The Connecticut League of History Organizations

Strategy Road Map

Adopted May 11, 2011

Background to strategy formation

Introduction by Bruce Reinholdt, CLHO Board President

Beginning in mid-year 2009 the CLHO staff and board began a record-keeping effort collecting a variety of statistics on its programs and services to better document staff and volunteer time, track budgeted expenses and learn considerably more about program costs and allocation of its resources. This data combined with thoughtful and productive conversations held between the CLHO and the CHC led to the submission of a new partnership proposal, a single grant request that would ask the CHC to fund a full year of programming for the CLHO. An important component of this new partnership included the CLHO undertaking strategic planning. A decade earlier the CLHO had participated in its first strategic planning effort that had successfully directed its work, and now it was time to build on that effort.

The partnership proposal grant was awarded to the CLHO in July 2010. Work began on an audience survey of CLHO’s membership. The CLHO staff and board were committed to gathering as much useful information as possible contributing to a successful strategic planning effort. New leadership at the CHC supported and encouraged all of CLHO’s efforts. Liz Shapiro, executive director of the Sharon Historical Society, led the strategic planning work, beginning at a CLHO Board Retreat in August 2010. Intermittent committee assignments were followed by another Board Retreat in January, 2011. A new Mission Statement was written and adopted by the CLHO Board in March, 2011. Meanwhile throughout this process continued conversations were held with the leadership of the CHC designed to update, inform and keep communication fluid and open. Liz continued her leadership of the strategic planning process with considerable attention to detail, listening and learning from the CLHO Board. The thoughtful results of that process are presented here.

CLHO MISSION STATEMENT:

The Connecticut League of History Organizations builds connections among those who preserve and share the stories and objects of our past. (Adopted March 15, 2011)

We strengthen and sustain our communities by sharing knowledge and experience, and promoting best practices.

We practice our mission by

  • Sharing best practices and contemporary trends that affect historical societies, museums and libraries, with those responsible for Connecticut’s heritage collections.
  • Serving as a communication hub by offering opportunities for peer-to-peer net-working.
  • Providing a consistent presence and long-term memory for those who promote and safeguard Connecticut’s cultural heritage.

CLHO Identity Statement:

We advance our mission to unite, support, and promote historical interests and activities statewide and seek to strengthen and empower the network of those who promote and safeguard Connecticut’s cultural heritage.

We do this by serving the staff and volunteers of organizations that have history-related collections in the state of Connecticut through a flexible and responsive array of programs and publications.

We emphasize our competitive advantage of offering an accessible window to programs and practices that sustain cultural organizations and promote peer-to-peer learning.

We are sustainable by the scope of our outreach and the excellence of our programs developed and implemented by a dedicated staff and volunteers and currently funded by the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

Overview of primary session, August 10, 2010 and participants

Session date: August 10, 2010

Session leader: __Liz Shapiro______

Note taker: _____Liz Shapiro, Sandy Elgee______

Location of session: __The Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, CT______

NameStaff/BoardMuseum Affiliation

Donna Baron2nd VPDirector, Lebanon Historical Society

Stephen BartkusBoardCurator, GunnMemorialMuseum

Marianne CurlingBoardMuseum Consultant

Charlie DicksonBoardPresident, Salmon Brook Hist. Soc.

Ginney DilkTreasurer Education Director, Coventry Hist. Soc.

Christine ErmencBoard Executive Director, Windsor Hist. Soc.

Tammi FlynnBoard Marketing Director, FlorenceGriswoldMuseum

Elizabeth FoxBoard Museum Consultant

Jeff HostetlerBoardPresident, Deep River Historical Society

Melissa A. JosefiakBoardWethersfield Historical Society

Rich MalleyBoardHead of Collections, CT Historical Society

Lisa MarcinkowskiBoard Program Coordinator: Operation Military Kids

Bruce W. ReinholdtPresidentPublic Historian, Central CTStateUniversity

Deborah RossiBoardCurator, Shelton Historical Society

Sandy ElgeeStaffCLHO

Priscilla BrendlerDirector EmeritusCLHO (August participant, half day)

Reasons for Board Service:

  • Asked to serve and personally approached with offer to serve by respected colleagues in the museum field
  • Expand personal learning
  • Given assistance by the CLHO in the past, seen how museums directly benefit from CLHO programs and services
  • Like to train others in the field, want to give back to the field
  • Far-reaching professionalism of the CLHO
  • Connect with colleagues and gain a deeper insight into CT’s museum community
  • Networking with colleagues helps combat the isolation of working in a small museum
  • Professional Basics series was so good that I was encouraged to take a greater role in CLHO activities
  • CLHO provides leadership and support to organizations of all sizes
  • Museum volunteers and staff need the information that the CLHO provides
  • Interest was always there, now timing is right
  • Help to promote my own museum
  • Interest in statewide museum services

History and background of the CLHO

Incorporated in 1950, the Connecticut League of Historical Societies renamed itself “Connecticut League of History Organizations” (CLHO) in 1997 in order to better reflect its broad audience. At the same time, the group rewrote its mission in response to a strategic plan facilitated by consultant, Laura Roberts. Today, according to its mission, CLHO works to unite, support, and promote historical interests and activities statewide.

The CLHO currently administers a variety of programs designed to serve the needs of the state’s history community, including publication of the CLHO Bulletin (paper newsletter); a web site ( regular Constant Contact e-blasts; a Speaker’s Program Resource Guide; the Professional Basics seminar series; Out & About programs, an annual conference; annual Awards of Merit program, as well as an informal resource and reference service provided by CLHO staff and board members. In October, 2010, the CLHO partnered with the Connecticut Humanities Council to present NEMA’s Museum Primer program; and in 2010-2011, the CLHO will partner with Conservation Connection, a program of the Connecticut State Library funded by the IMLS, to administer a series of 10 programs throughout the state focused on various aspects of collections care and management.

Many of these programs and services grew out of the CLHO’s 1997 strategic planning process, led by consultant Laura Roberts, which paved the way for major changes in the CLHO’s structure.

To increase awareness of the CLHO’s services and to centralize its operations, the organization obtained its first office space at the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation headquarters in Hamden. Equipped with phone, fax, internet service and e-mail, this space has provided a consistent meeting and storage space for the CLHO and has helped to solidify its identity.

Concurrently, with generous support from the CHC, the CLHO hired its first staff member in June, 1999: a part-time office manager. In that position, Sandy Elgee assisted in the daily operations of the organization while providing administrative support for programs, membership, and the CLHO’s volunteer board. Sandy currently serves as a contact person and resource for CLHO members.

In 2007, thanks to further funding from the CHC, the CLHO hired its first part-time executive director, Priscilla Brendler. From this time until her resignation in August, 2010, Ms. Brendlerserved as the public face of the organization; assisting the board of directors in advancing CLHO’s mission and achieving the objectives outlined in the strategic plan. In September, 2010, Elizabeth G. Shapiro was hired as part-time Interim Director of CLHO and the organization began an in-depth process of strategic planning.

Impact that the CLHO seeks to achieve:

The Connecticut League of History Organizations seeks to:

  • Articulate professional museum standards and share them with the greater history community through educational programs and professional development opportunities.
  • Be the primary resource for small museums and the staff of larger museums in the state of CT.
  • Model best practices in the field
  • Serve as a communication hub and social network for history museum professionals by offering opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction
  • Continue to provide a consistent presence and long-term memory for Connecticut’s museum community

Our Current Business Model

We serve an audience that consists of the paid and unpaid staff of all Connecticut museums that hold material culture and archival collections and interpret history. Although we offer no deliberate service to the history community in other states, due to Connecticut’s close proximity to New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, we consider the border areas of those states in our service region.

We offer a range of programs including: an Annual Conference, Professional Basics series of training programs, “Out and About”, CLHO Bulletin, 2-day Museum Primer, Conservation Connection workshops, professional advice and counsel, referrals, a website and selected social and networking events. We serve as a clearinghouse of museum program information and museum resources.

We rely on grants from the Connecticut Humanities Council and IMLS for 60-65% of our funding. 20% of our funding comes from membership support and an additional 15-20% from earned income.

Overview of competition

The two primary organizations identified as CLHO competitors are the New England Museum Association (NEMA) and the Connecticut Humanities Council (CHC). The program activities of the American Association for State and Local History should be noted as they seem to be expanding into the CLHO service area without conversation with the CLHO, although as of this writing (May, 2011), lines of communication between the organizations appear to be in the process of forming with the possibility of exciting partnerships in the near future.

The CLHO has direct competitors in two program areas. NEMA (a longtime service provider to New England museums) and the CHC (a funding organization who has recently entered the market, presenting professional development opportunities and resources, i.e. Museum Primer, Heritage Resource Center, that overlap with services the CLHO currently provides). Both organizations offer resources, networking, and professional training/development opportunities geared specifically to history museum staff and volunteers within the state. There are a plethora of other organizations including community foundations and the Connecticut Association of NonProfits, etc., which offer general training in nonprofit management issues, i.e. governance, strategic planning, etc. It should be noted that the Connecticut Humanities Council is currently in the midst of a period of intense strategic planning.

Competition for financial and human resources, always a problem, continues to grow. The CLHO has a loyal membership who appears willing to pay membership fees. Due to the ever-present financial strain on small history museums and historical societies, it is impossible for the CLHO to garner the financial support needed to keep providing services at the current level from membership dues alone. When the CLHO expanded services in 1997 as a result of a strategic planning process funded by the CHC, the tacit agreement was that while the CLHO would explore new venues for financial support, the CHC would continue to work as a “silent” partner, funding program initiatives and back office support. Twelve years later, both organizations have reached a critical juncture and both seek to concurrently examine future goals and create a long-term, sustainable strategy for future endeavors. Although funded by a partnership grant from the CHC through June, 2011, the CHC has made it clear future financial commitments are uncertain.

In good news, the CLHO has been able to take advantage of a proffered partnership opportunity to administer an IMLS Collection Connections grant and is just past the halfway point in the stewardship of approximately $30K of IMLS program funds. This is a positive move by the CLHO to become a recognized player on the national funding scene. A follow-up program grant to the IMLS was submitted in mid-2010, however that grant was not funded.

Between October, 2010 and February, 2011, exploratory conversations were held between members of the executive committee of the CLHO, Liz Shapiro, interim director, CLHO, and Stuart Parnes, first interim director of the CHC and now permanent director. Parnes, after attending the CLHO mini-retreat held in January, 2011, issued a challenge to the CLHO, asking the organization to rethink its mission to better reflect its goals; create a matrix of program offerings reflecting current operations and future plans; and begin work on a business plan. As of May, a program matrix has been created examining current and future programs, and the organization will begin business planning immediately following the June 6 annual conference.

Summary of the CLHO competitors and how the CLHO compares

The CLHO has identified two organizations as “critical” direct competitors. Because the CLHO’s revenue stream is directly linked at present to program services, the designation of “critical” means that both have either regularly offered and/or experimented with competing programs marketed to our audience. They are the New England Museum Association (NEMA) and the Connecticut Humanities Council (CHC). A third runner-up in this category would be the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), a national service organization. Due to a lack of clarity in communication between the CLHO and these organizations, at times the gulf between “what we do and what they do” appears indeterminate. That said, the CLHO has an extraordinary opportunity at this time to reframe its relationships with all three groups. In the past, the CHC has served as the big sister to the CLHO, guiding CLHO programs to fit the prevailing trends in the regional and national community and serving as the primary financial resource for the CLHO. At present, the CHC is in a period of flux led by Stuart Parnes, a new director who well understands the myriad challenges and opportunities for small-mid-size museums. The CHC began its strategic plan in the fall of 2010, and the process is currently ongoing. The CHC has reached out to the CLHO and offered a place at the table as their plan progresses. As this Strategic Plan is approved the CHC and CLHO are actively meeting to determine their future relationship.

Perhaps due to Connecticut’s rich cultural heritage, perhaps due to the difficulties of “direct” travel within this small state (!) there are many regional heritage-service groups in the state. Several of these groups were essentially “birthed” by the CLHO in the early 1980s. One group, the Housatonic Chapter of the CLHO, is very active, meeting three times per year with an average attendance between 24 and 30 at each meeting. This group stretches geographically from Ridgefield in the southwest, to Sharon in the northwest. Other groups which were once active regionally include MONC (Museums of Northeast Connecticut,) GHAHHM (Greater Hartford Association of Historic Houses and Museums,)Greater Naugatuck History Alliance, Lower Valley Museum Group, and Five Rivers Consortium. At the time of this writing, a new group has developed under the auspices of Lynn Friedman of the Madison Historical Society that is working to create a museum network in that region. Results from an audience/member survey (report appended here) conducted by the CLHO between December 2010 and the end of February, 2011, indicate that CLHO constituents want programs that are geographically convenient, with a focus on peer-to-peer interaction and networking.

Direct/Substitutable Competitors

  • NEMA (New England Museum Association)
  • CHC – Connecticut Humanities Council, especially the Heritage Resource Center (HRC)
  • AASLH (StEPs Program, webinars supporting StEPs)
  • Danbury splinter group “League”
  • GHAHHM (Greater Hartford Association of Historic Houses and Museums)
  • Greater Naugatuck History Alliance (Waterbury to Naugatuck, Derby area, new)
  • ASCH (Association for the Study of CT History)
  • Greater HudsonMuseum Conference
  • MONC (Museums of Northeast Connecticut)
  • Middlesex County Museum Association (Begun by the CHC)
  • New England Archivists
  • CT Library Consortium
  • CT Museum Educator Roundtable
  • CCT Peer Advisor Program
  • 5 Rivers Consortium (Eastern CT)
  • Many community foundations
  • Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (nonprofit support group)
  • Listservs – HNET, NEMA, Costume Society of America

Due to the specific nature of the CLHO’s audience, two major types of resource competitors have been identified:

  • Those organizations that compete for funding resources on a local, state and federal level, and
  • Those organizations who draw members from the same pool

In the first case, examples would include all heritage organizations that apply to the CHC for funding, including but not limited to ASCH, and Connecticut Explored, who go to the CHC for yearly bundled grants to cover the majority of programmatic expenses. Competition for member base includes organizations such as NEMA and AASLH (which provide overlapping services) and the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation and ASCH (which provide slightly different but thematically overlapping programs and services.)