We 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 were 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.


From Summer 2023 through Spring 2025, Nonprofit GrowthGen, LLC (NPGG) partnered 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 supported 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 was predetermined by previously gathered community input and focused on grant writing; the additional two programs were developed in response to community needs identified through a survey, listening sessions, and conversations with stakeholders to address professional development needs in the sector.


As former Bishop Museum staff members, Mary and Mandy were thrilled and honored to collaborate with the Museum on this project that aimed 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).


Program 1: April - May 2024


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


To learn more about Program 1,  click here.


The Program 1 Recap includes key themes and topics covered throughout the six-week program.

It also contains links to shareable content and videos from our guest presenters and class discussions.


Program 2: October - November 2024

Program 2: Project Management

To learn more about Program 2,  click here.


The Program 2 Recap includes key themes and topics covered throughout the size-week program.

It also contains links to shareable content and videos from our guest presenters and class discussions.


Program 3: January - April 2025


Program 3: GrantsGen Mentoring and Training Program


To learn about this program 3,   click here.


The Program 3 Recap (in progress) will include key themes and topics covered through the 13-week program.

It also contains links to the shareable content and videos from our class discussions and special guests.


CATALYST FOR THE GROWING CAPACITY PROJECT

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. 


PROJECT OVERVIEW

NPGG offered three mentoring and training programs between April 2024 and April 2025 2025. Recruitment prioritized Native Hawaiians and those working in Native Hawaiian-serving organizations. Programs ranged from 10-12 active participants. IMLS grant funds provide eight free seats per program plus a stipend for each interested participant. Additional seats were made available thanks to the generosity of program participants (who redirected their stipends to allow for more applicants to participate and by direct payment.  


PROJECT SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS

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


We want to express our 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. 


WE STRIVE TO CENTER COMMUNITY

  • OUR 2023 AND 2024 SURVEYS have provided input about professional development needs in Hawaii’s museum and culture organizations.
  • STAY IN THE KNOW by signing up for the Growing Capacity coffee chats, held monthly.
  • CONTACT US with questions, comments, or suggestions about the Growing Capacity Project.


Become a Sponsor

Would you like to help us continue the work of the Growing Capacity Project? We would love to hear from you.


Alumni from this program as well as members of the Hawai'i cultural community have overwhelmingly expresses the desire to see this work continue. NPGG seeks partners to fund the continuation of this program so that more organizations can benefit and we can continue building community and synergy around our collective growth. 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 us.