Fox Family Foundation awarded a multi-year general operating support grant to the Museum of Durham History (the Museum) in 2023 and its first-ever grant to Note in the Pocket in 2024. Both envisioned significant expansions of their physical space, and each found that such growth takes more than a plan — it takes a plan with room to adapt.

Plans for expanding the Museum have been in the works for more than 10 years. Yet Executive Director Patrick Mucklow remains careful about the pace: “As we grow, we’re very intentional so that we don’t get ahead of ourselves. We make sure that we can do what is realistic and do it in responsible fashion.” That kind of sustainable growth only happens with deliberate and comprehensive planning.

Reflecting further, Mucklow suggests that the process, “starts with the existing work the Museum does through exhibits, external programming, educational programming, and building the community support that is needed.” That foundational work, Mucklow says, demonstrates to public and private-sector partners “that they can feel confident in the Museum’s ability to grow, maintain and sustain operations on a long-term basis.” An early expansion concept proposed re-purposing of an existing, disused space; but given the significant growth in Durham and shifting community requests the plan for growth has evolved. Continued engagement with and attention to input from the community, local government and area schools will ensure that the new Museum facility will match their expressed needs.

The current recommendation of the Museum’s consulting architects is to build the new structure on the Museum’s existing site. “The piece of property is bigger than you think it is. It also gets a lot of visibility, so the plan is to stay on this property.” To do that, the Museum secured in July of 2026 a 30-year lease with the City for its current site at 500 W. Main Street.

The next part of the planning process is already underway, Mucklow shared. “We are in the process of identifying and pulling together architectural images and plans — the seeds that will grow into the actual blueprints.”

As the plan has evolved, it’s been crucial to maintain a cohesive vision. Board Chair Jane Brasier, who became involved three years ago, noted that “it’s good to have some people who were here in the beginning — to talk about the mission and our role.” Mucklow adds: “We call it the conscience of the Museum: having both the institutional knowledge combined with the fresh ideas for addressing the Museum’s growth. It’s really the soul of the Museum that helps keep us rooted in our mission.”

Where the Museum of Durham History has grown in place, Note in the Pocket has returned to its roots to re-engage with Durham. Conceived in 2005 by a first-year kindergarten teacher working in Durham Public Schools, Note in the Pocket was subsequently founded in 2011 as a Wake County nonprofit. From the time of its formal founding, Note in the Pocket grew its presence in Wake County, providing “quality clothing to homeless and impoverished children and families with dignity and love”.

Roughly 15 years after its inception in that Durham kindergarten classroom, Note in the Pocket — with the support of a feasibility study by Duke’s Fuqua School of Business — decided to re-engage with its Durham County beginnings.

While the Museum’s planning unfolded slowly, Note in the Pocket’s execution required lightning-quick responsiveness. Operations Director Tammy West recalls that no sooner was the decision made than a Durham real estate developer proposed a location. The momentum shifted dramatically: “We didn’t anticipate how quickly it was going to go; but when things fall into place you don’t slow down. [The location] was ideally situated, the right size, and a good deal. My job was to make it happen, and so we did.”

To maintain operational continuity across the two locations, Durham staff spent more than half a year working daily at the Wake County site. “We could replicate systems so that there wouldn’t be any question about how they would do their work when we started up in Durham. We needed the Durham team to have a very clear vision of what we do and how we do it.”

As the Durham team settled in, keeping both sites in step became an ongoing priority. West says, “no matter what, we are Note in the Pocket — everybody’s on the same team, everybody knows each other, and everybody feels like they are working toward the same goal.” One solution was a “staff swap”: rotating counterparts between the two sites so each could work the same role at the other location, learn from it, and actively work to build a more cohesive culture.

Evidence pointing to the successful expansion of Note in the Pocket is the quick adoption of services by Durham Public Schools’ social workers. Building recognition among donors and volunteers is slower work West knows can’t be rushed. “We can see the progress. It’s going exactly the way we think it should go.”

Whether an expansion unfolds over a decade or arrives all at once, each organization’s process points to the same thing: a successful expansion allows room to change. Hold steady to the mission, stay ready to adapt, and growth follows, at whatever pace the moment calls for.

Page image, top: Courtesy NinP, photo credit: mpiTOO.