The New Jersey Council for the Humanities and New Jersey Historical Commission are pleased to present a webinar series for cultural nonprofits navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. You can access full recordings of each webinar and accompanying resources below. 

 

PAST

How Are You Managing Through the Pandemic?

Friday, December 11, 2020, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

In a recent survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on New Jersey’s history community, 81% reported a loss in earned income; 70% experienced a decrease in contributed income; and 85% report cancelling programs for the summer and fall. As we await the arrival of a vaccine, many are struggling to manage operations, recover finances, and plan for an uncertain future. The New Jersey Historical Commission and the New Jersey Council for the Humanities are pleased to present the latest webinar in the Advancing Your Mission During COVID-19 and Beyond series, “How Are You Managing Through the Pandemic?” This webinar will feature three New Jersey history organizations sharing their setbacks and discussing the road to resilience. The discussion will be moderated by John Gillespie, Nonprofit And Social Enterprise Practice Leader at Charles River CFO. 

Moderator
John Gillespie, Nonprofit and Social Enterprise Practice Leader at Charles River CFO
View biography.

Panelists 
Susan Gogan, Executive Director of Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
Brian Bovasso, President of the Ocean County Historical Society
Dr. Patricia Pongracz, Executive Director of Macculloch Hall
View panelist biographies.

View a full recording of the presentation at the following link: https://youtu.be/QIF7QwBEPC8.

 

From Planning to Reality: Reopening Public Spaces during COVID-19

Wednesday, August 12, 2020, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Bringing diverse collections to visitors in person, often in historic spaces, is central to the mission of many humanities organizations. The COVID-19 pandemic makes that task enormously challenging for both the institution and the public. Around the country and the world, public historians and nonprofit managers are grappling with how to keep visitors and staff safe while still providing a meaningful educational and recreational experience. Please join this essential conversation with your colleagues in New Jersey. Come and share your questions, fears, expectations, and lessons-learned regarding opening cultural institutions during COVID-19. We will have a few colleagues on hand to share, but your questions and conversation will be the feature of this Town Hall.

View a recording of the presentation at the following link: https://youtu.be/2o2sn2l-41o.

 

Long-term Strategies for Resilience: Considering Revenues, Costs, and Business Models

Thursday, July 23, 2020, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Featured speakers: Kent Whitworth, Minnesota Historical Society, Erin Carlson Mast, President Lincoln’s Cottage, and Michelle Moon, Independent Consultant

The sudden and pervasive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is upending revenue streams for many businesses. Non-profit cultural institutions are particularly hard hit as stay-at-home orders necessitate cancellation of school programs, special events, and regular visitation hours. How can non-profits make strategic financial decisions confidently during and after this crisis? Are there new business models, cost-saving strategies, and alternative revenue streams that can help? Does the crisis actually offer new opportunities to reimagine financial sustainability for these organizations? How will institutions ensure that their collections and programming are accessible to communities without resources, and would reaching such communities expand potential funding opportunities? This session will ask participants to consider equity and access alongside fiscal strategy and touch on Board engagement and stewardship as well. 

View a recording of the presentation at the following link https://youtu.be/E6kmFLjFQhE.

Creating Programs in a Digital World

Thursday, June 25, 2020, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Featured speakers: Chase Jackson, Bayshore Center at Bivalve and Izzy Kasdin, Historical Society of Princeton

Whether migrating physical programs online, creating new content, or leveraging existing digital properties, this webinar will offer guidance on developing digital programs that engage and prioritize the needs of your audiences. Presenters will review best practices for digital content, examine different platforms and approaches, and introduce examples of successful digital projects of different types.

View a recording of the presentation at the following link https://youtu.be/e8ISZMLK2QI and check out the webinar Resources and Takeaways Document.

Building an Audience for Accessible Digital Programs

Thursday, May 28, 2020, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Featured speakers: Nicole Belolan, Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities, and Kirsten Giardi, Newark Public Library

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, humanities organizations around the world have pivoted, offering digital programs and resources to serve their communities at a safe social distance. Online content allows organizations to connect with a wider, digital audience, but many of the same concerns surrounding in-person engagement remain. How do you build new audiences online while still serving existing constituents? How do you create digital programs that are accessible for everyone? How do you spread the word about your work amidst the current health crisis? This webinar will address how to build, engage, and maintain audiences for digital programs accessible to everyone.

View a recording of the presentation at the following link https://youtu.be/NUtDuRBZ6fg and check out the webinar Resources List.