Two Approaches to Measuring Social Impact in Utah Museums

Abstract

Abstract With strong competition for funding, museums need to be able to clearly and concretely demonstrate their impact. In this paper we present two case studies to document the social impact of museums in Utah. In 2015, Thanksgiving Point, a multi‐museum complex, recruited families who had never visited to attend each museum then to take a comprehensive survey measuring indicators of social impact. Positive findings from the Thanksgiving Point study encouraged the Utah Division of Arts and Museums to expand on the model to include eight museums, representative of museums state‐wide, and attempt to measure social impact for the museums collectively as well as individually. Both studies showed that those who visit museums have experiences that lead to strengthened relationships, a greater sense of personal health and wellbeing, and higher educational engagement; and the state study revealed that museum visitors also developed greater interculture competency. Findings from both studies have been used to evaluatively reflect on internal practices and to garner support for external funding. This article begins with a discussion of dialog in the field around measuring the impact of museums, then describes the processes and lessons learned from these studies.

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