Children's Museum of Phoenix 2011-2012 Annual Report

Children’s Museum of Phoenix

Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012

www.ChildrensMuseumOfPhoenix.org Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012 1

A Letter from the Chairman of the Board The Children’s Museum of Phoenix welcomed its one millionth visitor this fiscal year, provided 50,000 free or reduced rate admission passes to underserved children and families in our community, provided over 500 educational programs, welcomed over 28,000 school children visiting on field trips, and was designated one of the Top 10 Children’s Museums in the country by Parents magazine.

In addition, we’ve shepherded new supporters of the Museum with our Leadership Giving Circles, increased our earned income opportunities with adult programs, became a caregiver resource with workshops dedicated to providing them with the tools they need to help their children reach their full potential, and expanded the Museum’s experiences with the opening of our Someplace exhibit.

At a time when we know that public education doesn’t always provide enough open-ended play experiences for the children in our lives, the Museum’s focus on learning through play, with an emphasis on early childhood education and school-readiness provides the additional support that our children need and deserve.

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a place specifically devoted to the concept of early learning through play. The very idea that learning begins at birth is maverick—therein lies the Museum’s greatest potential for social impact, namely: reaching children ages 0-10 (along with their caregivers and teachers), when their minds and imaginations are most ripe for learning.

It is vitally important to the future of our community and society that children develop the critical thinking skills, creativity, and social skills that are needed to be productive, successful adults. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is one of those rare places that focus directly on developing these abilities in our youngest children – laying a foundation for higher level learning and achievement.

Giving to the Museum is an investment that blossoms directly and widely through benefitting our children and their futures. Our vital role in the community and its future needs the support and investment of people throughout the community in order to succeed.

None of our accomplishments could have been realized without the dedication of staff, Board members and the continued generosity of our supporters, including individuals, foundations and corporations. We are profoundly grateful.

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a strong, healthy, financially responsible organization.

And in the year ahead, we will continue to grow and expand with new programs, exhibits, and workshops that support our mission of engaging the minds, muscles, and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them.

Sincerely,

Rick McCartney Chairman of The Board Children’s Museum of Phoenix

2 Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012

Mission & Vision / Core Values Children’s Museum of Phoenix Founded 1998 215 N. 7th Street Phoenix, AZ 85034 602.253.0501 ChildrensMuseumOfPhoenix.org

Board of Directors Chair Rick McCartney Immediate Past Chair Sam Perry Vice-Chair Susan M. Wissink Treasurer Katherine Cecala Secretary Meghan H. Grabel Jennifer L. Adams Garland A. Brown, Jr. Michelle M. Clarke Michele Davis Donna Egan Ruben Gallego Christopher J. Klecka Becky Lieberman Eric Meyer Scott L. Mitchell Judy Neuman Amanda L. Ryan Brooks St. John-Smith Katherine M. Scardello Ken Schacherbauer Eileen Sullivan Trustees Emeritus Tom Ambrose Sarah Bodney Lisa Handley Terry Hanson Sally Hurwitz Derrick Johnson Hildy Saizow Gayle Starr Josie Young Interim Director/VPO Kelli O’Toole

Acting on the principle that learning is a joy, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix’s mission is to engage the minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grownups who care about them. With hands-on, interactive exhibits designed for children ages birth to 10, the Museum focuses on learning through play, with emphasis on early childhood education and school-readiness.

The Museum’s vision is to foster a joy of learning and to: • P rovide engaging projects, exhibits and programming for young children and their families; • Educate parents and caregivers about child development and parenting techniques; • Build cultural understanding, positive social interaction, and celebrate diversity; and • Serve as a gateway to other cultural institutions and community programs.

Core Values The Children’s Museum of Phoenix Board of Directors and Staff are guided by the following core values:

The Experience: Staff, facility, programs and exhibits • P romotes learning through play in a child focused environment for ages 0-10.

• Maintains high standards for functionality of their area.

• Enhances a caregiver’s understanding of the role they play in the development of children.

Engaged, friendly, respectful, fun, service • B uilds partnerships to integrate all areas of the company.

• Ensures all teams in their group offer a great visitor experience and proactively engage visitors.

• Ensures all teams in their group are continuously improving their customer service skills.

Great business practices • R ecruits, trains and develops a high performing workforce.

• Ensures managers and staff are performing their core roles.

• Drives revenue, support, and visitation in their area by ensuring teams are utilizing all best practices.

• Uses all available resources to solve problems at the root to ensure a consistent, positive, visitor experience.

• Ensures a workplace culture that is collaborative, diverse and dynamic.

Safe environment • • • •

aintains high standards for the safety and appearance of the Museum environment.

M Ensures that all staff makes eco-minded choices.

Promote an environment to allow visitors to be safe, have fun, and try new things.

Ensures an emotional/psychologically safe environment.

Distinctive, consistent, exceptional, museum brand • E nsures the importance of a traditionally and non-traditionally beautiful, artistic, aesthetic that utilizes eco-minded, simple, imaginative materials.

• No permanent commercialism.

• Maintain access for all economic levels.

• Community minded Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012

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The Exhibits The exhibits at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix have been thoughtfully designed to invite meaningful exploration and learning across the ages and developmental levels of young childhood. This intriguing learning environment integrates a sense of whimsy with purposeful play throughout fourteen different exhibit areas. They cultivate growth by stimulating the senses as one journeys through a forest of suspended pool noodles, role playing as a creative chef in the texture café, or when predicting the path and speed of a colorful scarf gently floating down from high above the atrium floor. The one-of-a-kind three story climbing sculpture challenges children’s perception of risk, engages problem solving skills and fosters a growing sense of independence.

Building forts with readily available materials provides young children with opportunities to create where imagination rules. Riding tricycles offers young children a chance to learn the left-right motion of pedaling and crossing the midline with each sharp turn of the handlebars, thus achieving milestones that will eventually translate into reading readiness skills.

The Museum dares to be different in its approach to learning and intentionally does not include signage that directs visitors how to use the exhibits.

Experiences in the Museum are child-directed and therefore developmentally appropriate because children inherently know how to play and naturally engage with objects and people around them.

Looking ahead, the Museum is excitedly anticipating the opening of its new exhibit - “Move It!”. Encompassing the entire front yard, Move It! will be an enticing outdoor play space for children to do what they do best, learn through play and movement.

Innovative in its design and repurpose of materials, the whimsical learning environment invites active exploration, robust imaginative play, and physical activity. It is scheduled to open fall of 2013, and is generously sponsored by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As the Museum continues to grow, the challenges facing the Exhibits Department involve maintaining the high quality of the exhibits while addressing the normal wear and tear that naturally occurs with high use. Our goal in the coming years is to maintain and continue the tradition of exceptional, engaging exhibits that help define the Children’s Museum of Phoenix as a wonderful place to play and a hot-bed of learning with cognitive, physical and socio-emotional growth opportunities for all children.

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Children’s Museum of Phoenix By The Numbers New

Renewals

61

Visitation

Memberships

Member Visitation Group Visitation General Visitation Total Visitation

FY 2011-12 Museum Visitation

Group Visitation

Member Visitation

30

General Visitors

11

59

77,942 28,619 151,016 257,577

Membership to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is the most economical way for a family to experience the Museum’s rich learning environment year-round. The Museum welcomed 4,249 member families during this period.

30%

11%

59

Chart: FY 2011-12 Number of Educational Programs Art Studio Classroom Parent PALS Storytime Art Studio

FY 2011-12 Museum Visitation

9

Administative

Part-Time

61%

PROGRAMS AND ATTENDANCE

Chart: FY 2011-12 Museum Visitation Member Group General

41

39%

Chart: FY 2011-12 Memberships New Renewals

59%

Full-Time

39

Full-Time 34 Part-Time 48 Total Employees 82

Classroom

398

Parent PALS

169

Story Time

9

74

169

74

Chart: F Y 2011-12 Number of Educational Programs Art Studio Classroom Parent PALS Storytime Art Studio

FY 2011-12 Museum Visitation

44,362

Parent PALS

136

Classroom

8,564

Story Time

370

370

136 8,564

398

44,362 41% 59%

FIELD TRIPS Field trips are an important component of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix’s offerings. A total of 28,619 students and their educators visited the Museum on a field trip during FY 2011-12, more than any other year since opening. This represented 3,803 public, private, charter and home schools with an additional 30 pre-schools served.

Chart: FY 2011-12 Employees Full-Time Part-Time

“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.”

– Plato

Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012

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Leadership Giving Circles Leadership Giving Circles was officially launched in 2012 to build a solid foundation of support for the Museum.

Comprised of people who believe in our mission, Circles donors make annual contributions which ensure the Museum can uphold its hands-on educational exhibits, maintain the building and continue to employ exceptional staff every year.

Sam Perry, who co-chairs the Leadership Giving Circles committee along with his wife Tracey, understands the value of supporting the Children’s Museum, “Tracey and I have spent many hours playing in the Museum with our children and have seen, first hand, the impact it has had on their development.

This program lays the foundation for a strong and healthy Museum in the same way the Museum makes all of our children strong and healthy.”

Leadership Giving Circles donors raised over $46,000 in 2012 – a huge accomplishment for its first year, which greatly contributed to the Museum’s bottom line. A sincere thank you goes out to all of our donors. It is because of your giving spirit and passion for the power of play that allows us to continue to engage the minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them.

Tracey and Sam Perry

Donor Spotlight: Penny Post

(L to R) Museum’s VP of Operations, Kelli O’Toole, and Museum’s Development Director, Bridget Costello with Richard and Penny Post

Penny is a connector and a true champion for the Museum. In addition to facilitating a donation of colorful Pomchies for the Whoosh! exhibit, she plays an integral role on the Leadership Giving Circles committee and has given considerable support to the Kids at Heart Gala.

Throughout the years, Penny has introduced many new friends to the Museum. She and her husband Rich are known to open up their beautiful home, whip up some gourmet snacks and share the joys of the Children’s Museum, “We love the Museum because it brings a smile to everyone’s face — young and old alike! Where else does this happen in today’s world?”

“My boys LOVED the Museum. So did I. Out of all the “kid” places we have gone, this has been our favorite by far. AMAZING.” – Museum Visitor

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Partner Spotlight: Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation Every year, since 2009, we have celebrated Children’s Oral Health Month with our valued partner, Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation. Our patrons have come to look forward to this celebration, which makes dental health fun, complete with the Tooth Fairy, dental supply kit bags, and games and workshops.

The Foundation was an early investor in the Museum, realizing that we shared mutual goals – the well being of our youngest community members – and through the partnership, Delta Dental broadens its reach, and the Museum extends its expertise.

In 2012, 20,300 individuals attended Oral Health Month at the Museum.

Activities included sessions with Sarabelle Toothington; and programs like Brush, Brush, Brush Your Teeth; Toothsaver

Necklaces; Color Me Creative, and Let’s Be Healthy. Over 100,000 oral health giveaways were distributed to our visitors.

According to Delta Dental “tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease – 5 times more

common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever.” They believe that everyone deserves a healthy smile.

We thank Delta Dental for an outstanding partnership and for bringing healthy smiles to the children of our community.

Sarabelle Toothington, the Tooth Fairy, teaching children about the importance of taking care of your teeth at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix.

Volunteerism

Target Volunteers

The Children’s Museum of Phoenix was founded by a small group of volunteers, making a significant difference in the lives of our communities’ children and their families. We understand that without the support of community members, we would not be here today. As a result, we see volunteers as a vital part of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix team, and recognize that the donation of their time and service is extremely valuable and a true gift to the Museum and the community.

We are pleased to report that during this fiscal year, volunteer service hours at the Museum represented 4,994.5 hours by 1,687 volunteers . This surpassed the previous years total by 44%.

The Museum gratefully acknowledges the following groups who volunteered this period: Bank of America, US Airways, University of Phoenix, Coca Cola, Amex, Charles Schwab, Target, Disney, Wells Fargo, Junior League, Asset ASU.

“Awesome place for you to have fun / play / be a kid. Oh…and my six year old really enjoyed it too!”

– Museum Visitor

Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012

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Rental Program The Museum is a unique facility which can accommodate any type of gathering, from formal sit-down dinners and cocktail parties to themed birthday bashes and proms. The Museum has played host to numerous events including birthday parties, proms, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, corporate receptions, holiday parties, business meetings, seminars and fundraisers.

Although all events are special, some stood out for us this year for different reasons:

Play Date – June 29, 2012

“Thanks to you for all your efforts in making our holiday party a success! We heard nothing but positive feedback…

– Randall Udelman & Andrew DeFusco, DeFusco & Udelman, Attorneys at Law

After years of coming up with great ideas for other people’s events that they thought were a little too odd or out of the box, it was fun to actually try them out and to have the public respond so positively. This first Play Date event sold out and laid the foundation for a fun new program that expands our reach to a whole new demographic.

Helping Other Non-Profit Organizations When Banner to Alzheimer Institute needed meeting space to continue their arts program for Alzheimer’s patients while their facility was undergoing renovations, they came to us. The Museum was honored to have the Institute here for a 15-week period September to December of 2011.

Repeat Business It’s a great feeling when past clients want to keep coming back. Defusco Udelman law firm has hosted their holiday party here 3 years in a row and has asked us to pencil them in for another in 2013. First Institutional Baptist Church has chosen the Museum as their Christmas party venue twice and also plans to come back again in 2013.

Morning Revenue As our evening rental business continues to grow, we occasionally run out of available dates. So it’s exciting when we can expand our capacity by hosting breakfast events before our regular operating hours too. United Way had their breakfast meeting here in March of 2012 with Ford following with a breakfast in May 2012.

Highest Attended Event Ever and Donations Exceeded Waived Fees

“What a fantastic facility!

Your help and hospitality were the finishing touch!”

– Suzanne Walden-Wells, Executive Director, DC Ranch Community Council

In April of 2012, the Museum had the distinct pleasure of hosting Yelp’s annual party. Attended by over 1,500 people, this was our biggest private event ever in terms of attendance. It also included coordination of dozens of vendors. It was a gamble when we agreed to host it free of charge in exchange for donations from attendees. That gamble paid off as those donations – over $5,000 - exceeded the regular $4,500 rental fee.

Private After-Hours Birthday Parties The idea of spending $1,500+ on a birthday party for your 6-year-old seems outrageous to a lot of people, but like so many things, there really is a market for it. It’s also a great way to connect with affluent families looking for something a little different and exclusive. Our Spectacular Parties earned the Museum $9,000 in FY 2011-12.

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OUR DONORS The Children’s Museum of Phoenix gratefully acknowledges the following corporations, foundations, organizations, and individuals whose gifts have played a major role in supporting our mission of engaging the minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them

CORPORATIONS/FOUNDATIONS/ ORGANIZATIONS

Ford Motor Company

Sarah and David Bodney* Brad Bonomo

American Express Charitable Fund

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc.

Applied Materials, Inc.

Grand Canyon University

Risa A. and Michael P. Brown

APS

Harkins Theatres

Sylvia Bustos

Arizona Commission For Postsecondary Education

J.W. Kieckhefer Foundation

Mary Cannard

John F. Long Foundation

Susan Canson

Arizona Commission on the Arts

Margaret T. Morris Foundation

Katherine and Rick Cecala*

Arizona Community Foundation

Martz Agency

Michelle and Henry Clarke*

Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation

Medtronic Foundation

Lauren and Jordan Cohen

Network for Good

Karen and Jesus Cruz

Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority

Pivotal Foundation

Brandi and Brian Devlin

Aetna

Salt River Project

Sean Donnelly

AT&T

Target Corporation

Stephanie and Todd Douma*

Avnet

The Boeing Company

Allister Dueker

Banfield Pet Hospital

The Brooke & James Levy Donor Fund

Marilyn M. Duerbeck

Bank of America Charitable Foundation

Robert G. Edge

Bank of America United Way

The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation

Casino Arizona & Talking Stick Resort

The USAA Foundation, Inc.

Donna Egan

Celebrity Fight Night Foundation, Inc.

Tim and Willy Kid’s FunDation

Eunice and Carl Feinberg

Chicago Community Foundation

United Healthcare of Arizona

Tyler Finch

CIGNA Foundation

US Airways

Lisa K. Foreman*

Circus School of Arizona

Valley of the Sun United Way

LaBelle Forstrom*

City of Phoenix

Wells Fargo Foundation

Meralee and Dean Fredenburgh

City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture

Western Refining

Tracy and Brian Friedman*

Willard E. Smucker Foundation

Joshua Froelich

Coyotes Charities

Jennifer Brannon

Frederick D. and Susan K. Edwards

Victoria and Mike Furst

CVS Caremark Corporation David and Sam PR Delta Dental of Arizona Charitable Foundation

INDIVIDUALS

Katherine and Ruben Gallego*

Jennifer and Craig Adams* Korbi Adams

Susan E. and Philip Gerard Rasha and Giac Germain

Emerson Network Power

Anonymous

First Things First

Linda and James K. Ballinger Andrew de Weerd and Maaike Banning

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

Lya Gardner

Karen and Dan Barr Lisa and David Barrett* Frank Barrios Dorothy and Thomas Bast Tracy Berrian Carmela and Michael J. Blank

Patricia and Thomas Giallanza Deborah Gilpin Tricia Goldberg* Susan and Richard Goldsmith Nathan Gossen Mike Greio Nyomi Gruber and Burke Lassen Adam Handley and Lisa Hirsch Handley to honor our parents

– Fred Rogers Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012

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Terry M. Hanson*

Ashley and Scott L. Mitchell*

Mary F. Schottstaedt

Mary Hauer

Dana W. and Rick Naimark

Dean Shaprio and Haim Ainsworth

Ted Anderson and Sheri Heitner-Anderson

Cory Newkirk

Susan Shattuck*

Di An and Karl Obergh

Richard P. Stahl

Encarnacion Hernandez and Frances Maldonado

Suzanna Olsen

Evelyn Stewart

Shanon Orrock

Amy Stouffer

Melanie Hershaff

Margaret Paris-Vogt

Angela and John Stover

Scott Shea and Laura Hertzler

Karen Partridge

Elizabeth B. and Daniel R. Swadener

Camlyn Hoelscher

Robert Pena

Kirsten and Tyson Sylvia

Candice and Ryan Hurley

Charles Perry

Marilyn Teper

Jonathan James and Laura Bailey*

Tracey and Sam Perry*

Meryl Thomas

Carrie and Jared Jarecki

Glenda Pershing

Cynthia VanKleeck

Wendy Killeen

Michael Pietzsch and Ellen Hart-Pietzsch

JoAnna Wagner

Catherine Kim Marleen King

Stephanie and Charles Pisoni

Kate, Jeff, Tessa and Phoebe Wells

Julie and Andrew L. Kroot

Lisa and David Pivin

Victoria Whitmore

David Lambard

Penny and Rich Post*

Becky and Dan Lieberman*

Nancy and William Richardson

Marion, Matthew, Jordan & Claire Wiener

Julie and Tim Louis*

Hayley Ringle

Chrystina and Douglas Wilde

Brooke Macdonald

Diane and Lewis Robinson

Susan and Michael Wissink*

Dafna and Frank Madia

Karen and Mark Rogers

Margaret A. and Dan Wolford*

Beckie and Don Mayberry*

Vique Rojas

Nina and Joe E. Woods

Rick McCartney*

Lezlie and Jason Roosa

Josie and Walter Young

Nancy J. McDaniel

Hildy and Richard Saizow

Robyn D. and Robin Young

Katie McFadzen

Tricia and Thomas Salerno

Dana and Randy McLean

Stephen G. and Katherine Scardello*

Shannon and Sean McMahon

Jean and Ken Schacherbauer*

Sarah Snell and Eric Meyer*

Kristin Scharf

Lois Mihaylo and Family

Debra and Mark L. Schilling

Wayne E. Milewski

Rebecca Schmitt

GIFTS IN-KIND ORGANIZATIONS

INDIVIDUALS

Atlasta Catering Service, Inc. Fasturtle Fry’s Food & Drug Store Satrix Solutions, LLC The Musical Instrument Museum US Airways Wildflower Bread Company

Graham Boorse Susan Cahalan Nikki Causer Bridget K. Costello Regina D’Andrea Gina Gral Stanley Howard Rick McCartney Sabrina Meyers Penny and Rich Post Patrick Reiner Michael Rideout

10 Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012

Wayne Warrington

*Proud participant in Leadership Giving Circles

AzTAP Department of Services for Persons with Disabilities conducted an accessibility evaluation in August 2008 and summarized, “the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is the most exceptionally disabilityaware arts institution this evaluator has ever surveyed.”

Admissions

Memberships Other Earned Income 37

Financials

15

Contributions

5

Gifts-in-Kind

20

Change in discount on pledges 22

2

2%

Children’s Museum of Phoenix Audit Summary Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2012

22%

REVENUE & SUPPORT Admissions Memberships Other Earned Income Contributions Gifts-in-Kind Change in discount on pledges

$ 1,372,519 $ 559,227 $193,021 $ 741,046 $ 824,202 $ 66,399

TOTAL REVENUE & SUPPORT

$ 3,756,414

20% 5%

EXPENSES Exhibits & Programs $3,013,210 Fundraising $770,775 General and Administrative $ 650,661 TOTAL EXPENSE $4,434,646 Change in Net Assets

($678,232)

Net Assets Beginning of Year

$5,741,718

Net Assets End of Year

$5,063,486

Note: A copy of the complete FY 2011-12 Audit Report is available on the support us page of our website at ChildrensMuseumOfPhoenix.org.

“I have a 3-year-old autistic daughter. The Museum is great for her, she gets to see how other kids play and experience the Museum and can then try it herself without pressure from them. She actually road the bikes through the tunnel for the first time by herself. It has been a great experience for her. I have and will tell people about it for their young children. Thank you.”

– Museum Visitor

37%

15%

Chart: F Y 2011-12 Revenue & Support Admissions Memberships Other Earned Income Contributions Exhibits & Fundraising General and ProgramsGifts-in-Kind Administrative 68 17 15 Change in Discount on Pledges

15% 17% 68%

Chart: F Y 2011-12 Expenses Exhibits & Programs Fundraising General and Administrative

Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Annual Report Fiscal Year 2011-2012

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215 N. 7th Street Phoenix, AZ 85034 602.253.0501 www.ChildrensMuseumOfPhoenix.org The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN #86-0934323.

Thank you to

for underwriting the design of this Annual Report.