When you collaborate, everyone wins!

There are plenty of opportunities for museums and other groups to work together and increase their impact in the community.

Here are some ideas:

1. Form a joint admissions program with museums in your town or even in your county. Offer a discount for multiple admissions to several attractions that can be purchased at each attraction in the package. For example, when you go to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, you can purchase a joint ticket for the Fenimore Art Museum and the Farmers’ Museum. The interests within a family may vary, so if you make a joint ticket convenient and available, people are more likely to visit more than one site when they visit your area.

2. Create a “Museum Shoppers” event and invite each museum in the area to participate. A members-only preview can be another benefit to your membership program. Successful events like this rotate the location of the event, so each museum can showcase their own facility. This would be an ideal event for November or December, to kick-off the holiday shopping season!

3. Consider a joint event with another non-profit in your area. Partner with the Humane Society for a pet walk. Or do a house/garden tour with the local Garden Club. There are lots of possibilities, and when you work with another group, you double your mailing list in a flash!

4. Partner with a school for a Teach American History grant. This federal program is designed to improve teachers’ “knowledge and understanding of and appreciation for traditional U.S. history,” according to the TAH website. To receive a grant, the educational agency MUST partner with a college, non-profit history or humanities organization, libraries, or museums. On a smaller scale, you could partner with the schools by offering local teachers workshops for in-service days.

5. Approach hotels and bed & breakfasts about providing a package deal to their guests for your museum. People love to “get a bargain” by booking an entire package. Even a discounted admission price is better than having them not come at all! Work with your local Convention & Visitor’s Bureau for a wide range of options.