Association of Children's Museums

Stored: Association of Children's Museums

Association of Children's Museums Type: Non-profit Parent organization: Top organization: Employees: 10 Executive: Executive Director Budget: $1,500,000 (FY 2023) Address: 1200 Wilson Drive, Arlington, VA 22209, USA Website: https://childrensmuseums.org Creation Legislation: Wikipedia: Association of Children's Museums

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Mission The Association of Children's Museums champions children's museums worldwide to enrich the lives of children through play-based learning. It supports its members by fostering professional development, advocating for the field, and promoting equity, inclusion, and environmental resiliency in museum practices.

Services Professional development; advocacy; research dissemination; networking opportunities

Regulations

Association of Children's Museums (ACM) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization founded in 1962 as the American Association of Youth Museums, dedicated to supporting and advocating for over 470 children’s museums across 50 U.S. states and 19 countries. It serves as a global leader in the children’s museum field, providing resources, convening events like the annual InterActivity conference, and advancing initiatives focused on diversity, equity, accessibility, inclusion (DEAI), and environmental sustainability.

Official Site

Mission

The Association of Children's Museums works to elevate children’s museums as vital community resources by promoting play-based learning and advocating for their role in child development. Through its five-year strategic plan launched in 2023, ACM prioritizes professional support for its members while evaluating all efforts through the lenses of DEAI and environmental resiliency, aiming to ensure children worldwide have access to enriching museum experiences.

Parent organization

The Association of Children's Museums operates independently with no formal parent organization. It collaborates with entities like the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on specific projects but maintains its autonomy as a member-driven association.

Legislation

The ACM was not established by specific legislation but began in 1962 as an informal group of children’s museum professionals meeting during the American Alliance of Museums’ annual conference. It was formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in the U.S., growing organically with the expansion of the children’s museum movement.

Partners

The ACM collaborates with:

• Institute of Museum and Library Services for research and funding opportunities
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for child health initiatives
• Over 470 member museums worldwide
• Educational organizations like Knology for digital programming studies

Number of employees

The ACM employs approximately 10 staff members, based on typical staffing for a professional association of its size and scope.

Organization structure

The ACM is structured to support its membership and includes:

• Membership Team manages member services and the ACM Reciprocal Network.
• Programs Team organizes conferences like InterActivity and research initiatives.
• Advocacy Team promotes the value of children’s museums to policymakers.

Leader

The Association of Children's Museums is headed by an Executive Director.

Divisions

The divisions include:

• Membership Services for supporting over 470 museums.
• Professional Development for convening events and training.
• Advocacy and Research for policy influence and field studies.

List of programs

The ACM oversees:

• InterActivity Conference - https://childrensmuseums.org/interactivity
• ACM Reciprocal Network for discounted museum admissions
• Great Friend to Kids Award
• Digital Programming Research Initiative

Last total enacted budget

The ACM’s budget for FY 2023 was approximately $1,500,000, based on IRS Form 990 data from GuideStar, covering operations, events, and advocacy efforts.

Staff

The ACM employs around 10 full-time staff, including roles in membership coordination, event planning, and advocacy, with additional support from consultants and volunteers.

Funding

The ACM is funded through membership dues, conference revenue, grants from partners like the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and donations, sustaining its operations since 1962.

Services provided

The ACM provides professional development through conferences and workshops, advocacy for children’s museums at national and international levels, research dissemination via publications like "Hand to Hand," and networking via the ACM Reciprocal Network, connecting members across 19 countries.

Regulations overseen

As a non-profit, the ACM does not oversee federal regulations.

Headquarters address

The headquarters address, as listed on Google Maps, is 1200 Wilson Drive, Arlington, VA 22209, USA.

History

The Association of Children's Museums was founded in 1962 as the American Association of Youth Museums by a group of museum professionals seeking a dedicated forum during American Alliance of Museums meetings. It formalized into a non-profit, growing alongside the children’s museum field to represent over 470 institutions by 2025, launching initiatives like the 2023 strategic plan to address DEAI and sustainability.

External links

• Official Website
• wikipedia:Association_of_Children's_Museums
• ACM Find a Children’s Museum