The Falls on the Colorado Museum chosen for HELP

The alliance serves cultural organizations in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

Mid-America Arts Alliance is implementing HELP in Texas in partnership with the Texas Commission on the Arts and with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Brown Foundation Inc. of Houston and The Meadows Foundation. 

HELP provides museums with on-site, affordable learning opportunities that increases skills in areas critical to successful museums today, officials said.

“We found this to be very instructive conference. Our board works very hard to make our organization a vital part of our community,” said William  E. “Billy” Becker, chairman of the board of The Falls. “Receiving hands-on training to assist us in our efforts is a real privilege. We’re building on our foundation of experience over the last 10 years and by the nonprofit training previously provided at our local level.”

HELP provides institutional advancement, capacity building and professional development opportunities for Mid-America’s constituents.  

Other Texas communities with participating institutions include Austin, Bandera, Brownwood, Buffalo Gap, Chappell Hill, Del Rio, Dripping Springs, Fairfield, Giddings, New Braunfels, San Antonio, San Marcos, Sweetwater, Taylor and Waco.

Participating museums will concentrate on improvements related to nonprofit governance. Training involves museum trustees and museum staff, paid or unpaid, and will focus on essential components of good governance.

HELP combines workshops, on-site consultant visits, and online tutorials to assist museums in goal-setting and evaluation. Mid-America subsidizes all workshop travel and a portion of each museum’s attendance at a state or regional museum conference, which will allow them to connect with peers in the field and other statewide organizations.