News From Museum Association of New York

e-connections  Newsletter of the new Museum Association of New York February 2014 265 River Street, Troy, NY 12180  www.manyonline.org 1-518-273-3400  info@manyonline.org

Museum Institute at Sagamore We're dedicating this month of February to love, not the cavity inducing hearts and sonnets amour but rather sharing our love for museums!     I give you 10 reasons to fall in love with the Museum Association of New York ~  We don't just talk - we listen. You asked for sessions focused on skill building for museum professionals and organizational capacity building and we listened. The 2014 Museums in Actionconference will feature both theme-oriented STEM to STEAM sessions as well as Museum Must-Haves and Professional Affinity "Coffee Talks". We've saved you a seat at the table - MANY's advocacy with elected officials, agency leaders, and funders on arts, cultural, tourism, and economic development issues ensures your institution's voice is heard. We think that museums make STEM ~ STEAM-y and so do our Museums in Action Keynoters. We like to keep it fresh and forward-looking. Supporting emerging museum professionals with resume reviews; poster session opportunities; and discounted (read: free) rates. We know how hard you work, and we want to give the recognition you deserve - recognizing best practices within the field through ourAwards of Merit. We think that your new strategic plan makes you look good - really good. Supporting the outstanding work being done in New York's Museums by administering $102,000 in NYSCA funded Grants for Museum Advancement. We keep you connected - providing timely and trusted information about issues affecting museums throughout New York; actively participating in the NYS Board of Regents Advisory Council for Museums. We are Museumwise - providing Online Courses; Salary & Benefits Survey; Samples and Resources to support, promote and empower museum professionals in New York and beyond. We're happy to collaborate with clever partnersto bring you professional development opportunities.  We LOVE museums and are committed to supporting the people who work in them! We are grateful to the MANY community for generously sharing your passion for extraordinary museums! With best regards,     Catherine Gilbert, Director  ____________________________________________ Stay Connected - Please be sure to update our contact information  Catherine Gilbert, Director director@manyonline.org Dana Krueger, Associate Director-Programsdana@manyonline.org    https://www.facebook.com/nysmuseums https://twitter.com/nysmuseums http://manyonline.org/membership/join-the-conversation Board News  Members - keep an eye on your inbox for our 2014 MANY Board Ballot. One of the benefits of membership in the Museum Association of New York is to cast your ballot for the leadership of this association. Not yet a member? Join today! Advocacy Update Albany Support Tourism... Pump Up the State's Economy Tourism Action Day 2014 Tourism Action Day is taking place March 4, 2014. Governor Cuomo has made tourism a priority, so we're heading to the Capitol to show the Legislature that it's our priority too! MANY is a partner in the Tourism Industry Coalition who is sponsoring the day's events. We will hear about the issues facing the tourism industry (which includes Museums!) and then make our rounds, visiting the Legislators to lend our voices to the cause.  Come and tell your elected officials you need their continued support both statewide and at the local level. If you would like to attend and be a part of the action, register here by Thursday, February 27, 2014. Washington update:  2014 Advocacy Day is Here!    MANY is a proud sponsor of Museum Advocacy Day! Join Director Catherine Gilbert and Associate Director - Programs Dana Krueger at this year's Advocacy Day! Can't attend? Follow our progress on Twitter@nysmuseums  Want to know why you should advocate for your museum and how? Not sure what advocacy is? Check out this article to find out! Then take 75 Minutes to learn 75 ideas for advocacy. And finally, if you can attend in person, you can advocate from anywhere. Learn how with this step by step guide. Wish us luck as we represent NYS's museums, zoos, botanical gardens!  2014 Congressional Honorees Selected  AAM recently announced that U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-CO) and U.S. Representative Michael Grimm (R-NY) will be honored during Museums Advocacy Day this year. Grimm has consistently been one of the champions in Congress for the annual funding lending support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Udall has been a leader in support of both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and has introduced legislation to expand both the Public Lands Corps and historic preservation education programs.  MANY Membership  Giving You Great Benefits! Don't let your membership slide! Renew or Join today!   If you have received a renewal letter, please send in with payment so you can continue to receive all the great benefits MANY has to offer! If you're not yet a member, we're showing our love this month by sharing our member-only newsletter with you. This is a benefit you would receive monthly, along withMANY other super opportunities! Already a member? Share the love with a colleague. We are truly stronger together.   Visit our website to sign up today!  Feel the power of MANY! Online Courses - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Looking for inexpensive, yet professional training for your staff, volunteers or board members? Check out one of our online Collections Care and Preservation courses. The topics range from specific "How-to's" for working with paper to learning about reformatting. Historical societies, art museums, science museums, and archives are just some of the organizations who have benefited! And the best part - they're not scary! Courses can be taken at your own pace, with 2-3 hours of work time per week to be completed at your convenience.  The courses also offer interaction with qualified instructors and assignments are based on your own collections.   Register now for these courses! Conservation & Preservation of Photographs & Albums - March 3-28 Climate Control for Small Institutions - March 31-April25 Basic Preservation, Care, & Handling of Paper-Based Materials - April 28-May 23 For more information or to register for Spring 2014 courses,  visit our website www.manyonline.org   Get Ready for the 2014 Museums in Action Conference! Register NOW for NYS Museums in Action      Take advantage of the Early Bird rate while you can!Go online to register now or print a form to mail in with payment. This year we're providing sessions on the STEM to STEAM theme as well as some requested sessions for Museum Must-Haves! Here are some samples of what you will find: STEM to STEAM The Ins and Outs of Engineering STEAM Programs What are the ins and outs of engineering successful, affordable, and meaningful STEAM related activities for young learners in a museum setting? Come join your colleagues in "building" on these questions and more! Full Steam Ahead! Service Learning, Collaboration and Partnerships Will Keep You on Track Art in science museum? Math in a cemetery? Geography in a photograph? This and more STEAMy stuff! Don't let a lack of disciplinary expertise hold you back... full STEAM ahead for new ways to tackle this new curricula.    MUSEUM MUST-HAVES Designing Exhibitions: Keeping it In-House and Out the Door   Join Andrew Saluti, Assistant Director of the Syracuse University Art Galleries, for a hands-on session that explores various techniques and tips for exhibition development and design, and the process of turning your institution's exhibitions into traveling exhibitions. Gallery design, basic didactic implantations, and an exploration of how you can create dynamic gallery elements using new technologies yourself, will be discussed. Then, learn to market your exhibitions using online tools, simple prep and collegial networks. The ability to produce exhibition materials in house instead of hiring out empowers your institution and creates potential income streams that will benefit your museum. Making a Case With Data and Stories -  Presented by the Cultural Data Project        Participants will explore the impact of stories combined with data, then work together to develop example cases to be used by museums as they advocate for themselves and the sector.    This is only a sampling of what's to come at the conference in 2014!!Be sure to check out the other opportunities as they unfold in coming newsletters. For more information on the conference, check out the website.  Registration is open! Click here to get the Early Bird rate. See you in Albany!  Using Dialogue to Promote Engagement & Enhance Relevance Among Museum Visitors Workshop When: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 9:00am - 5:00pm Where: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site - Buffalo, New York About: This full-day, hands-on training session provides an introduction to facilitated dialogue. This interpretive technique allows museums to better connect with their visitors and engage in conversations about critical issues. It has been used with great success at museums like the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Led by: Sarah Pharaon, Program Director at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Participants will explore what makes dialogue such an effective tool in museum settings. Case studies, coupled with participatory activities and discussion, will demonstrate how facilitated dialogue techniques can be used successfully with audiences of all ages and various learning styles. Participants will leave with a "toolkit" of proven strategies they can take home and put into practice at their organizations. Who Should Attend: This session is perfect for staff and dedicated volunteers from museums that would like to engage with their visitors in a more active and meaningful way, but aren't sure where/how to start. Facilitated dialogue training will not only benefit museum educators, tour guides, and staff responsible for public programming, but also museum studies students. Cost (includes boxed lunch): $20 MANY Members/$25 Nonmembers Space is limited - register early!  Click Here to Register Now!  For more information, please email Lenora Henson or call (716) 884-0095. Co-sponsored by: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site Foundation

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Nonprofit Advocacy Matters | February 24, 2014

Big News Coming on Taxes and Spending; Little Traction Expected Within the next two weeks, the public will learn the details of two major proposals that, if enacted, would significantly alter federal tax and spending policies. Neither, however, is expected to do more than serve as discussion drafts for the 2014 elections. First up, perhaps as soon as this week, is a draft bill by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) that is expected to reduce corporate and individual tax rates and eliminate numerous special-interest provisions. It is unclear what changes will be proposed to provisions that affect charitable nonprofits. Less than a week later, President Obama is expected to release his budget proposal for fiscal year 2015. Early reports suggest that he will move away from past austerity budgets by calling for $56 billion in new spending on domestic and defense priorities.  While largely symbolic – neither package is expected to be enacted as written this year – the details could well appear in legislatures across the country. For example, the President’s proposal to cap itemized deductions, first raised in his 2009 budget proposal, was enacted in modified form in Hawai`i in 2011 (where it was reversed in 2013 due to the harmful consequences) and considered in several other states in 2013. Likewise, the call to convert tax deductions into tax credits – a proposal seen in several federal tax-reform packages – was seriously considered before being rejected in Minnesota last year. Proposal to Regulate Social Welfare Nonprofits Under Fire Partisans and nonpartisan nonprofits alike are expressing the common view that proposed regulations from the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service should be withdrawn. To date, a record of nearly 70,000 comments have been filed on the proposed rules to define what should be considered “candidate-related political activity” by 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations. Many of those comments express concern about the adverse effect on partisan activities of conservative or progressive organizations. The House is expected, this week, to take up a bill to delay consideration of the proposed regulations until after the November elections. Several charitable nonprofit, such as Nonprofit VOTE, the Colorado Nonprofit Association, and the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits have filed comments challenging the draft as overly broad and likely to infringe on the legitimate advocacy and civic engagement work of 501(c)(3) organizations. The National Council of Nonprofits will be submitting comments in the coming days and all interested parties are encouraged to file public comments; the deadline is Thursday, February 27. Read recent articles in Nonprofit Advocacy Matters (January 27, 2014, December 16, 2013, andDecember 2, 2013) for background information.  First Answers Provided to OMB Guidance Questions The December release of new Grants Guidance by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has generated enthusiastic interest by charitable nonprofits that perform work on behalf of governments, as well as hundreds of questions from non-federal entities trying to understand the details and scope of the once-in-a-generation overhaul of federal grants policies. In response, the Council on Financial Assistance Reform (COFAR), which is working with OMB to implement the Guidance, has published its first set of 24 answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), covering such topics as when the new rules go into effect and what “profit” means in the context of charitable nonprofits. Federal officials have not yet addressed a number of questions regarding the mandate that pass-through entities (typically state and local governments) pay the indirect costs of nonprofits. The initial FAQs are the first of several expected sets over the next few months. The COFAR is encouraging individuals and organizations to submit additional questions to help it identify where additional clarification is needed. The National Council of Nonprofits also asks nonprofits with governments contracts or grants to share their questions so that we can follow up and work to ensure that the promise of the new OMB Guidance is achieved through appropriate government actions and interpretations. Please give us your questions and feedback. Taxes, Fees, PILOTs Property Taxes: Legislation in Kansas seeks to remove property tax exemptions from nonprofit human service providers that receive 40 percent or more of their revenues from the sale of membership or program services that would otherwise incur a sales tax if sold by a for-profit organization. For-profit fitness centers reportedly are targeting YMCAs that sell memberships for their athletic programs in addition to providing community benefits particularly to low-income children and families. Other nonprofits, including Goodwill Industries of Kansas, are expressing concern that the legislation could adversely affect their missions as well. Fees: The Honolulu City Council is considering anordinance to extend trash pickup fees and cart usage fees to nonprofits that own real property. The proposal issupported by the local newspaper.  Putting “Voluntary” into Volunteerism Reversing a trend nonprofits have been seeing in state legislatures, a bill in Washington State treats volunteering with charitable nonprofits as a positive incentive rather than a punishment. The legislation would give unemployed individuals theoption of performing volunteer services in lieu of previously mandated job-search requirements. Elsewhere, legislators have sought to impose community service requirements performed at nonprofits as a condition of receiving mandatory or previously earned public benefits. Typically such bills are promoted without regard to the potential avalanche of people who might descend on well-known “name-brand” charities and the sudden liability exposure the bills could impose on nonprofits. Bills to create the community service mandate, known as “mandatory volunteerism,” have been introduced most recently in Alabama and Michigan. Nonprofit Compensation Flags Agenda Items Scrutiny of allegedly high compensation levels paid by some nonprofit organizations can lend support for others to advance their agendas against charitable nonprofits. The St. Louis County Missouri Assessor recently announced that he has launched a review of tax-exempt organizations to determine whether they continue to qualify for property tax exemptions. The Assessor, an elected position, was responding to a series of articles in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch questioning the charitable care provided by two nonprofit senior living facilities that pay their CEOs in excess of $1 million each and whether they deserve to remain exempt from paying over $3 million in property taxes annually. In Oregon, a labor union is collecting signatures to put an initiative on the November ballot that would cap the salaries of nonprofit hospital executives at no more than 15 times that of the lowest-paid workers. Hospital officials assert that the ballot measure is designed to give unions leverage to organize and negotiate at the nonprofit hospitals. Big Day Advocacy There’s every day advocacy to which most of us aspire, and then there is Big Day Advocacy like CommonGood Vermont choreographed in the Green Mountain State earlier this month. The Vermont Nonprofit Legislative Day, conducted this year on February 6, presented a lineup of events that left no doubt that charitable nonprofits have the ear of legislators. The day began with a welcome from the Speaker of the House, followed by a panel of luminaries providing an overview of legislative issues facing the nonprofit sector, how nonprofits can effectively communicate their impact, and advocate for their issues.  In an interesting twist, the House of Representatives opened its session with inspirational words from a nonprofit leader (seeWorth Watching, above) and a Vermont Nonprofit Proclamation, during which the speaker estimated that half of the members of the House have served their communities through local nonprofits, whether as employees, board members, or volunteers. The day also included not just lobbying for the nonprofit policy agenda but also testimony before a Senate Committee on the top legislative priority for the year, a bill to require results-based accountability by government. Five nonprofit leaders, includingLauren-Glenn Davitian of CommonGood Vermont, provided committee members with hands-on analyses of what better data collection and reporting will mean for government efficiency and the work of charitable nonprofits. © Copyright 2014 National Council of Nonprofits. All rights reserved  1200 New York Avenue, NW | Suite 700 | Washington, DC 20005 | www.councilofnonprofits.org