TABLE OF CONTENTS

• CALIFORNIA MUSEUMS SURVEY DEADLINE EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 9TH
• HERITAGE HEALTH INDEX FINDINGS UNVEILED YESTERDAY IN NEWS CONFERENCE
• BABYBOOMERS WILL LEAVE A MAJOR GAP IN NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP
• 2006 CAM CONFERENCE EARLY BIRD DEADLINE IS QUICKLY APPROACHING
• WHITE PAPER ADDRESSES ACCESSIBILITY IN ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
• OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
• MUSEUMS IN THE NEWS
• JOB OPPORTUNITIES
• GRANT DEADLINES
• BACK ISSUES OF CAM
• CONTACT CAM

At a news conference in New York City yesterday, the findings from a comprehensive survey to assess the condition and preservation needs of U.S. collections was unveiled. Titled the Heritage Health Index, the report concludes that immediate action is needed to prevent the loss of millions of irreplaceable artifacts. Detailed in A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections, some of the findings include:

• 65% of collecting institutions have experienced damage to collections due to improper storage.
• 59 % of collecting institutions have had their collections damaged by light.
• 53% of collecting institutions have had their collections damaged by moisture.
• 44% of institutions have sufficient security measures in place for their collections and 26% report having no or inadequate protection.
• 80% of U.S. collecting institutions do not have an emergency plan that includes collections, with staff trained to carry it out.
• 80% of collecting institutions do not have paid staff dedicated to collections care.
• 71% of collecting institutions need additional training and expertise for staff caring for their collections.
• 77% of collecting institutions do not specifically allocate funds for preservation in their budgets.
• 190 million objects are in need of conservation treatment.

The Heritage Health Index is a project of Heritage Preservation, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency. To view a summary or the full report and additonal details, click on http://www.heritagehealthindex.org/.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released the results of the largest-ever study that examines the tenure and future plans of nonprofit executives. The survey covers 2,200 respondents and the key findings point to potentially disruptive implications in nonprofit leadership, as the Baby Boomer generation transitions out of the sector. Some of the key findings of the survey are:

• Representatives of the large Baby Boom generation now in their 40s and 50s make up 72.5 percent of all nonprofit leaders.
• Today, 72 million Baby Boomers are in the overall workforce, with only about 38 million Generation X-ers to take their place.
• There is limited leadership diversity in the sector, as people of color lead just 16 percent of the organizations surveyed.
• The Baby Boom generation of leaders will transition out of the sector in two waves.

The first is already beginning to occur and will continue through 2010. The second wave will peak in 2020, as all Baby Boomers approach traditional retirement age. Women executives outnumber men (58 percent of nonprofits), but they run smaller organizations and make less money. The four-page summary of the survey as well as the full survey can be viewed on the Annie E. Casey Foundation Web site at: http://www.aecf.org/publications/browse.php?filter=20. Excerpted from PNN Online.

Have you submitted your purchase order for the 2006 CAM Conference yet? There are two and a half months left until the conference begins and a little over one month until the Early Bird Registration Deadline! The conference schedule, registration details, and hotel information are all available online for Eyes on the Horizon: Envisioning and Realizing Our Future, February 21-24, 2006 at the Monterey Beach Resort in Monterey. Visit CAM CONFERENCE for additional information. Early Bird Registrations ends January 15, 2006. To make it even easier, credit card payments for conference registrations and events may be made online. If you would like a preliminary program mailed to you, please email admin@calmuseums.org or call (831) 471-9970. We hope to see you there!

A limited number of scholarships are available for new museum professionals and individuals from small museums (with annual operating budgets less than $250,000). All scholarship applications must be submitted online by Friday, December 16, 2005. See SCHOLARSHIPS for additional details.

NONPROFIT ECONOMIC SURVEY SUGGESTS CONTRIBUTIONS WERE COMPARABLE TO 2004
According to GuideStar's fourth annual nonprofit economic survey, nonprofit organizations were not significantly affected by the unprecedented upswing in recent disaster-related donations. Despite widespread giving to disaster relief, this year's responses were remarkably similar to those for 2004. However, when asked how they thought disaster-relief giving would affect their organizations' end-of-year fundraising, 79 percent of respondents predicted that contributions would stay about the same or decrease. Meanwhile, 70 percent of respondents reported that demand for their organizations' services had increased. (Organizations in the arts/culture/humanities category had the smallest percentage of participants reporting increased demand, with 53 percent indicating an increase.) To read additional details about GuideStar's survey, visit http://www.guidestar.org/news/features/2005_survey_results.jsp.

THE CTTC IS REQUESTING SUBMISSIONS FOR A PRESS RELEASE ON MATURE TRAVELERS
The California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC) will be targeting the California mature traveler in a press release and will highlight special programs, activities and packages that cater to seniors, including bird watching, hiking, etc. There is a maximum of two submissions per entity and the program description must be 150 words or less. Only items emailed to them on their Press Release Submission Form will be considered. To request a copy of the press release submission form, email Leona Reed at lreed@cttc1.com.

AAM IS DEVELOPING A CENTENNIAL HONOR ROLL AND NOMINATIONS ARE REQUESTED
The American Association of Museums (AAM) is asking for assistance to honor leaders in the museum field by nominating individuals who should be recognized on a Centennial Honor Roll. To nominate individuals, submit a brief anecdote or testimonial about how this outstanding individual has advanced the field over the past century. The individuals can be from the past or present, living or deceased, as long as they've helped advance the museum field in the United States between 1906 and 2006. Visit http://www.aam-us.org/nominationForm.cfm to fill out the nomination form. The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2005.

NORTHERN STATES CONSERVATION CENTER ANNOUNCES ITS JANUARY 2006 COURSE OFFERINGS
Three classes are being offered by the Northern States Conservation Center, all taking place in January and February: MS 104: An Introduction to Collections Preservation; MS 205: Disaster Planning I: Introduction to Disaster Preparedness Planning; and MS 103: The Basics of Museum Registration. For dates, prices, instructors and more details, go to: http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html or  www.museumclasses.org. Discounts are available for CAM members.

THREE MUSEUMS TO RECEIVE AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE FROM IMLS
Three museum recipients of the 2005 National Awards for Museum and Library Service are: COSI Toledo in Toledo, Ohio; the Kansas Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte, Virginia; and the Pratt Museum in Homer, Alaska. Three libraries were honored as well. According to the Institute for Museum and Library Service (IMLS) this is the nation's highest honor for the extraordinary public service provided by these institutions. Each organization will receive $10,000 and will be honored at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C. To read the press release, go to: www.imls.gov/whatsnew/current/113005.htm.

REPORT SAYS DONORS GIVE TO SMALLER CHARITIES AND WARY OF BIG BUSINESS TECHNIQUES
According to a new report released by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan public policy research organization, donors are particularly likely to give to small, community-based charities and are positive about the charities and nonprofits they support. They become concerned, however, when organizations market themselves with methods that mimic those of big business, such as telemarketing and high-pressure appeals. Givers also have high expectations for ethical behavior and a long memory for scandal and waste. See http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/aama/issues/2005-12-01/10.html for additional information. (Exerpted from the American Association of Museums' AVISO, December 2005.)

NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA CAPITAL REGION
The Sierra Health Foundation will award grants of up to $10,000 to increase youth participation in quality programs in the California Capital Region, which includes Sacramento County and parts of the eight surrounding counties of Yolo, El Dorado, Placer, Yuba, Sutter, Amador, Nevada, and Solano. Grants will be awarded three times a year to public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and faith-based groups that serve youth between the ages of 10 and 15. Visit the Sierra Health Foundation Web site at http://www..sierrahealth.org/programs/reach/reach.html for complete grant program information.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY PROMOTING MULTI-ARTS PRODUCTIONS
Every year, the Multi-Arts Production Fund supports up to forty-two performance-based works with awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. The goal of the fund is to assist artists who are exploring and challenging the dynamics of live performance within our changing society, thus reflecting the culture's innovation and growing diversity. Applications for support must come from U.S.-based organizations that have current nonprofit federal tax status. The grants only support artistic projects that contain or will contain a live-performance component. Completed applications may be sent electronically between February 1 and February 10, 2006. See http://www.mapfund.org/ for additional information.

LATINO STUDIES FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM 2006
The Latino Studies Fellowship Program provides opportunities to US Latino/a predoctoral students and postdoctoral and senior scholars to pursue research topics that relate to Latino art, culture, and history. Interdisciplinary subjects are encouraged and can be undertaken at more than one of the Smithsonian museums and/or research units, and advised by one or more of the Smithsonian research staff members. It is intended to broaden and increase the body of Latino related research that is being conducted at the Smithsonian Institution. The deadline to apply is January 15th. Additional information and application forms are available at www.si.edu/research+study or contact the Office of Fellowships Smithsonian Institution at (202) 275-0655 or siofg@si.edu.

SHELL OIL COMPANY FOUNDATION
The Shell Oil Company Foundation's focus areas broadly include education, culture and the arts, civic and community, health and welfare, diversity and inclusiveness, and sustainable development interests. The foundation reviews all requests annually, creating a new list of donations every year. It seems preference is given to communities where Shell Oil Company employees live and work. See www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=us-enANDFC2=/us-en/html/iwgen/leftnavs/zzz_lhn7_1_0..htmlANDFC3=/us-en/html/iwgen/society_environment/social/shell_foundation.html for additional information.

FUNDING FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) solicits applications for the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program, which fosters the development of novel programs to improve the understanding of the clinical trial process and NIH-funded health science advances by K-12 students, teachers and the general public. The SEPA program supports the creation of innovative partnerships between biomedical and clinical researchers and K-12 teachers and schools, museum and science center educators, media experts and other interested educational organizations. Particular importance will be given to SEPA applications that target K-12 science educational topics that may not be addressed by existing science curricula, community-based or media activities. The closing date is January 27, 2006. See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-06-080.html for additional information.

MUSEUM COMPUTER NETWORK CONFERENCE PROPOSALS REQUESTED
The Museum Computer Network (MCN) is requesting proposals for their 2006 conference, November 8-11, 2006. Topics for the sessions should fall into at least one of the categories listed on the proposal form. All proposals for sessions and/or workshops must be submitted on the Call for Proposals form by February 16, 2006. To obtain more specific information, visit the MCN website, ttp://www.mcn.edu. The proposal submission forms can be found at http://www.mcn.edu/mcn2006/proposals/.

NEW CLOSING DATE FOR NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAYS PROGRAM
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides funds to plan, design and develop a scenic byway program involving state programs, corridor management plans, safety improvements, byway facilities, access to recreation, resource protection, interpretive information or marketing. Priority is given to projects that demonstrate the relationship of the project to the byway, benefit the byway traveler and leverage funds from multiple funding sources. Local units of government and nonprofit organizations may apply to this program but must coordinate their applications with their state departments of transportation. The FHWA program has a new closing date; the applications are due to FHWA division office on March 6, 2006. Go to: www.bywaysonline.org/grants/.

A NEW SURVEY REPORTS AN INCREASE IN ONLINE DONATIONS
According to the Pew Internet AND American Life Project, the number of Americans who donate to charities online has jumped significantly in the past year, bolstered by 13 million people who gave money over the Internet to help victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The report indicates that nine percent of online users donated online for Katrina and Rita relief, with the number of online donors up 53% overall since January 2005. To view the entire report, visit http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/168/report_display.asp.

GRAHAM FOUNDATION GRANTS
Grants from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts are offered to individuals and institutions in support of activities that focus on architecture and the built environment and that lead to the public dissemination of ideas through publication, exhibition, or educational programming. The postmark deadlines are January 15 and July 15, and the awards are usually announced approximately 150 days thereafter. See www.grahamfoundation.org/index.asp for additional guidelines and information.

Get the Word Out in CAM e-News!
Please email the CAM office at cam@calmuseums.org to list any announcements pertaining to professional development programs, grant opportunities, or related opportunities in future editions of CAM e-News and on the CAM web site. Since it is not possible to include all the details of an announcement, please include a phone number, web site address, or email address so interested parties can get additional information. Please do not exceed a limit of 150 words per listing. All announcements are subject to editing by CAM personnel.