Wagging the Dog

Abstract

In these difficult financial times, it is more important than ever to manage money carefully. Educators who don't do so are vulnerable, for despite a thirty-year history of increasing authority and status within and without the museum, education departments are still more expendable than curatorial or collections departments in some museums. This paper argues the idea that mission and money are indeed inextricably entwined in a relationship where money supports mission, rather than driving it. In other words, the dog wags its tail—not the other way around. It warns against the risks of using zero-based budgeting as a means of creating projects to suit the needs of potential funding, rather than using mission-related projects to attract funding to the museum. The paper will use the author's experience at three European institutions to provide a European perspective on the challenges facing the museum community in a time of economic crisis.