“Too many nonprofit organizations are financially stagnant, raising and distributing funds the same way they have for decades .... A nonprofit that is run for profit sounds like a contradiction in terms. But it doesn’t have to be.”
      - Bill Shore (from Revolution of the Heart)
“To foster innovation and transformation, leaders should focus on impact, not inputs.”
      - Rosabeth Moss Kanter (from “Think Outside
        the Building”, Harvard Business Review,
        March 2010)

About the Institute

Excellence and Equity: Education and the Public Dimension of Museums was a landmark report issued by the American Association of Museums in 1992 on the educational role of museums and the influence of cultural changes such as changing demographics, competition for leisure time, rapidly advancing technology, and a shifting economic climate. They have altered the 21st century cultural dynamic. 

Museums can no longer depend entirely on public and private philanthropy for financial support.  Instead, successful museum leaders must learn to use their own resources and ingenuity to recognize opportunities that increase revenue and ensure self-sustainability.  Leaders also must develop business acumen and be responsive to the needs of the community they serve in terms of programming and partnerships. 

The Institute for Cultural Entrepreneurship (ICE) for Museum Leaders is a dynamic four-day experience that immerses participants in the world of nonprofit entrepreneurship training through case studies and skill building exercises that contribute to creative idea generation.  Follow-up webinars keep students connected with mentors and one another to help them become the agents of change that 21st century museums demand. 

The training sessions are designed to serve as catalysts that challenge traditional models of museum work in innovative and creative ways.  The Institute at Cooperstown is a collaborative program of the nationally recognized Cooperstown Graduate Program (CGP) in museum studies, the Museumwise: The Museum Association of New York and the New York State Historical Association (NYSHA). 

Institute Overview

Participants at the Institute for Cultural Entrepreneurship are introduced to what today’s entrepreneurial museum leaders are saying. Practice exercises teach creative idea generation and follow-through while entrepreneurial and problem solving skills are tested on case studies developed expressly for this Institute. Follow-up webinars keep participants connected with mentors and one another to help them become the change agents that 21st century museums demand.

Institute Learning Objectives

  • Be introduced to the characteristics and qualities of entrepreneurial leaders/ managers, and gain an understanding of what they do and how they think
  • Get an appreciation for the creative process and be introduced to creative sourcing ideas as well as structured analysis and solution creation tools to help participants be better problem solvers and decision makers
  • Explore how to apply entrepreneurial thinking tools for the benefit of the business and project planning process