State Agencies Offer “Best Practices” Workshops for History Organizations

The New Jersey Historical Commission, the New Jersey State Museum and the New Jersey Historic Trust will host a new series of workshops designed to present models for good, better and best practices for the administration of history organizations. The workshops will focus on topics that range from mission and governance, to collection care, to marketing and visitor services. The series is titled “Doing Your Best: A Workshop Series on Best Practices for Nonprofit History Organizations,” and will begin with sessions held from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on October 30 and 31, 2006, focusing on mission and governance.

The October 30 session is scheduled for Batsto Village in Hammonton, and the October 31 offering is planned for the Morris Museum in Morristown. All the workshops will be held regionally in both a northern and southern location to make the opportunity available to participants throughout New Jersey.

Barbara Silberman, Senior Program Advisor for the Heritage Philadelphia Program, will be the facilitator at both sites. A fee of $20 per person will be charged, and organizations are encouraged to send both staff and board members to benefit fully from the experience. Participants can expect these workshops to offer lively discussion and a hands-on approach to tackling the most challenging issues facing nonprofit history organizations, as well as opportunities to network with colleagues. This series is expected to continue on April 26 and 27 of 2007 with a focus on support and stewardship.