This award recognizes member museums that demonstrate exceptional impact within their communities.
Nominations will be accepted until February 20. The winner will be announced and recognized at the Annual Conference, and the nominator of the selected museum will be notified in advance.
Award Categories
Diversity and Inclusion
A successful nomination in this category will demonstrate how the museum has strengthened the diversity of its staff and/or audience and created a more inclusive environment that reflects this progress. Museums should highlight initiatives, policies, programs, or organizational changes that show measurable impact in equity, representation, and belonging.
Expanding a Museum’s Audience
This category recognizes museums that have effectively expanded their traditional audience. Successful nominations will describe strategies, partnerships, or innovations that attracted new visitors, broadened participation, or deepened engagement with audiences not previously served.
Community Engagement
Nominations in this category should demonstrate how the museum uses its trusted role within the community to collaborate meaningfully with local groups and organizations on current issues. Strong submissions will show that the community has responded substantively to this engagement and that the museum actively works with community members to initiate or deepen conversations that address community needs. Successful nominations will highlight how the museum fosters authentic participation and how community members help guide and co-create engagement efforts.
Read more about eligibility here.