We are so excited to announce that the South Carolina Aquarium has made the switch to digital membership cards!
7 Ways to Keep Your Alumni Members Engaged During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of alumni relations, prompting new questions and concerns for university alumni associations. With the onset and continued risks of COVID-19, traditional opportunities for alumni engagement, such as class reunions, March Madness, NCAA football, tailgates, homecoming, in-person social events, alumni chapter meetups, and networking opportunities have been cancelled, or remain in limbo.
Indeed, while many held out hope that fall NCAA football would be a comeback after March Madness was called off, the Big Ten cancelled fall 2020 football in early August, and traditional social events like tailgates and alumni chapter watch parties are being suspended.
Despite the hurdles, alumni engagement is critical for building a university’s reputation and brand, securing donations, and creating community. In response to new challenges and unforeseen circumstances, many alumni associations have adapted by doubling down on their digital engagement strategy, with incredible results.
Here, we will examine the continued importance of an active alumni association for both universities and alumni, along with seven exciting ideas to activate alumni engagement during COVID-19 and beyond.
How to Streamline Alumni Card Fulfillment with Digital Cards
Alumni associations can be some of the most important communities and networks for professionals, as well as vital sources of support for universities. There are a variety of benefits that come along with being a member of an alumni organization. For alumni, the networking, social, and career development opportunities can be unparalleled benefits. For colleges and universities, alumni engagement helps build the university brand, secure financial support, and recruit future students.
Many alumni organizations have traditionally issued an alumni card or membership card to their members, which has been both symbolic and a means of accessing alumni events and benefits. However, with the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, the traditional process of printing and distributing physical membership cards has been severely disrupted.
With the fulfillment process backlogged and many alumni associations simultaneously trying to ramp up their digital engagement, Digital Membership Cards can be a timely way to ensure alumni receive their cards and stay informed at the same time. Additionally, Digital Membership can save countless hours in the day for staff, thousands of dollars a year, and allow you to make the most of your limited resources.
Check out how Digital Membership can streamline your card processes:
The Health Museum Releases New Digital Membership Cards!
Big congrats to The Health Museum for launching their digital membership cards with Cuseum! We are so excited to welcome them.
Webinar Transcript: Membership Mondays: Navigating Challenges & Setbacks During Reopening
The road to reopening museums and cultural organizations can be a challenging one. From changing regulations and protocols, shifting reopening dates, and stop-and-start plans, there can be many setbacks when planning to welcome visitors back. Perhaps you’ve had to push back your reopening date, or reopened your museum only to close again. Perhaps you are struggling to stay connected with your members and audience, and communicate these ever-changing plans. This webinar is for you!
Join Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth and Partnerships @ Cuseum), Alice Stryker (Director, Individual Giving @ Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum) & Julia Propp (Director of Membership @ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) as they talk through ways to navigate these challenges and setbacks. This webinar will specifically address these issues in the context of membership, focusing on revising plans, communication with members, and more!
View the full transcript below.
Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art Releases New Digital Membership Cards!
We are psyched to welcome the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art to their journey with digital membership cards!
Tips for Choosing a Timed Ticketing System for Your Museum or Organization
As museums and cultural institutions work to reopen, many are taking important steps to facilitate physical distancing, contract tracing, and enable contactless entry. One key way organizations are doing this is by introducing timed ticketing (also known as timed entry) for visitors, which has the benefit of managing capacity, reducing admissions lines, and limiting interactions between staff and guests. However, timed ticketing is new territory for most museums. Many are looking for best practices and wondering how to roll this out to their visitors to ensure a successful reopening.
High Museum of Art Announces New Digital Membership Cards!
We are excited to announce that the High Museum of Art has launched their digital membership cards!
Congratulations to the Stepping Stones Museum for Children for Launching Their Digital Membership Cards!
We are so excited to welcome the Stepping Stones Museum for Children to the Cuseum family with their newly launched digital membership cards!
How Museums Can Generate Revenue Through Digital Content and Virtual Experiences
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic forced museums of all kinds to close their doors, many have responded by shifting their attention to engaging audiences through virtual and remote channels. Through social media initiatives, virtual tours, live-streamed events, and an array of digital content, cultural organizations have made substantial efforts to expand their digital offerings throughout the period of lockdown.
Now, more than three months later, many organizations are not only facing the ongoing question of how to engage audiences; they are also facing a significant loss of revenue. Although many are beginning to open their doors to visitors once again, they are operating at reduced capacity and may be facing restrictions on physical events, summer camps, and other types of special gatherings. Organizations are also preparing for the possibility that a second wave of the coronavirus may push them towards temporary closures once again. Consequently, even as they reopen, many are recognizing the critical importance of digital content and engagement tools to not only to engage, educate, and inspire audiences, but also to serve as a new source of revenue.
As museums look to generate revenue through virtual initiatives, here are six ideas to consider:
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art Establishes New Digital Membership Cards!
Congratulations to the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art for releasing their new digital membership cards!
Institute of Contemporary Art Boston Implements New Digital Membership Cards!
We are so excited to welcome the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston to the Cuseum family with the launch of their digital membership cards!
Friends of Governors Island Starts New Digital Membership Cards!
The Friends of Governors Island have announced their digital membership cards and we are so excited to have them join the Cuseum family!
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Launches New Digital Membership Cards!
We’re so thrilled to celebrate the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for launching their new digital membership cards!
Desert Caballeros Western Museum Announces New Digital Membership Cards!
The Desert Caballeros Western Museum has released their new digital membership cards!
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Launches Digital Membership Cards!
Congratulations to the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden for launching their digital membership cards!
Currier Museum of Art Releases Their New Digital Membership Cards
The Currier Museum of Art has released their new digital membership cards!
Cuseum’s [AR]T Museum is Featured by Apple
This May, Cuseum announced the release of a new Augmented Reality (AR) feature that virtually transports famous artworks from museums into people’s homes. Through this new feature for Cuseum-powered apps, as well as through the [AR]T Museum app, people all around the world have been able to virtually place paintings and other objects onto their walls and revel in artworks that are typically only available to view inside a museum setting.
Now, we are excited to announce that [AR]T Museum has been featured by Apple as “App of the Day” and promoted globally across Apple’s App Store social media channels!
Seattle Aquarium Launches New Digital Membership Cards!
Webinar Transcript: Membership Lightning Talks: Launching New Initiatives & Benefits in Museum Membership
Over a month ago, we were thrilled to host a webinar on virtual memberships, which explored ways to create virtual value for members through exclusive digital programming, virtual membership levels, and more. Over the past month, we’ve seen a surge of new and exciting initiatives launched in membership programs at museums of all kinds, which add value for members, as well as help solve new challenges around engagement, membership extensions, and more. To showcase some of these new initiatives, we’re excited to pilot a “Membership Lightning Talks” session.
Join Dan Sullivan (Head of Growth & Partnership @ Cuseum) with special guests Heather Wilson (Deputy Director @ Cameron Art Museum), Sarah Burgess (Senior Donor Relations Coordinator @ Virginia Museum of Fine Arts), Cat Clark (Corporate & Foundation Relations Manager @ Mattatuck Museum), Laura Hacker (Manager of Visitor and Membership Services @ Concord Museum), Laura Conte (Membership and Patron Services Coordinator @ Taubman Museum of Art) & Amanda Ackermann (Membership Coordinator @ Museum of Discovery and Science) for this special session. Each panelist will share a new initiative they’ve launched to create value for members, which will be followed by a discussion, feedback session, and Q&A among these membership professionals!
Read below for the full transcript: