From ASPIRE to Influence: Storytelling for Advocacy and Fundraising

ID: WMA2026_603

Track:

No matter your role or career stage, every museum professional CAN advocate effectively for their organization and its mission. How do we move from intention to action in advocacy and fundraising? This session introduces Public Narrative (story of self, us, and now) as a practical framework to build confidence, align teams, and motivate collective action. Participants will engage in guided exercises to reconnect with their “why” and leave with tools they can immediately apply.

Session Information

Format: Half-day workshop (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)

Fee: Proposed Fee: $25 per participant. Covers: Printed materials, guided worksheets, and facilitation for interactive exercises and coaching

Uniqueness: Moves beyond theory into action—participants actively build and practice their own advocacy narratives using a proven organizing framework rooted in real-world museum leadership challenges.

Objectives:

Participants will: Develop a Personal Advocacy Framework

1. Learn and apply the Public Narrative structure (self, us, now) to articulate values, motivate stakeholders, and lead action within their organizations.

Strengthen Confidence in Advocacy & Fundraising

1. Build comfort engaging in advocacy, fundraising, and external communication by grounding their work in personal purpose and shared mission.

Translate Reflection into Action

1. Leave with practical tools, language, and a scaffolded framework (informed by progressive learning models such as Bloom’s Taxonomy) to implement advocacy strategies immediately.

This session will also addresses professional burnout and disengagement by reconnecting participants to purpose, building agency, and creating actionable pathways forward.

Engagement: Participants will engage in structured reflection, small-group storytelling exercises, and guided peer feedback. Activities include developing a “story of self,” connecting it to shared values (“story of us”), and identifying urgent calls to action (“story of now”). To bridge learning with real-time impact, participants will have the opportunity to take immediate action—such as contacting IMLS or elected officials via QR code—connecting their narrative directly to current events and advocacy needs during the conference.

Relationship to Theme:

Audience

Audiences: Curators/Scientists/Historians Development and Membership Officers Events Planning Facilities Management Personnel Marketing & Communications (Including Social Media) Registrars, Collections Managers Technology 

Professional Level: All levels 

Scalability:

This framework is adaptable across institutions of all sizes and types.

• Small organizations: Helps staff wear multiple hats and confidently advocate with limited resources
• Mid-size organizations: Strengthens alignment across teams and improves donor/member engagement
• Large institutions: Supports board/staff cohesion and consistent messaging across departments

Because Public Narrative is rooted in personal experience rather than institutional scale, it is highly transferable and immediately applicable.** **

Participants