South Asian American Digital Archive, NFP

The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) will lead a research study to develop and evaluate earned revenue strategies for community-based archives (CBAs) and small/medium-sized cultural institutions, producing approaches that strengthen financial sustainability and are replicable by other organizations. A research cohort of four CBAs will identify earned revenue strategies and work with business consultants to develop a strategic plan for generating revenue. The strategies will then be deployed under the guidance of researchers and CBA participants will capture data as the primary activity during the second year. In the final year, cohort members will conduct a debrief of their results. Research findings will be disseminated to the field through the publication of a “how to” monograph, a series of webinars and/or conference presentation that shares results and learnings of each cohort organization at the end of each year, and an interactive web portal to make findings easily accessible. The goal is to make a foundational investment in the long-term health of the sector.