AAM invites your institution to represent the museum field as a "listening post" in the Nonprofit Listening Post Project, sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies. The project is an ongoing study of major developments in the nonprofit sector, exploring important challenges nonprofits face today—such as fiscal pressures, the growth of for-profit competition and new demands for accountability—and the creative ways in which they are responding.

As a participant, your museum will be asked to participate in periodic "soundings" (short, online questionnaires) on topics such as community partnerships, governance and financial health. The next sounding, which will be held in late August or early September, will focus on advocacy and public policy. Participating museums will receive early briefings on the results of this and future studies. 

AAM has partnered with the Nonprofit Listening Post Project since 2004. Nearly 1,000 participants are involved, drawn from a variety of fields: children and family services, elderly housing and services, community and economic development, theaters and museums. The project's goals include helping nonprofit managers understand the changes affecting their organizations, disseminating timely information and best practices and improving public awareness of the nonprofit sector.

More information is available on the Johns Hopkins University website. If your museum would like to serve as a listening post, please contact Phil Katz (pkatz@aam-us.org, 202-218-7687) or Nicole Feldhaus (nfeldhaus@jhu.edu, 410-516-4363).

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