A quiet transformation in membership

A quiet transformation in membership

A quiet transformation in membership


There has been a quiet transformation happening behind the scenes at the California Association of Museums (CAM) this year. Have you noticed?

It all started last year when the CAM Board re-imagined our role in serving the museum field. Shortly thereafter, Board president Michaeleen Gallagher announced a new strategic framework with the mission: “CAM unifies and strengthens California museums to expand their collective impact”.

Simultaneously, our Membership Committee and Board have been thoughtfully considering how our membership program can better “unify” and “strengthen” California museums. We recognize that our ability to expand the field’s collective impact is directly related to the number of organizations and individuals who are actively engaged in our work.

Over the last decade and a half, CAM’s impact on the museum field has increased significantly. New services have been created (such as CAM e-News), program attendance has doubled, and special initiatives now engage hundreds more museum professionals. Yet, over that same time period, our individual and institutional membership program has not changed.

In September, we launched a new CAM website and a membership model that provides greater customization and more options for how museum professionals and museums wish to engage in our work. Each membership category (e.g. individual and institutional) now has three levels to help you customize your CAM membership experience: 

Membership Levels

CONNECT – The CONNECT level is ideal for those new to CAM or those who want basic access to valued services, such as CAM e-News. The low cost is accessible for anyone to CONNECT to CAM.

ENGAGE – The ENGAGE level is perfect for those who value engaging with their colleagues and actively participating in CAM’s programs and initiatives. The modest membership fees provide several benefits – including those that extend to all staff members of institutional members.

LEAD – The LEAD level is truly for individuals and institutions that view themselves as leaders in the field and/or value CAM’s leadership role. Enhanced benefits include recognition opportunities as well as complimentary individual memberships for ALL staff members of LEAD institutional members.

Our new website also offers an enhanced experience, allowing you to create a custom profile that better reflects your experience and museum connections. In 2017, we launched a new and exciting features that provide greater opportunities to connect and engage with other museum professionals – allowing you to customize your CAM member experience even more.

We are here to help you, as museum professionals, connect with each other, network, collaborate, and strengthen museums and the communities they serve.

If you have any questions about the new membership program, you are always welcome to contact our Membership and Communications Manager, Carey Lin, at [email protected] or another member of our friendly staff.

Thank you for participating in CAM and supporting our vision to strengthen museums and the dynamic state we live in.