Architecting Sustainable Futures
Designing sustainable funding models with community-based archives, and increasing funding streams to these organizations.
The Challenge
Community-based archives hold some of the most valuable materials documenting the lives of marginalized people and they mostly exist independently of other traditional academic or government-run cultural heritage institutions. But while these archives continue to collect and preserve these histories, many of them face difficulties growing their operations, keeping their doors open, and enhancing their programming and collections activities because of a lack of funding opportunities. How can we directly address funding issues for community-based archives?
Our Approach
In 2018, we convened a representative group of archivists to study opportunities for and barriers to developing sustainable funding models for community-based archives. Utilizing our Community-Centered Design approach, we explored ideas for how to overcome barriers and scale solutions. In 2023 we convened representatives from community-based archives along with funding agencies to revisit our progress in five years, to celebrate, assess, and set an agenda for the next five years.
Introducing the Community-Based Archives Continuum
Following the 2023 convening, we released the Community-Based Archives Continuum, which is informed by over a decade of work in the field and in particular, over five years of deep research. The Continuum is a way for us to generalize the broad spectrum of organizations in the field and identify measurable ways they can be supported wherever they may be on the continuum at any given time.
Stats and Impact
40 archivists from US, Europe, and New Zealand participated
4 funding partners represented
2 days of conversations documented
Collaborative whitepaper and partnership suggestions produced on supporting community-based archives
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation created new $2.2m funding stream for community-based archives as a result of this research
Tools and Methods
Community-Centered Design
Systems Change
Utilized Storybox for trust and team building
Convenings & Meeting Planning
Funding
2023 Findings
Download the full report from the 2023 convening here.
2018 Findings
View our full findings and download the report.
“So grateful I had the opportunity to attend. Lots and lots to reflect on. #ASFNOLA”
— Patricia Hswe, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
“It was such a privilege to be present for this. I left (too early!) with a full heart and having learned so much. Thank you.”
— Bethany Nowviskie, Director of the Digital Library Federation