THE GROWING CAPACITY PROJECT

We've partnered with Bishop Museum to design a 

Mentoring and Training Program

Focused on capacity-building skills for museums and museum-like* organizations in Hawaiʻi

*Note: eligible participants are those working in or interested in working in Hawaiʻi-based institutions such as cultural centers, library archives, cultural practitioner groups (including Hālau Hula), zoos, aquariums, gardens, and other organizations providing informal learning in Hawai'i.


Nonprofit GrowthGen, LLC (NPGG) is partnering with Bishop Museum on a project funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) called Gathering Resources and Growing Capacity: Museums Working Together in Hawaii (the Growing Capacity Project). This two-year grant supports the development and delivery of three online mentoring and training programs for people working or seeking to work in museums and museum-like organizations in Hawai‘i. One program will focus on grant writing; the additional two programs are being developed in response to community input via a survey, listening sessions, and conversations with stakeholders to identify professional development needs in the sector.


As former Bishop Museum staff members, Mary and Mandy are thrilled and honored to collaborate with the Museum on this project that aims to


  1. grow capacity in and partnerships among Hawai'i museums, cultural organizations, and museum-like entities;
  2. provide workforce development; and
  3. support the professional development of staff working in this sector.


Click here to see Bishop Museum’s press release about the Growing Capacity Project (IMLS # MN-252908-OMS-23).


Applications are opening soon!

Program 1: Gathering Resources in Hawai'i for Hawai'i

If the project description below aligns with you or someone you know,

please follow this link to learn more about our first program and access the application materials. The program launches in April, and we're so excited to meet our cohort!

THE CATALYST

Nonprofits in Hawai‘i’s museum and culture sectors are often leanly staffed. The work of collections management, programming, education, and community engagement can leave little time for planning, strategic thinking, and fundraising. Often organizations need to rely on external experts to assist with these activities. The Growing Capacity Project offers a model of professional development rooted in mentorship, so that staff ‘learn by doing’ with the support of NPGG mentors and fellow participants in the program. The intention is to build a network among professionals working in Hawai‘i museums and museum-like organizations that is sustained beyond the program for partnering, collaborating, and sharing resources. 


THE PROJECT

NPGG will offer three mentoring and training programs between April 2024 and July 2025. Recruitment will prioritize Native Hawaiians and those working in Native Hawaiian-serving organizations. Each program can accommodate up to 15 participants. IMLS grant funds provide eight free seats per program plus a stipend for each participant. Additional seats may be available through direct payment or fiscal sponsorship (interested sponsors please see below). Details about the content of the first mentoring and training program, the schedule, and the application process will be available in February 2024, so please check back for updates.


PARTNERS

The Growing Capacity Project would not be possible without the support of key colleagues and supporting organizations. 


We want to express our the gratitude to the following organizations for helping to support and share this work: the Donkey Mill Art Center, East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center, Friends of ʻIolani Palace, Lyman Museum and Mission House, Hawaii Museums Association, the Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations (HANO), and Skog Rasmussen, LLC.


The Project Team is also very grateful for the guidance from our advisors: Leah Caldeira, Bishop Museum director of Library & Archives, Kamalu du Preez, Bishop Museum cultural resource specialist and Hawaiʻi Museum Association Board Member, and Halena Kapuni-Reynolds, National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) associate curator for Native Hawaiian history and culture for the 


HOW TO GET INVOLVED

  • COMPLETE A SURVEY to provide input about professional development needs in Hawaii’s museum and culture organizations.
  • STAY IN THE KNOW by signing up for the Growing Capacity Project email list.
  • CONTACT US with questions, comments, or suggestions about the Growing Capacity Project.

Become a Sponsor

The IMLS grant prioritizes applicants who are Kānaka ʻŌiwi  or are working in Native Hawaiian-serving organizations and will cover the materials, costs, and a stipend for eight participants in each of the three mentoring and training programs. However, there is space for 15 participants in each program (seven seats beyond the grant-funded seats in each program). NPGG seeks partners to fund the participation of these additional seats. Persons and organizations interested in helping to grow the capacity of Hawaiʻi museums and museum-like organizations by sponsoring participants in the mentoring and training programs should contact NPGG mentor Mary Ramsay.


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