ISBN:
  Paper: 978-0-89263-004-2
  Cloth: 978-0-89263-003-5

THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY:
Lessons from One Nonprofit's Long Struggle for Survival

• About the author
• Reviews of The New-York Historical Society: Lessons from One Nonprofit's Long Struggle for Survival

The New-York Historical Society is home to one of the nation's most distinguished research libraries and a world-class museum that includes an impressive collection of Tiffany glasswork, a prized group of Hudson River School paintings, and more than four hundred of the original watercolors used for John J. Audubon's classic work The Birds of America. Yet this prestigious institution —with assets some estimate to be worth between one and two billion dollars—has in recent years faced a seemingly endless string of financial crises and administrative controversies.

The New-York Historical Society takes a probing look behind the headlines to reveal the truth about the difficulties that have plagued the Society. This fascinating account is an effort to understand why scores of well-intentioned and competent people have been unable to correct problems rooted in decisions made by the Society over the course of its two-hundred-year existence. Kevin Guthrie's examination of the New-York Historical Society and its efforts to overcome a tradition of mismanagement and elitism serves as an example not only for those concerned about the survival of the Society, but also for those concerned about the continued well-being of museums, libraries, and other nonprofit organizations.

Executives, managers, board members, trustees, and scholars and students of nonprofit organizations will benefit from Guthrie's insightful analysis, which includes a wealth of illustrative examples and pertinent information on issues such as:

• The deleterious effects of intense media coverage, especially on an organization struggling to overcome complex problems
• The key distinction between financial and cultural assets—and its implications
• The proper use and management of endowment resources
• The ethical considerations raised by deaccession—the selling of works from a museum collection

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin M. Guthrie is the executive director of JSTOR, an independent nonprofit organization recently established with the assistance of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help the scholarly community take advantage of advances in information technology. Previously, he was a research associate at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. He earned his master’s degree in business administration from Columbia University, where he was a Samuel Bronfman Fellow. He is the cofounder of CGSports Associates, inc., a video products and computer software consulting firm specializing in sports applications. Earlier, he received his bachelor’s degree cum laude from Princeton University, majoring in civil engineering.

REVIEWS

"Kevin Guthrie's book makes for compelling reading. With exceptional lucidity, he tells the complicated history of an important cultural institution, and draws conclusions that will be important for all of us responsible for managing the affairs of our nation's private libraries and museums."

"The lessons of this book challenge the leaders of all nonprofits to be actively aware of their responsibilities and courageous in meeting them. . . . Required reading for every new officer and trustee of a non¬profit organization, be it a university, museum, religious institution, or charitable foundation."