Want to give your museum members reason
to upgrade their membership level? Join the ACM Reciprocal
Program!
Designed to promote premium family memberships
at children's museums and help families play while on vacation
or while visiting a long-distance relative, the ACM Reciprocal
Program provides free admission or discounted admission for a minimum four (4) visitors
from the same household to almost 200 ACM museums that
participate in the ACM Reciprocal Program Network. Local restrictions may apply.
The Museum
Staff Reference is a one-page information sheet
that museums may copy and paste into in training/procedures
manuals or print out as a desk reference.
Distribute an ACM Reciprocal Program Welcome to people who purchase a membership with ACM Reciprocal Program benefits from your museum. The Welcome Packet includes information about the ACM Reciprocal Program as well as tips for making the most of a visit to a children's museum.
All valid Family Membership Cards
with ACM Reciprocal Program benefits must display the
ACM Reciprocal Program logo. Museums must be enrolled
in the program and in good standing to use the logo.
Museums have three options for placing the logo onto membership
cards.
Order stickers A museum automatically receives one free logo sheet
(100 stickers) when joining or renewing as a Program
participant. Additional sheets are available for $35
per page. Contact ACM to order additional sticker sheets.
Create your own stickers Purchase Avery Labels 05408 from an office supply
store. Download the template. Print template to label sheet (24 logo
labels per sheet) using a color printer.
Print the logo directly on
membership cards Right
click here to download and save the JPEG/Tiff
logo suitable for direct placement on cards. Note:
You will not be able to preview the image online,
but will see the logo image once it has been saved
to your computer. Remember, the logo must be printed
in color.
Note: Logo colors: ACM
Reciprocal Program, raspberry: PMS 676; www.ChildrensMuseums.org
in orange: PMS 1655.
The logo must be clearly visible and printed on a white or
light colored paper stock.
Admission staff should determine whether
a family is from a museum that is currently participating
in the ACM Reciprocal Program by referring to an up-to-date
participant brochure or the ACM
Web site. Not all ACM Members participate
in the program.
Family visitors must present a valid
ACM Reciprocal Membership Card in order to receive free admission
for a minimum of four (4) individuals from the
same household. Museums are empowered to admit additional
individuals from the same household at their own discretion.
Museum members with cards issued prior
to July 4, 2009, should be admitted if the card has the ACM
Reciprocal Program logo and if the issuing museum is a current
member of the Reciprocal Program.
Beginning July 5, 2009, all newly
issued membership cards must include the following:
The membership card lists one adult
family member by name.
The adult listed
on the card is present at the time of admission. (Museums
may request a photo ID from the cardholder but
are not required to do so.)
The expiration
date on the card has not passed.
The ACM Reciprocal
Membership logo is on the card.
Admission privileges do extend to
special exhibits.
Reciprocal privileges do not extend
to discounts for gift shop or café purchases, parking,
museum special events, programs, summer camps or birthday
parties.
Why
is the number of individuals eligible for free admission described
as a
"minimum of four (4)"?
A majority of respondents wanted the Reciprocal
Program to cover a specified number of people, rather than
be open-ended as the program was formerly structured. However,
there was no consensus as to the number of individuals. Coverage
for four admissions was the most popular response, cited by
27.9%. The ACM Board of Directors debated this issue and concluded
that it was in the best interests of all parties to set an
admission threshold at four people. See Page 9 of the Your
Voice Counts Survey Results for the ACM Reciprocal Program
for additional information.
ACM acknowledges that this was a close call,
which is why the following language was added to Members Only
resource materials "Museums may admit additional individuals
from the same household at their own discretion." ACM
is primarily concerned about ensuring that museums honor the
Rule of Four for families (admitting less than four, if four
are present, is in violation of the program).
For families seeking Reciprocal Program
information, the ACM public Web site describes the minimum
of four policy to set a clear standard and a baseline, branded
experience.
Must my museum check photo IDs?
No, museums are not required to check photo IDs. Museums may request a photo ID from the cardholder if there is a question that the adult listed on the card is in fact the individual present at the time of admission.
What
are the guidelines for selling a Family Membership with ACM
Reciprocal Program benefits?
The museum must be a current ACM Reciprocal Program Member
with no plans to withdraw from the program within a year's
time.
The ACM Reciprocal Program
must be offered as part of a premium family membership
that is priced at $100 or above. For example, some museums
may choose to offer a $100 family membership without
Reciprocal benefits and a $150 family membership with
Reciprocal benefits.
The ACM Reciprocal Program should be marketed to promote
premium family memberships and as a value-added benefit
for families who wish to access children's museums outside
of their community. Fair Play Clause: The target audience
for the ACM Reciprocal Program are families who reside
within the museum's community. Families should be encouraged
to buy local!
To prepare a valid membership card with
ACM Reciprocal Program benefits, see Admission
Policies; and to learn how to obtain the ACM
Reciprocal Program logo, see Participant
Resources.
Can a museum deny admission to a visitor with a temporary membership card?
No. In January 2009, as part of the Your Voice Counts membership survey, ACM asked Reciprocal Program participants whether families should be able to present a temporary membership card to gain admission. A strong majority of respondents (71.2%) want temporary membership cards to be accepted.
Temporary membership cards, much like permanent membership cards, should indicate:
The name of at least one adult family member.
A date of expiration.
That the membership qualifies for ACM Reciprocal Program benefits. Temporary membership cards do not require an official ACM Reciprocal Program sticker or logo; however, the card must indicate that the member purchased a premium family membership with ACM Reciprocal Program benefits.
When
are museums required to comply with the new requirements for
issuing valid membership cards?
All ACM Reciprocal Program Museums must
create a new membership card template that allows the museum
to print the first and last name of adults by July 5, 2009. Beginning
July 5, you must use this new template when creating membership
cards for renewing and new members. Contact Victoria Garvin, Program Officer, Membership, if you are
concerned about meeting this deadline.
ACM acknowledges a period of transition,
and does not want to impose an undo burden on museums to reissue
cards for members who joined prior to July 5, 2009. However,
these members should receive a new card that lists at least
one adult by first and last name when it is time for them
to renew.
Can
museums institute specific admission restrictions?
ACM encourages museums to carefully
consider the implications of restricting visits to the program,
as it weakens the marketing value of the program and irritates
family museum members.
Museums may mutually propose to restrict
ACM Reciprocal Program family visitors if the two museums
are within the same geographic location. The restriction must
be mutually agreed upon by both museums, and submitted to ACM for review. Valid restrictions will be posted on the ACM Web
site and brochures.
Museums may institute a residency restriction,
to encourage families to purchase their ACM Reciprocal Program
membership at their local museum. The restriction must be
submitted to Victoria Garvin, Program Officer, Memberhsip, for
review and approval. Approved restrictions will be posted on the ACM Web site
and brochures.
Can a museum donate a membership card to its local library that includes ACM Reciprocal Programs benefits?
No. The intent of the ACM Reciprocal Program is to promote premium family memberships. While donating a membership card for check out at the local library is laudable, membership cards borrowed from a library extend admission benefits only to the museum that issued the card.
How
does a museum withdraw from the ACM Reciprocal Program?
In order to withdraw from the ACM
Reciprocal Program, a museum must give ACM one year notice in writing.
During that time, the museum will be responsible for the Reciprocal
Program dues. During this phase-out year, the museum is not
allowed to extend the Reciprocal Benefits to new members.
Further, the museum will continue to honor reciprocal membership
cards from other participating museums to ensure the integrity
of the program.
A museum wishing to join or withdraw
from the program should contact Victoria Garvin, Program Officer, Membership.
What
role does Your Voice Counts play in Reciprocal Program Policies?
ACM's membership satisfaction survey, Your
Voice Counts IV, was conducted in January 2009 and was open
to staff at all member museums. The survey asked questions
specific to the ACM Reciprocal Program and 110 respondents
provided feedback about the program's policies.
Based on feedback from the majority of respondents,
the ACM Board of Directors enacted two new program changes.
The membership cards should list one
adult family member by name. The adult listed on the card
should be present at the
time of admission. (Museums may request a photo ID from
the cardholder.)
Family visitors with a valid ACM Reciprocal
Membership Card may receive free admission for up to four
(4) individuals from the same household.
