Voluntary and community organisations are much more likely to get statutory funding, and funding from grant-makers, if they deliver public benefit as recognised by the statutory sector. This is the same for museums.
There are many opportunities to partner with organisations from local charities, social enterprises and community groups. Partnering locally can have a range of benefits from local economic regeneration, new visitors or local employment.
There may be national charities or the statutory sector, organisations created by law that would resonate with your museum’s ambitions.
Statutory sector organisations, for example the National Health Service, recognise that other organisations may have more expertise in areas they are responsible for, and so statutory funding is frequently used to pay experts, such as community groups, to deliver statutory services, especially social care.
We explore social prescribing as part of the future of community partnerships in the final section – Putting it into Practice.