Strategic Planning

Fort Bend History Association (Texas)

County museum with relatively new director, reshaping priorities after ending a long-term management agreement with another organization. We later updated the plan after news of a transformative gift and began developing interpretive plan to guide narrative and visitor experience at multiple properties. (2023-present)

We underwent a huge transition and needed to refocus the staff and board. Melissa guided me through extensive planning so we could make the most out of our time with the staff and board. We came out of the retreats with strategic priorities that we could immediately implement. The next year, we tackled Interpretative Planning. While we are still in the midst of that process, we’ve already started making changes to the Fort Bend Museum.  I highly recommend hiring Melissa. She takes the time to get to know your organization so she can customize the retreat or training she offers you.  

Madeleine Calcote-Garcia, Executive Director

Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. (West Virginia)

The first new deal planned community, transitioning to new leadership and increased programming. We also developed new mission statement and created a disaster plan. (2024)

We worked with Melissa during a key transitional moment in our organization, both in terms of executive leadership and mission. Her guidance and recommendations helped us stay focused and develop a strong mission statement, strategic plan, and emergency/disaster plan that will see us into the future. As a small, rural historic site, it was so refreshing to work with a professional like Melissa who really understands the challenges and issues we face daily. We reference our strategic plan weekly, making it a living document rather than a dusty, unused report. We couldn’t recommend her highly enough! 

Kenneth D. Kidd, Executive Director, and Elizabeth Satterfield, Curator & Director of Education

Other Strategic Planning Clients include:

Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave (Denver, CO) Assist in creating a plan to guide organization for next few years as they begin working towards a larger planning effort. Plan includes programming, exhibit updates, and building relationships with the Tribal Historic Preservation officers and cultural knowledge keepers. (2025)

Cranbrook Institute of Science (Detroit, MI) New leadership ready to transform the museum into a more vibrant and community focused museum. (2025-present)

Historic Mesquite (Texas) Develop plan for public/private partnership as they prepare for several major capital projects. (2025)

Manassas Museum System (Virginia) Municipal museum that went through a major renovation. Assisted through transition with policies and planning. Returning to develop new strategic plan now that the renovated building has been open for two years. (2021-2023 and 2026-present)

Tails ‘N’ Trails Museum (Nocona, TX) All-volunteer museum building sustainability and planning for expansion. (2024)

Fundraising

Readers 2 Leaders (Dallas)

Served as Interim Director of Development for 8 months. Updated policies, procedures, and systems. Assisted with Grand Opening Party for Capital Campaign. Led EOY campaign (doubling gifts) and North Texas Giving Day. Assisted with onboarding and training of two new Development staff members. Assisting with strategic planning in 2023.

I highly recommend Melissa as a nonprofit consultant; she has truly been an invaluable support to Readers 2 Leaders during a key time of transition. With Melissa’s leadership and support, we updated and strengthened our Development plan and stabilized many aspects of our department (including maximizing our donor database as well as grant management process). She also provided critical support in onboarding and vetting two new members to help us build a strong Development team. Melissa is able to think about strategy and long-term vision, but is equally willing to help with day to day logistics and details that are necessary to maintaining operations. I found both types of support incredibly valuable. I would 100% work with Melissa again on future needs and projects, and am grateful for her partnership and support!

Norma Nelson, President and CEO

Melissa provided the calm amid a storm at my organization. As my temporary supervisor, she established processes for my work where before there had been confusion and inefficiency. In collaboration with the development department, she cleaned out the backlogs that were making our calendars, task managers, and filing system inefficient sources of stress and left us with clear systems to keep things moving smoothly long into the future. With curiosity and clarity, Melissa helped reset the expectations of the team to help us focus our time and energy on the best possibilities for funding sustainability and growth. I am a happier and more effective employee because of Melissa’s leadership, creativity, and investment in my team.

Adrian White, Grant Writer

Bell County Museum (Texas)

Fundraising Planning  Assess systems, establish goals, and create fundraising plan. Implement database and refine mailing lists. Ongoing board training. (2023)

Thank you for creating an outstanding fundraising plan, CRM database, and communications strategy for BCM. I believe your work with our staff and trustees will help launch BCM into a new era of inclusion, accessibility, and enhanced fundraising. It is a joy working with you.

Coleman Hampton, Executive Director

Other Fundraising Clients Include:

Historic Mesquite, Inc. (Texas)  Fundraising Systems   Merge systems, implement new database, and assist with membership renewal. (2022-2023)

Texas Health Resources Foundation (Texas) Grant Writer. Assist with grant writing and management during staff transition. (2023)

Writer’s Garret (Dallas)  Annual Campaign and Database Implementation  Assist literary nonprofit with first annual campaign, supporting Rail Writers program. Use existing data to begin implementing donor database. (2022)

Wood-Library Museum of Anesthesiology (Schaumburg, IL) Fundraising Services: Draft fundraising plan, including a case for support. Implement donor database. Assist with annual campaign. (2023-2024)

Other Projects and Services

American Association of State and Local History

Create and conduct a series of workshops to help small museums prepare for the 250th in 2026.

Melissa Prycer helped AASLH design and implement a series of workshops based on one of our signature tools, the 250th Anniversary Program Handbook. This was no simple feat, as it involved adapting an existing written resource into an engaging, hands-on program that could translate to different formats, lengths, and audiences. Throughout the project, Melissa was a joy to work with. She consistently brought a creative, constructive approach, identifying questions and decision points, proposing solutions, and offering insights to help ensure that the project team kept our goals in sight, stayed on track in terms of timeline and budget, and centered our audiences. Melissa’s especially keen understanding of the needs of smaller history organizations also enriched the workshops greatly.

Madeleine Rosenberg, Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives

Dallas Jewish Historical Society

Served as Interim Executive Director after unexpected death of ED. Assisting with fundraising support, data management, and program planning. (2023)

Melissa Prycer came to work with DJHS as a fundraising consultant in early 2023. Her role pivoted as suddenly as the agency’s needs following the death of DJHS’ executive director. Her willingness to step up, and the fact that she had the knowledge and training to make a difference, made ALL the difference to DJHS during a period of extreme transition. Melissa’s years of experience in education and non-profit leadership allow her to hone a creative, yet digestible approach to non-profit and museum management. Her attention to detail, keen intuition, and commitment to transparency can and have helped clients, including DJHS, recognize and reassess opportunities for improvement while breathing fresh air into what is working. After working with Melissa closely for several months, I can say with all confidence that she has the skills to propel her clients in any direction they wish to go.

Jessica Adams, Archivist

Additional Clients Include:

Burkburnett Development Corporation (Texas) Museum Planning. Assist city in forming a museum that will feature a collection of 120,000 Hot Wheels and other die cast cars from a local collector. Work includes research on similar museums, drafting of foundational documents, and vision work with a steering committee.

Fort Caspar Museum (Casper, WY) Feasibility Study Assess the impact of a potential major acquisition on operations, funding, and attendance.

National Park Service (Bent’s Old Fort, Sand Creek Massacre, and Amache) (La Junta, Co)Volunteer Assessment: Assess the volunteer program, primarily at Bent’s Old Fort. Also look at ways for the staff of these three historic sites to better collaborate and improve interpretive services.

St. Jude Chapel (Dallas, TX) Historical Services: Organize archives, creating a finding aid and identifying gaps in the collection. Draft a historical narrative to be used in future visitor orientation materials.

Whitney Plantation (Edgard, LA) Disaster Plan. Draft a disaster plan, focusing on hurricane preparedness.