Plenary Session & Keynote Address

Plenary Session & Keynote Address - 9 - 10:15 am - Ballroom DE
Submitted by Angelica

Welcome - Laura Huerta-Migus- Executive Director, Association of Children's Museums
Association Update - Jennifer Farrington - President & Board of Directors ACM, CEO Chicago Children's Museum

Keynote - Vu Le - Executive Director, Rainer Valley Corps
"Own your awesome:why non-profits are awesome and how we can be more awesome"

FANTASTIC and HILARIOUS morning keynote speaker Vu Le *ROCKED* the house with a hilarious presentation about the importance and difficulty of nonprofit work - and the importance of accepting who we are. Nonprofits should not try to be something they are not, their work is important and cannot be compared to business. Money is important, but donors should not dictate how we spend. Money should also unite, not divide us in this sector. We must get into this mind set we are doing critical work, we are not begging for funds. He is working on a "yelp type site for fund raisers"  - grantadvisor.com - launched this fall. We are working together to accomplish great things. He would be AMAZING keynote at CLA or ALA - or just anywhere. I think it is safe to say we love him!

If you'd like to hear the funny stories, wisecracks, and jokes (I think it is TOTALLY worth it) - please scroll down below. Please note / warning - some reference to curse words below.

Notes:

The morning started with recognition and (Allen you're going to love this) a "May the 4th be with you" from Jennifer Farrington! ACM released it's strategic roadmap (an attractive visual) outlining their plan (similar to our SSP).

http://www.childrensmuseums.org/images/ACM_StrategicRoadmap_2016.pdf

1) Build capacity through strategic data -

Reboot research and data collection, ASTC collecting organizational data, results and updated bench marker (early summer / late fall). Using data to track trends and emerging issues. If you'd like to be a part - join brown bag lunch at noon.

Virtual Issue - The Creator - Dr. Hurtz, Peoria Children's Museum - free download next three months

Research network - Boston, Houston, Pittsburgh, Tacoma, Denver, DuPAge, Minnesota, Providence, Indianapolis, Magic House, Thanksgiving Point, along with Washington State University - core of museums committed to research.

2) Expand Professional Development

Smaller workshops on exhibit design offered at Chicago and Denver. Visiting many additional conferences (Human Development, Asia Pacific Children's Museum Confernece, etc. (about 10 listed)).

Paula Gangopadhyay - Deputy Director of Museum Services, IMLS
Our work inspires and creates passion in children's lives. Free and reduced admission is about broad public access can demonstrate it's place and importance in community. About 300 children's museums, about 36 states, over 500,000 visitors served. Elevating accessibility - look to your mission state - can show commitment from the entire museum sector. Your enthusiasm and dedication is what keeps us going.

Mission: Advocacy

90 day action plan social media campaign - focusing on immigrant and refugee children from around the world. How does your museum stand up for all children and families? Powerfully amplifying a world that respects all children and the diverse ways they develop.

ACM Board of Directors - recognition and panel

Vu Le - writer behind blog "Non Profit AF.com" - Nonprofit in Seattle, social justice work

I have a 1 and 4 year old, you are my heroes, you've saved me and my marriage. Living in Seattle with all the rain - museum gives a place for children.

He could not get into exhibits (no badge) - do you know who I am?

#nonprofitAF (I saved teabags from hotel for my staff)

He's speaking at a planned giving conference tomorrow in San Fran - jokes about that group judging their targets death - how fun our job is. Looking at pictures of baby animals increases productivity, fun ok (all slides have baby animals). Compared babies to multi year federal grant (at first yay - then - awww this is a lot of work).

Not claiming to be an expert, not speaking for all people.

Society has no idea what non profits do. No Tv shows about us. We are a third of the work sector. Society's perception of nonprofit is an issue. Law an Order recently had an episode where a nonprofit was selling organs from a basement. He made a joke about tv shows - "Dancing with major donors" or "Antique Gently Used In Kind Donations" or "Nonprofit and Afraid" - place someon from profit sector and put in nonprofit sector with confessional cams. Nonprofit the musical - like Hamilton, but better - consulting robot - repeats exactly what staff says.

If your overhead is 4% you are a liar. Compare cake baking - customer asks for cake - but only wants cost to pay for 1 egg and 1 stick of butter - what about the rest of the cake supplies? If donors start dictating how funds are spent, used, this delays the work we are doing.

Businesses try to do as well - businesses try to tell nonprofit to run like a business, people assume MBA can run nonprofit better. Joke - I want to give you $800 for iphone, but only $10 can go to CEO and only $100 to rent, then I want a report on what my $700 spent on - not anything but my $700. He was illustrating the challenges and difficulty of nonprofit work.

He shared story of Jucero - the machine, juice pouches - and the machine was a bust. People could squeeze pouches without machine - same juice. People had invested 120 million dollars. A large percentage of businesses fail.

Non profits should not try to imitate business. You are awesome - changing kids lives - saving marriages.

The work we do is often unseen (like air). Business is like food - foodies, shows, pictures, everyone loves food. But air is really important. You don't appreciate it until it's gone (like air!).

We need to work together as a sector, cannot be seen as poaching donors, community building - we are all interconnected. He has collaborated and increased donations by working with other organizations.

We need to invest in our people. Accept the nonprofit sector - no one will put up with the crap we put up with. Pay decent wages, better family leave policies, better chairs for everyone. Stop the scarcity and Martyrdom (S&M) - friend would not replace chair, the board actually had to have a meeting item to force her to replace her chair. Stop the guilt about charging. I would pay $15 to keep my sanity for 2 hours.

Re-examine best practices (hiring, board, community engagement) - be thoughtful, what about candidates with disabilities (can't lift 50 lbs) you are leaving out people with disabilities, driver's license (leaving out people who can't afford).

Equity, diversity, and inclusion- he equated feedback about racism to floss (we floss every day, someone points out something in teeth - racism, thank them for pointing out and floss -only way to have fresh breath).

Don't forget about the point - it's all about encouraging kids to explore and have fun.

We are jedi unicorns.

Vu - came to the country age of 8, no English, he and his family were in a communist camp - joked about his bad haircut. He was teased at school -  bad hair, hand me down clothes, no english. What saved him was art, recess, music.

The work you do is so very important - send you off with a feeling of appreciation.

We must get into this mind set we are doing critical work, we are not begging for funds.