COSMA News
May 15, 2023
Coalition of State Museum Associations Announces Common Service Model for State Museum Associations
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Coalition of State Museum Associations (COSMA) has released its Common Service Model aimed at creating best practices across all areas of state museum association administration. The model seeks to enhance the governance, financial stability, member services, communications and advocacy initiatives conducted by state museum associations nationwide.
COSMA received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to pursue the project, which included a comprehensive written survey and two virtual focus group convenings for the entire state museum association network. These platforms provided fundamental information about how state museum associations function. From there, the grant advisory committee and grant project teams compiled responses and the best practices model.
“The Common Service Model is a major step forward in advancing our state museum associations,” said Linda Endersby, COSMA Interim Managing Director. “We are excited to introduce this valuable framework to our member associations and work together to address their individual challenges and needs.”
COSMA Summit 2021
The COSMA Summit is a two-day opportunity to connect and collaborate with other SMA leaders. Designed especially for SMA leaders, the COSMA Summit will include prominent feature speakers, round table discussions, SMA case studies, and learning conversations. All activities will be offered at times accessible across all national time zones.
Click here for more information and registration
COSMA Annual Meeting Exceeds Attendance Goal
COSMA held its Annual Meeting on Sunday, February 24, in Washington DC. We welcomed 24 members for the “in person” meeting and 3 who joined remotely, for a total of 27 in attendance. (In planning, we had hoped for 20!) The feature speaker, Tom Osina, an association management professional based in Alexandria, VA, encouraged COSMA with “Ideas for Growing Your Association.” The conversation ranged from basics of operation to legal considerations, with valuable tips for running effective meetings. The round table discussions focused on business models and fundraising, advocacy, conference planning, and managing volunteer organizations. As always, there was lively interaction between SMA representatives as we shared challenges and ideas. (In future newsletters we will highlight the written questions and comments from participants.)
The Annual Business Meeting convened at the end of the program session. Johnna McEntee, Executive Director, Ohio Museums Association and Chair of the COSMA Foundation Board, presented the Annual Report submitted by Cynthia Sweet, Executive Director, Iowa Museum Association and President of the COSMA Board. The formal meeting concluded with Ruth Ann Rugg, Transitional Leader, thanking the COSMA members for their support and encouraging them to meet their counterparts from other states during Museums Advocacy Day.
Special thanks to AAM for allowing COSMA to use a meeting room at the Washington Plaza Hotel free of charge.
Special thanks to Alex Freeman, Executive Director, Texas Association of Museums, for managing technology for the remote attendees.
COSMA Annual Meeting
Sunday, February 24, 2019
2:30-4:30 pm
Washington Plaza Hotel, Washington DC
COSMA Annual Meeting will be held in conjunction with AAM’s Museums Advocacy Day in Washington, DC, on Sunday, February 24, 2019. COSMA will convene at the Washington Plaza Hotel at 2:30 pm. The program includes a COSMA Colleagues Round Table, a Featured Speaker, and the Annual Business Meeting. All SMA representatives who plan to participate in Museums Advocacy Day are encouraged to arrive in Washington DC in time to join the COSMA event on Sunday afternoon. Registration is $35.
Have you registered for Museums Advocacy Day yet?