Can Your Museum Really Afford to be Invisible?
I want to tell you about the thing that museum staff whisper to me all the time:
“We’d love to spend money on Communications, but we just don’t have the budget.”
And believe me, I get it. Truly.
You’ve got a roof that leaks, one full-time staffer doing the job of four, and a to-do list that includes “apply for a grant” scribbled on it.
But here’s what often gets overlooked:
Your communications strategy isn’t a luxury. It’s how people find you, believe in you, and support you.
Think like a donor for a second.
Before making a gift to your museum or approving a grant, what do you think they will do first?
Read the 100-page annual report?
Or will they…
Google the museum?
Scroll through your Instagram?
Skim your latest newsletter?
See what your community is saying about you?
First impressions happen long before anyone walks in your door or signs a check.
And if what they find is outdated, generic, or nonexistent, it does send a message.
It's just not the one you want.
Here’s the harder truth:
Marketing is almost always the first budget cut when money gets tight.
And that’s a mistake.
Communications is infrastructure.
Just like your HVAC system or your collections database.
It supports visibility, trust, attendance, and ultimately….funding.
So when someone tells me, “We can’t afford communications help right now,” I think:
Can you afford to be forgettable?
Can you afford to have a brilliant mission no one hears about?
Can you afford to fix the hole in the ceiling if no one’s walking through the door?
Your museum needs to survive in a noisy world.
You know what can fix that leaky roof?
Memberships. Program ticket sales. A Boy Scout Troop that loves your museum and is looking for a project.
A community that cares.
But they aren’t going to care if they don’t know you exist.
The good news?
You can build communications into your next grant proposal.
Foundations want to see that you can sustain and share the work they’re funding.
Here’s how to do it well:
Include it as a line item.
Be specific about what it costs to plan, promote, and evaluate your work, including hiring a consultant if you need one.
Frame it in terms that funders care about.
You’re not “doing marketing.” You’re increasing accessibility. Building community. Supporting sustainability.
Use grant-friendly language.
Funders respond to terms like:
Audience development
Capacity building
Public engagement
Institutional resilience
Strategic communications
Grants aren’t just for programming, research, or the exhibit itself.
Because what’s the point of a brilliant exhibit if no one shows up to see it?
We want visitors to love your museum so much that they come back and bring a friend.
We want your museum to be a beloved part of the community.
And that kind of visibility?
It pays for the roof.
If your museum is ready to improve its visibility, community connection, and donor engagement, even on a limited budget, I’d love to help.
