MAM is a membership-run organization, with a structure described as “bottom-up” rather than “top-down”; in other words, the organization’s activities and priorities are determined by the needs of its membership. With that in mind, this document was developed by a team with extensive input from the membership at large. Over a two-year period, feedback was sought and compiled from MAM’s membership and other stakeholders in the following ways:

• A survey of MAM’s complete membership begun in late 2011 and “closed” in the spring of 2012, in which participants were asked to describe the main challenge facing their institution.
• Evaluation forms distributed at MAM’s 2012 and 2013 conferences, each of which included a final question asking respondents to help set planning priorities for MAM.
• An evaluation questionnaire distributed to participants in MAM’s 2013 Spring Workshops, specifically with this long-range planning process in mind.
• A survey administered as part of MAM’s Maine Cultural Institutions Outreach Project, seeking largely demographic information from collecting institutions in the state that are not necessarily members of MAM.
• Minutes from a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) exercise performed by MAM’s board in June 2013.
• A planning retreat for the board (and other stakeholders) held on September 9, 2013, facilitated by Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko of the Abbe Museum.
• A lunchtime session at the 2013 conference, during which attendees were encouraged to respond to an early draft of this document.

The overall structure of this document and much of its content, including the Core Competencies outlined on p. 4, arose from the planning retreat on September 9, at which results from the above surveys were presented. This Strategic Plan, then, distills MAM’s needs, challenges, resources, and ambitionsundefinedas identified by its membership and its leadershipundefinedinto a series of objectives, goals, and actions for the next five years.

Thanks so much to all who participated in the planning process.  

This is your plan--we look forward to having your help in achieving its goals!

Questions? Comments?  Contact us at info@mainemuseums.org or (207) 400-6965.