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Organizational Effectiveness:

This grant line is intended to support internal efforts to improve their operations. Applicants may request CHC support for:

Audience Assessment

Sample Grant

To improve the organization’s understanding of who their key audiences are, what their needs and expectations are for heritage experiences, and how that understanding can be translated into effective organizational planning, administration and programming.

We invite proposals that address one or more of the following and identify ways that this new understanding can be incorporated into the organization’s operations.

1. Assess audience demographics, motivators and expectations through surveys and other audience research.
2. Conduct evaluations of visitor satisfaction and learning.

Institutional Effectiveness

Sample Grant

To strengthen their operations through business models that incorporate “best practices” for strategic planning.

We invite proposals that address one or more of the following and identify ways these new concepts can be incorporated in to the organi­zation’s operations:

1. Create audience-based business plans organized around primary institutional strengths.
2. Create “partnerships of learning” connecting boards and staff to current developments in the profession, leading to institution-wide change.
3. Create strategies for community engagement.
4. Conduct audience-focused collections assessment to create new programs using existing resources.
5. Train museum staff in methods of enhanced visitor experiences.
6. Link museum educators and classroom teachers to share curriculum goals, resources and instruction.

Financial Stabilization

Sample Grant

To enhance the fiscal health of Connecticut’s heritage organizations through strategies for sustainability and managed growth.

We invite proposals that address one or more of the following and identify ways that this new strategy can be incorporated into the organization’s operations

1. Implement long-term financial planning strategies.
2. Review and improve fiscal management and accountability.
3. Review and adopt revenue enhancing and entrepreneurial initiatives.

Community Impact:

This grant line is intended to support an organization’s external efforts to improve programming and outreach. Applicants may request support for:

Audience-Focused Public Programs

Sample Grant

To support the creation of powerful public programs that reflect the best of current practices, engage and excite audiences, and more fully connect heritage organizations with their communities. Programming collaborations with other heritage organizations are encouraged.

We invite proposals that reflect audience-centered planning, including:

1. Public programs, such as exhibits, lectures, walking tours, interpretive brochures, conferences, workshops and other interpretive and educational programs for the public.
2. Video and digital media projects to improve the visitor experience .
3. New or enhanced institutional or thematic websites.

Audience-Focused Marketing

Sample Grant

To create effective marketing initiatives for heritage programs and institutions

We invite proposals that are designed to encourage community engagement, including:

1. Marketing strategies to reach targeted audiences.
2. New technologies to reach targeted audiences.

Audience-Based Program Evaluation

Sample Grant

To incorporate effective evaluation strategies to measure the impact of institutions and programs on our audiences.

We invite proposals that incorporate reliable measurements of audience response, including:

1. Visitor satisfaction.
2. Visitor learning.