The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is proud to announce the launch of the Measurement of Museum Social Impact (MOMSI) research study, a year-long research project developed to measure how museums impact their communities through education and engagement. This project will be conducted over the course of the year, recruiting local and seasonal residents to participate in the study.
The MOMSI survey was built through trial studies at 38 museums across the United States by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and Thanksgiving Point Institute with funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Following these case studies, IMLS created and published the Museum Social Impact Toolkit, a resource that allows museums to conduct studies and assess the ways they are positively impacting the visitors that engage with them.
“The NHA is excited to utilize this comprehensive toolkit to understand the impact we have on our visitors and community. As the NHA continues to grow our outreach programs, this assessment will be significantly beneficial so we can shape our efforts to best serve our many audiences,” said NHA Gosnell Executive Director, Niles Parker.
The NHA aims to recruit 100+ volunteer study participants to visit the Whaling Museum three separate times throughout the year. Participants will then complete a survey reporting on how their engagement with the NHA influenced different aspects of their lives, including continued learning, increased health and well-being, valuing diverse communities, and strengthening relationships.
These findings will help the NHA measure the organization’s current social impact, while also informing the NHA’s future engagement initiatives. The data acquired through this survey will also support the NHA’s candidacy for reaccreditation as a certified member of the American Alliance of Museums, the primary non-profit organization representing the entire scope of the museum field in the U.S. The NHA’s application for AAM reaccreditation is being compiled over the course of 2026, to be submitted in 2027.
Participant recruitment for the MOMSI research study will begin in April. To learn more, please reach out to Jocelyn Wong, NHA Director of Community Engagement at jwong@nha.org or begin by submitting the prospective participant recruitment form here.
