ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Marilyn,
That's a great summary and reprise! Additionally, until revenue and expenses are brought to balance, and some adjustments are made for the shifting population demographics and changing needs, the nature and types of government funding is likely to remain erratic and volatile. Then there's the issue of climate change, which is likely to reshape habitat earth and place additional demands on all of us. There will be many, many new and old priorities to balance and decide.
C
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On Jan 5, 2013, at 5:08 AM, marilyn hoyt <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> It may be helpful to see this situation in context....the entire nonprofit
> sector is re-inventing its business model during these years.
> Triggered by the perfect storm of 2008 when endowments lost 28 - 42% of
> their value and foundations and corporations funded both less, and on
> different priorities....and then continuing in 2009 through our current
> period when government tax revenues have been disrupted and government
> support has waned, putting pressure on private contributors of all kinds;
> every source of contributed income went into an atypical and negative or
> flat year-to-year trend. Earned income was, and continues to be perceived
> as an income source with upside potential, although most parts of the
> sector are finding it difficult to raise the capital needed to explore
> where net gains can be realized.
> Beyond the current disruption to the entire nonprofit business model, we
> may also be next in line for an R&D megatrend that began more than 30 years
> out as corporations downsized/eliminatedt heir R&D functions. Even as we
> are seeing pressure on our content/R&D budgets, it may be helpful to note
> that they are far into the model of buying/taking over new
> products/services developed by entrepreneurs (often, to this date, with the
> help of government grants in basic research) Could this model work for a
> few of us? For instance, do any of us have research that could be
> transferred to small business for commercial applications? Those grants
> still exist. STTR's (Technology transfer grants) and SBIR's (Small
> Business Investigative Research grants for basic research.
>
> On Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 11:56 AM, Martin Weiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
>> institutions.
>>
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> Yes, it seems short sighted especially if you view your science staff as
>
>
> --
> Marilyn Hoyt
> 110 Sixth Avenue
> Pelham, NY 10803
> 914-815-0671*
>
>
> *
>
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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
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