Founded in 1960, the Museum Association of New York (MANY; ma·nee) is a statewide professional collective and nonprofit service organization.  Today, it represents over 500 institutional and 1,300 individual members from institutions of all sizes, disciplines, and types across the state–from world-renowned collections to local preservation and natural conservation organizations.  Socially and economically, MANY members make significant contributions to their communities and play a unique role in ensuring that the humanities, art, and science are central to civic life.  Collaboration and mutual support are essential to maintaining the excellence for which New York's diverse museum network is renowned.  MANY helps shape a better future for museums and museum professionals in New York, uplifting best practices and building organizational capacity through advocacy, education, and networking.  For more than 60 years, MANY's member-driven organizational structure and grant-supported programming have evolved to meet the changing needs of the field, consistently emphasizing professional development, capacity building, re-granting, organizational collaborations, and member-accessible programming.

A small administrative staff leads MANY in partnership with a member-elected volunteer Board of Directors.  Based in Troy, New York, in the capital region, all operations are conducted remotely.  Programming and activities take place in each of the ten state Regional Economic Development Council regions.  Board members are experienced museum professionals and industry stakeholders–there is an annual call for applications and nominations.  MANY membership is open to non-profit museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens, and aquariums incorporated and operating in New York State, and is based on budget size.  Individual MANY membership is open to museum professionals and industry peers working in or with museums in New York.  MANY is proudly committed to ongoing accessible collaboration with peer member associations and aligned professional service organizations.