Giving Back to Our Community - The Children's Museum of ...

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Giving Back to Our Community Through Programs and Events COMMUNITY INITIATIVES The Children’s Museum remained committed to its vision of supporting initiatives and programs that enhance the quality of life for neighborhood residents and further engage them in the life of the museum. In 2006, guided by the Neighborhood Development Working Group, these efforts continued. The 30/34 Club — providing free family membership to residents living within the five contiguous neighborhoods surrounding the museum — saw a record 193 members as a result of the launch of a formal renewal program. Instituted in 2004, the Access Pass program provides $1 admission for individuals on state assistance. In 2006, 2,978 pass holders participated in this program, representing 84 Hoosier counties and 17,973 visits. Greater cross-departmental collaboration led to additional outreach events and activities for neighborhood residents. This included more robust programming for First Thursday Family Nights, such as the return of Pet Awareness Day and programs tied to museum exhibits and special events. PUBLIC POLICY The Children’s Museum Day at the Statehouse provided a venue to engage state officials and governmental agencies in the programs and activities hosted at the museum in 2006. The March event also served as the platform for the museum to unveil the results of its most recent Economic Impact Study. Boasting a direct, economic impact on central Indiana of approximately $58 million annually, The Children’s Museum solidified itself as the second largest driver of economic impact in the region, surpassed only by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Additional indicators demonstrated the pride local residents hold in the museum and the value it provides to the region in driving tourists or leisure travelers to the city of Indianapolis. ▼ ▼ The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department mounted patrol visited the museum on Pet Awareness Day. Children’s Museum staff and volunteers plant trees for residents of the museum neighborhood. ANNUAL REPORT 2006 THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS 27
ANNUAL REPORT 2006 THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS 28 EVENTS AND RENTALS The Events Department had another outstanding year in 2006, with rental attendance climbing 19 percent over 2005 and generating $22,000 over plan. Fueled by a large number of repeat clients, the sales staff closed the year with most of their 2007 sales goals already represented by advance bookings. The bi-annual Event Showcase in April highlighted Fireworks of Glass to attract event and meeting planners to the facility. Designed to display the museum’s event execution and catering capabilities, each floor of the building was dressed to show off the variety of possibilities available to clients of all sizes and needs. As weddings grew as a percentage of this clientele, revamped sales kits and menus were developed to better address their needs. The birthday party program rebounded after restructuring, resulting in 120 percent attendance growth over 2005 and over $29,000 in incremental revenue. Collaboration with marketing and The Children’s Museum Store created Birthday Party Gift Registry options, and new party themes were created to tie into Frontier Presents Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street? and Bob the Builder — Project: Build It. MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS Outstanding media coverage of museum exhibits, events and activities continued to buoy the resources allocated to drive visitation and membership. Audience research demonstrated the effectiveness of the 2006 marketing campaigns for Fireworks of Glass, Playdate Destination and Dinosphere®, supporting paid attendance and membership revenue gains. More than 258,291,370 people around the world heard or read about exhibits and events at the museum in 2006.The museum garnered local, national and international attention with media outlets such as ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, Discovery Channel, The New York Times, USA Today and The London Times. The Children’s Museum was featured in Forbes Magazine’s television show broadcast of the Top 10 Best Places to Live and Work on the Fine Living cable network, distributed to over 40 million homes. Indianapolis placed 10th on the list and featured on the show was an interview with Jeff Patchen and coverage of Fireworks of Glass. ▼ The Gala of Glitter and Glass, presented by Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, celebrated the opening of Fireworks of Glass. Giving Back to Our Community Meeting Financial Goals and Investing for the Future With oversight from the Finance and Investment Committees of the museum’s Board of Trustees, The Children’s Museum continues to provide strong fiscal oversight of the organization’s annual budget and endowment. In 2006, the museum’s endowment growth was 11 percent.The net change in endowment was 6.4 percent over 2005, reaching a record high of $281,138,000 at year-end. The operating budget ended the year with a surplus of $314,350 — returning $300,000 to the endowment to support The Power of Children Campaign. Under the leadership of a new department Vice President, the Development Department garnered increased contribution income in the categories of corporate donations and foundation support. The Children’s Museum was selected to benefit from the Tiffany & Co. exclusive Keys for a Cause fundraiser in September. Special guests were invited to purchase keys to unlock cases filled with Tiffany treasures, including fine jewelry, watches, silver and crystal, with the proceeds from the purchase of the keys benefiting the museum. This unique partnership generated $6,400 to support the museum’s annual fund. Fundraising for The Power of Children Campaign in 2006 generated an additional $3.5 million. These gifts included $1 million from Deborah Simon; $275,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities; and $250,000 from the Duke Energy Foundation to support The Power of Children Exhibit. The Ruth Lilly Philanthropy Fund provided $500,000 to support Global Perspectives; and $500,000 from the Allen Whitehall Clowes Charitable Foundation in support of the Phase II Master Campus Plan. Additional gifts received for special projects included $520,000 from Health Care Excel for Health House and $500,000 from Dow AgroSciences in support of SciencePort. ▼ Starbucks employees help plant flowers with participants in the StarPoint Summer Camp, a camp that serves children from the neighborhoods surrounding the museum. ANNUAL REPORT 2006 THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS 29
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