Museum Association of New York

What Museum Association of New York does

The Museum Association of New York (MANY), founded in 1960 and headquartered at 265 River Street in Troy, NY, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit service organization that represents more than 500 institutional and 1,300 individual members across all 62 counties of New York State. Its institutional members span museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums of every size and discipline, and 88% of members sit outside New York City's five boroughs. The organization's core function is to provide advocacy, professional development, and convening services on behalf of this statewide museum ecosystem, including an annual statewide conference ('Museums Make NY'), a roster of 20+ free virtual programs annually, a job board, member discussion forums, and an industry partner marketplace.

MANY monetizes through a tiered membership model priced by organizational budget size and individual career stage, ranging from $25/year for students to $5,000/year for the new Museum Advocate unlimited-bundle tier, plus conference registration fees, individual and institutional donations, and project grants from foundations and government agencies. Its technology backbone is the Wild Apricot membership management platform, with member authentication via Google, Microsoft, and Apple single sign-on and a Google Maps embed powering the public membership map. The organization is operationally lean — reduced to a single paid employee as of mid-2025 after the April 2025 termination of a $494,284 National Endowment for the Humanities grant representing 28% of its 2025 budget, with the volunteer board absorbing day-to-day operations and a $200,000 fundraising campaign launched to rebuild reserves.

Name

Museum Association of New York

Legal name

The Museum Association of New York

Website

https://nysmuseums.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Museum Association of New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit service organization founded in 1960 that represents 500+ institutional and 1,300+ individual museum members across all 62 counties of New York State through tiered memberships, an annual conference, virtual programs, and statewide advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Association Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Purpose Event Halls & Community Centers (THAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Museum association services
• Nonprofit membership programs
• Museum advocacy network
• Professional development webinars
• Annual museum conference

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from organizational, individual, and industry members. Tiers are based on budget size for organizations and career stage for individuals.
2. Conference and Program Fees: Registration fees for annual conferences and fee-based programs provide revenue. Members receive discounted registration.
3. Donations: Individual and institutional donations support MANY's mission. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, all contributions are tax-deductible.
4. Grant Funding: MANY receives grants from foundations and government agencies for specific projects and initiatives. Major funders include William G. Pomeroy Foundation and federal humanities agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Museum Association of New York (MANY) is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit service organization that provides tiered membership programs (Organizational, Individual, Industry, and Museum Advocate), an annual in-person conference, virtual professional development programs, a job board, member forums, an industry partner marketplace, and advocacy at the state and federal level for over 500 institutional and 1,300 individual museum professional members across New York State.

Product overview

The Museum Association of New York (MANY) operates as a membership-based nonprofit service organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings consist of tiered membership programs (Organizational, Individual, Industry, and Museum Advocate memberships) bundled with member services including an annual conference ('Museums Make NY'), virtual programs with archived recordings, a job board, member discussion forums, industry partner marketplace, disaster response resources, and advocacy support. The organization also administers special initiatives like the 'Voices and Votes / A New Agora for New York' civic engagement project in partnership with the Smithsonian. The platform is powered by Wild Apricot membership software, with member authentication through Google, Microsoft, and Apple sign-in options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organizational Membership Tiered membership for museums and cultural institutions based on annual operating budget, providing up to a 10-member staff bundle, member resources, advocacy support, listing on the public membership map, free virtual programs, discounted conference registration, job board access, and NYSCA professional development grants eligibility.
• Individual Membership Tiered membership for museum professionals and industry peers working in or with museums in New York State, with tiers including Individual Advocate ($1,000), Individual Patron ($500), Individual Supporter ($120), Individual Member ($60), Individual Virtual Membership ($35), and Student/Volunteer/Retiree ($25).
• Industry Membership For-profit industry partner membership offering up to a 10-member bundle with access to connect with cultural organizations, including Industry Advocate, Industry Sponsor ($2,500), Industry Partner, and Industry Affiliate tiers with marketplace listing benefits.
• Museum Advocate Membership Premium membership tier launched in 2025 as a leadership level for forward-thinking institutions committed to sustaining shared infrastructure for museums, including unlimited bundle memberships, 2 complimentary conference registrations, logo on MANY websites and publicity materials, and recognition for Museum Advocacy Day in DC.
• Annual Conference (Museums Make NY) The primary statewide gathering of museum leaders, cultural organizations, and public agencies, providing networking, advocacy, and professional development. The 2026 conference will be held May 7-9 at the New York State Museum on Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY.
• Virtual Programs Over 20 free virtual programs annually with full archive access plus member-only virtual program recordings, covering topics such as federal grant impact, accessible spaces, sustainable internship programs, and deaccessioning.
• Member Resources Exclusive member benefits including Virtual Program Recording Archive, Member Directory, Industry Partner Marketplace, Member Discussion Forum, Exhibitions & Events Forum, Disaster Response resources, Reports, and Museum Property Law documentation.
• MANY Job Board Job board for museum professionals to find career opportunities and for institutions to post job openings, with free postings available to MANY members.
• Voices and Votes / A New Agora for New York Statewide civic engagement project bringing the Smithsonian's 'Voices and Votes: Democracy in America' exhibition to 12 museums across New York State, with site-specific community responses and humanities discussion programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 2,387 museum professionals from 900+ organizations across 48 states and 26 countries through 19 webinars in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• William G. Pomeroy FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2023MANY partnered with the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to establish the Pomeroy Fund for NY History, which distributed $297,808.72 to 103 museums in relief assistance during the pandemic. The Foundation also awarded MANY a $120,000 grant for the 'Voices and Votes: A New Agora for NY' project helping twelve museums and their communities commemorate America250 and tell the story of their community's role in American Democracy.
• American Alliance of MuseumscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANY is an affiliate of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), collaborating on advocacy efforts at the federal level and participating in Museums Advocacy Day. AAM President Laura Lott has highlighted museum public support statistics that MANY uses in its advocacy.
• Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (Museum on Main Street)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANY is the statewide organizer for the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. This partnership brought the 'Voices and Votes: Democracy in America' traveling exhibition to 12 museums across New York State as part of the 'A New Agora for New York' project.
• Humanities New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANY collaborated with Humanities New York and Museums on Main Street to sponsor the participation of 12 museums across the state in hosting the 'Voices and Votes' traveling exhibition and developing site-specific responses.
• New York State Council of Nonprofits (NYCON)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNYCON Affiliation Memberships are available to active MANY Organizational Members, providing access to webinars, technical assistance in law, finance, marketing, business strategy, strategic planning guidance, and insurance & employee benefits.
• Historic House Trust of New York CityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroup membership partnership providing MANY resources and discounts to hundreds of museum professionals employed by NYC museums.
• NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic PreservationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroup membership partnership providing MANY resources and discounts to museum professionals employed by NYS parks and historic sites.
• Consortium of State Museum AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANY collaborates with peer organizations nationwide through this consortium to advance shared museum advocacy goals.
• Gaylord ArchivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing discounted products and services to MANY members.
• Retail Council of NYSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner providing discounted products and services to MANY members.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ohio Museums Association: Statewide museum association for Ohio institutions with advocacy, professional development, and conference programming—a direct functional analog to MANY.
• California Association of Museums: Statewide museum association serving California museums with advocacy, professional development, and networking. The closest structural peer to MANY in a similarly large and diverse state.
• New England Museum Association: Regional museum association serving museums across New England with advocacy, training, and an annual conference—a near-direct operational analog to MANY at a smaller geographic scale.
• Texas Association of Museums: Statewide museum association providing advocacy, professional development, and convening for Texas museums. Comparable in mission, structure, and statewide scope to MANY.
• Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums: Regional museum association serving Mid-Atlantic states with advocacy, training, and conferences. Operates in a similar multi-state geography adjacent to MANY's NY footprint.
• Illinois Association of Museums: Statewide museum association serving Illinois institutions with advocacy, networking, and training—a direct structural peer to MANY in another major Midwestern state.
• Florida Association of Museums: Statewide museum association for Florida museums offering advocacy, training, and an annual conference, closely paralleling MANY's service model in a large, tourism-dependent state.
• Western Museums Association: Regional museum association serving western U.S. museums with advocacy, programming, and biennial meetings. Comparable peer at a multi-state regional scale.

Broad incumbents

• American Alliance of Museums: National membership association for museums in the U.S. MANY is an AAM affiliate and collaborates on federal advocacy and Museums Advocacy Day, making it the direct national counterpart to MANY's state-level mission.
• American Association for State and Local History (AASLH): National membership organization for the history field, including historical societies and museums. Shares MANY's core member base in historical societies and provides overlapping advocacy and professional development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nysmuseums
• Facebookfacebook.com/nysmuseums
• Instagraminstagram.com/nysmuseums

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Museum Association of New York