Nonprofit network helps local museum

Farmer House Museum needed help developing solutions to everyday problems for nonprofits.

IDEAS Network, which stands for Initiating, Development, Evaluating, Activating and Sustaining ideas, is a part of Creative Indiana, an organization whose mission is to strengthen the usage of creativity throughout the community.

At this month’s IDEAS network event Wednesday night, seven people gathered to help the museum find ways to raise funds and make sure it can be preserved in the future.
Ladi Terry started both initiatives, which she operates through her business, Success Work.

Terry works in the creative field, working for a variety of nonprofits specializing in implementation of creativity. She is also studying for a master’s degree in creative development from Buffalo State College in Buffalo, N.Y.

IDEAS Network facilitates monthly public meetings to help organizations, specifically nonprofits, come up with creative ways to solve problems they face.

“My goal is just to help people realize that creativity is a skill that can develop, just like any other skill,” Terry said.

The Farmer House Museum was started by Ed and Mary Ellen Farmer, who wanted to ensure the home built in 1869 would be preserved in the community. The house and its items were turned over to the community to become a museum in 1999.

The displays in the house are of everyday items dating from 1875 to 1975, including clothing, pictures and 100 years of greeting cards.

Museum Director Emily Purcell came to IDEAS Network Wednesday night to help create ways to solve some of the museum’s problems, most notably with increasing the museum’s endowment and strengthening awareness of the museum.

Terry said IDEAS Network typically only helps organizations come up with solutions, but if they want to hire her to help carry out the plans, they can.

“All we can do is start this process, but it’s amazing,” Terry said.

Other monthly IDEAS Network events included deciding names of events for My Sister’s Closet and helping WonderLab strengthen its gift shop.

In two hours, seven people, including new Bloomington citizens and museum board members, brainstormed an array of ideas to help the museum.

These included using social media to advertise for the house, making online digital tours and organizing events such as tea time and dancing events.

Preserving the spirit of the Farmer family is very important to Purcell and the board.

“I think most of these ideas they would really like,” Purcell said. “The dance and connecting with the world, especially.”