dhegley
Agnes Stauber
Creative Director of Digital Media, LACMA
@agnesstauber
Laura Mann
Principal, Frankly, Green + Webb
@lhmann

4. WHY ARE WE HERE?
MCN 20164

5. Current Funding Models
MCN 20165
Funding Model
● Extended timeline
● Specific
deliverables
● Risk averse
● Project-based
● New projects
Technology
● Rapid change
● Iteration
● Failure
● Process-oriented
● Ongoing
maintenance and
sustainability

6. HORROR STORIES
Digital projects that spurred the need for
better funding models
MCN 20166

7. Mia - Two Examples
MCN 20167
1. Inherited: Grant-funded project eVolvelle
a. Lacked clear goals “How did this get
funded?”
b. “Innovation” implied, but no measure of
impact
1. Grant applications without digital staff involved
a. Sudden demand for technical resources
b. With no funding available
Image Source: Image Source: http://www.acting-man.com/blog/media/2016/06/HL_Mencken.jpg

8. Beta Gallery: Turning an Obsolete Grant
into an Opportunity

9. LACMA
MCN 20169
Multimedia Tour 2009
Irvine Foundation
● Grant written for production in
Flash for Blackberry
● iPhone emerged halfway
through grant
● Production had to re-start, grant
deadlines had to be kept, funds
ran out for maintenance and
content production

10. APPLYING
what was learned to
improve funding
approaches
MCN 201610

11. Cleveland Museum of
Art
MCN 201611

12. Initial Funding for Gallery One
• $10 million donation from
the Maltz Family
Foundation, with $3 million
towards interactives,
hardware, and fabrication
and design
• Tiny NEH grant
• Included Studio Play,
Gallery One proper,
ArtLens app, Collections
Wall
MCN 201612

13. • 39% increase in attendance
the year after opening
• 31% increase in families
visiting
• Testbed for museum-wide
digital strategy
• Focused national and
international attention on
CMA’s collection
Gallery One Successes
MCN 201613

14. But funding for sustainability and scalability
are still a challenge
● Starting from scratch while
fitting into current institutional
capabilities
● Initial funding didn’t account
for the next steps
“Didn’t we already do
a website?”
MCN 201614

15. Technology Funding
• Plan for unexpected/rapid change
• 3-year rolling technology budget
• Project funding preferences
-Outside funding/grants: for evaluation, interpretation, media
• -Corporation partnerships
-Fyxxxx budget assignment
-Digital Initiatives set-aside fund (need an endowment)
MCN 201615

16. Mia
MCN 201616

17. There is no “digital strategy” at Mia
MCN 201617
“For every complex
problem there is an
answer that is clear,
simple, and wrong”
H. L. Mencken
Image Source: http://www.acting-man.com/blog/media/2016/06/HL_Mencken.jpg

18. Potential Pitfalls of a Digital
Strategy
MCN 201618
● Confirms digital as separate, in a silo - someone else’s job
● Confirms digital as “extra” or “not core to mission”
● Sounds really, really expensive
● Implies that digital must have it’s own, separate funding
● Implies that digital is only a series of projects - a checklist
Image Source: https://nic4bags.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/investingfeaturedaccutechblog.png?w=700

19. Strategy with a capital S
MCN 201619

20. Of course, back in 2011 ...
“The “nursing home of museum technology”
- Anonymous staff-person
MCN 201620
Interactive Learning Stations

21. Vision
● Create an industry-leading model
● Focus on audience engagement
● Clear interpretative strategy
● Meaningful content to inspire and delight museum audiences
● Innovation, agility and experimentation
● Leading to sustainable practice
MCN 201621

22. TDX
MCN 201622

23. Funding
Four key components - at least IMHO
1. “Gravitas” - the weight of your
bearing, experience and network
MCN 201623
Source: http://www.alexkstevens.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/gravitas.jpg

24. Funding
Four key components - at least IMHO
1. “Gravitas”
2. Passion - do you believe in the initiative? Can you
sell it with energy and eloquence?
MCN 201624

25. Funding
Four key components - at least IMHO
1. “Gravitas”
2. Passion
3. Partnership - with Development, with Funders
MCN 201625

26. Funding
Four key components - at least IMHO
1. “Gravitas”
2. Passion
3. Partnership
4. Don’t ask for money … ask for advice
MCN 201626 Image Source: https://3beards-website.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/image/107/1450199051-14-9235/asking-for-money_banner.jpg

27. Sailing
MCN 201627 Diagram Source: http://lrsailingcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/upwind.jpg
“The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to
change, the realist adjusts the sails” - William Arthur Ward
Image Source: http://www.ettridgewindturbine.com/sailboat_with_spinnaker_1.JPG
Running (with the wind) Tacking (“against” the wind)
Image Source: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/imagenes_ciencia2/conscioussociopol193_01.jpg

28. LACMA
MCN 201628

29. Art + Technology Lab
MCN 201629

33. Art + Tech Lab today
lacma.org/lab

35. Annina Ruest

41. Sponsors as Advisors
John Craig Freeman working with DAQURI
Contribution to program
funding
+ in-kind support of artist
projects

42. WHAT DOES THIS
MEAN FOR YOU?
MCN 201642

43. CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART
How Integrating
Digital/Technology into the
Museum-Wide Strategic Plan
Changes Funding
MCN 201643

44. Aligning with Other Departments
• Part of the Executive Team
• Establishing that Tech/Digital
innovation is dynamic and ever-
changing
• Development person assigned to
each department
• Lead the cross-collaborative
Steering Committee
MCN 201644

45. Relationship with Your Development Team
• Assigned, dedicated Development
Officer
• Translate “tech talk” into donor
interests
• Potential donors
• Advocating for Tech/Digital next to
Curatorial, Education, Interpretation,
Exhibitions
MCN 201645

46. Funding Goals and Creating a Funding Menu
• Outlines technology priorities and projects
• Support is not just for public-facing innovation: also back-end projects, e-
commerce, business, website, applications, interactives
• Always being revised, shared with Development Officer and the board
• Seek funders to endow positions (chairs)
MCN 201646

47. Relationship with the Board
• The board understands their role
• Board member on the Advisory
Committee
• Advisory Committee for technology: good
or bad?
• Galvanizing board members with an
interest in technology
• Value of a board member for advocacy
and expertise in tech
MCN 201647

48. Collaborating with Other Museums
• Stop recreating the wheel
• Spreading costs by creating and
sharing with each other
• Increase visitor understanding of
public-facing technology across
different museums
MCN 201648

49. Visibility Matters: Using
Community/National Events

50. Mia
MCN 201650

51. MCN 201651
What she said ...

52. MCN 201652

53. Wish List
MCN 201653 Image Source: http://sparkexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wishlist-notepad.jpg

54. Wish List, part two
● Clear path from funded to operational
● Shiny may not be important
● Strong collaboration, please
MCN 201654
Source: https://d13yacurqjgara.cloudfront.net/users/53712/screenshots/964040/untitled-1.gif

55. Takeaways
MCN 201655
1. Plan for rapid change
2. Alignment
a. Org strategy
b. Funders
c. Internal team
3. Path from funded to
operational
4. Create a funding menu
5. Seek endowment
6. Collaborate with other
institutions
7. Focus on
outcomes/impact not the
shiny object

56. Q&A
MCN 201656

57. Thank You
@lhmann
@janecalexander
@agnesstauber
@dhegley
MCN 201657