Across the nation, struggling museums are finding innovative ways to collaborate and combine resources to enhance their missions – and keep from going under.

In San Diego, this idea is exemplified by the Women’s Museum of California becoming an official program of the San Diego History Center. This partnership promises to amplify their shared goals while preserving their distinct identities, according to those involved.

A year ago, a similar move occurred when The San Diego Museum of Art and The Museum of Photographic Arts merged—becoming a unified institution which allowed for the combination of collections, resources and expertise.

Bill Lawrence, president and CEO of the San Diego History Center, said the driving force behind the merger is that all nonprofits, including museums, must make business-savvy decisions to stay open in a difficult economy.

“Just as the climate [post-pandemic] has been challenging for for-profit businesses, it especially hits nonprofits hard. Coming together to combine resources makes sense – especially in the nonprofit sector. Many people think that museums get lots of government money and that’s usually not the case.”

Laura L. Mitchell, the former Executive Director of the Women’s Museum, now serves as the vice president of public programs at the History Center. She said, “As Bill rightly observes, nonprofits still have business models! Smaller organizations like The Women’s Museum of California have all the overhead of larger organizations, but often not the resources to cover those costs adequately and to comply with state and federal regulations. For the Women’s Museum, it made sense to become a part of a larger organization to leverage those economies of scale.”

Lawrence said this merger did not take place overnight but was “years in the making,” as there is not a cookie-cutter approach to the process. The idea first emerged in 2018, before the pandemic when the Women’s Museum was still constrained by its small size. In late 2023, the Prebys Foundation gave a $300,000 grant to the Women’s Museum to explore the possibility of becoming a program of the History Center.

“The Prebys’s Foundation grant… gave the Women’s Museum time to pause and really look at whether this made sense. And for [the History Center], the backing of Prebys to the Women’s Museum also provided a level of security that the conversation of bringing in the Women’s Museum was worth having. Both institutions already had a lot to do with limited resources. This process has taken time, energy and resources, but is already proving to be worthwhile,” Lawrence said.

Mitchell noted staff is the biggest expenditure for any nonprofit. Having centralized operations will cut down on those costs long-term. As part of the merger, the Women’s Museum’s two principal employees were hired by the History Center. Mitchell said she was delighted to become the vice president of programs while her colleague took on the role of program manager.

“It’s been a joy for us, as a small team, to become a part of a larger staff,” Mitchell said.

The San Diego History Center has 28 employees, including full- and part-time positions, with the addition of two positions from The Women’s Museum. From there, the merged institution hopes to grow.

“For the long term, we are looking to build a capacity that will support both our collections, development and marketing needs. Also, the San Diego History Center offers resources that the Women’s Museum hasn’t been able to have. So, both institutions benefit,” Lawrence said.

Both emphasized that the decision was not entirely financial and believed they would better fulfill their individual missions together.

“For The Women’s Museum, the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages. Fundamentally, the merged organization will be in a better position to deliver on its mission and vision, and this is deeply gratifying. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to preserve the past and inspire the future, and The Women’s Museum of California is now in a better position to do just that,” Mitchell said.

The Women’s Museum will have visibility like never before at Balboa Park.

“Over the course of its 40-plus year history, The Women’s Museum of California has sought a flagship location with significant foot traffic. To be with the San Diego History Center, located in Balboa Park — San Diego’s internationally renowned arts and culture destination — is an extraordinary gift,” Mitchell said. “But the benefit is much more than that — this is an opportunity for the Women’s Museum, which is small and niche, to be a part of a broader endeavor to bring to life the stories of so many people — including women — who shaped our region.”

To date, the merger is going smoothly and visitors have been positive about the change. Lawrence expects any confusion to ebb as the San Diego History Center reimagines its Balboa Park museum. “The details continue to be worked out,” Lawrence said.

Mitchell and Lawrence do not think the trend of museums merging ends with them. They think more organizations will have to embrace collaboration and work together to fulfill their missions.

“My hunch is that this is the future for many small nonprofits, not just smaller museums. For some, this could mean a formal merger of operations. More generally speaking, as Bill notes, collaboration is the future. Collaboration is one of the surest ways to build an audience and reach new people who may be unfamiliar with your mission,” Mitchell said.

Top photo: Calif. Secretary of State Shirley Weber and State Senator Toni Atkins discussed San Diego’s history of women holding office at an event organized by the Women’s Museum of California held on Sept. 28 at San Diego History Center’s museum in Balboa Park. (Photos courtesy San Diego History Center)