please touch museum
Annual Report 2017–2018
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FOR FUN. FOR LEARNING. FOR ALL.
A LETTER FROM MUSEUM LEADERSHIP Dear Friends of Please Touch Museum, October of 2017 began a remarkable year for Please Touch Museum. It was a year of innovation in exhibits and educational programming, a year of thinking about the Museum’s brand and how it reflects our mission and vision, and a year where we focused on children from around the globe through an array of immersive temporary exhibits and culturally-diverse programming. During FY18, more than 500,000 visitors walked through the doors of Memorial Hall to engage in play-based learning experiences. Our exhibits and programs helped them discover new things, new communities and new worlds. Continuing in our commitment that price will never be a barrier to any child experiencing the Museum, we welcomed over 98,000 visitors at no cost or low-cost admission. Please Touch Museum launched a new brand identity, and tagline, “For Fun. For Learning. For All.” Our brand reflects our role as a leading 21st century children’s museum where every child can “discover the power of learning through play.” Squiggles, Please Touch Museum’s new mascot, enchanted young and old alike and in our quest to be open to all communities provided the opportunity to reaffirm our belief that all children should be empowered to ask questions and embrace the uniqueness of every person. We launched our Year of the Global Child initiative with Museum exhibits and programs designed to help children learn about the world around them. In today’s increasingly complex and interconnected world, Please Touch Museum strives to create opportunities for children to appreciate and understand the amazing contributions that diverse people and cultures bring to everyday life. We are proud to present you with a look back on a year of experiences, made possible thanks to your generosity and support. Yours In Play,
Patricia D. Wellenbach Benjamin L. Johnson President and CEO Chair, Board of Trustees PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM
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FOR FUN. FOR LEARNING. FOR ALL. As a leading 21st century children’s museum committed to changing children’s lives through play, Please Touch Museum (PTM) is dedicated to ensuring accessibility to all regardless of their individual or family circumstances. In achieving this goal, PTM welcomed 98,000 children and their families for no cost or low-cost admission.
Art-Reach ACCESS Program Please Touch Museum is an active and proud partner of Art-Reach’s ACCESS program offering $2 per person admission to families who qualify for federal support. In FY18, 72,143 children and their families participated in this program, an 11 percent increase over FY17.
ANNUAL VISITORS
503,834 ACCESS VISITORS
72,143
Philadelphia School District Field Trips In partnership with the Philadelphia School District, Please Touch Museum offers free admission for Philadelphia schools for Pre-K through grade 1. Last school year, 13,947 Philadelphia School District students visited the Museum for free. Please Touch Museum’s annual Pre-K Move Up Celebration recognizes the importance of assuring all children have access to high-quality and affordable pre-K education. On June 1, 2018, PTM welcomed 600 Philadelphia Pre-K graduates and their educators to recognize and celebrate the first of many education milestones that children experience. 3
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TOTAL SCHOOL VISITS
13,947
First Wednesdays On the first Wednesday of each month, PTM stays open until 7:00 p.m. and offers $2 admission to all visitors. First Wednesday features special educational programs, including cooking demonstrations with our partners at Vetri Community Partnership’s Mobile Teaching Kitchen. Last year 9,599 individuals joined us at the Museum for First Wednesday, sponsored by TD Charitable Foundation.
Play Without Boundaries Please Touch Museum hosts Play Without Boundaries where the Museum environment is adapted to be welcoming to children with special needs, including those on the autism spectrum and with sensory disorders. Last year, 2,216 children and their families participated in Play Without Boundaries, a 323 percent increase over the previous fiscal year. In FY18, PTM also launched additional offerings to support individuals with sensory disorders, including introducing designated Museum quiet zones, custom social stories and sensory-friendly theater shows in the Please Touch Playhouse.
FIRST WEDNESDAY VISITORS
9,599 PLAY WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
2,216
PRE-K GRADUATES
600 PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM
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PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM’S NEW BRAND IDENTITY: BRIDGING OUR PAST AND FUTURE In May 2018, Please Touch Museum introduced a new brand identity building on its legacy of 40-plus years of learning through play with a renewed focus on providing today’s 21st century children with a pathway for success in the classroom and in life. The rebrand included a new logo and tagline – For Fun. For Learning. For All. – and the reveal of the Museum’s first mascot, Squiggles, named through a summer-long, citywide voting contest.
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SQUIGGLES PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM
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PARKSIDE: OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR NEIGHBORS Please Touch Museum’s Parkside Community Advisory Council includes dedicated local civic and nonprofit leaders, faith leaders and elected officials from the Parkside neighborhood. Council members meet monthly with Museum leadership and work collaboratively to foster strong community relationships. As part of this partnership, PTM hosts an annual Gift of Warmth winter clothing campaign to benefit our neighbors in need in the Parkside Community. “Please Touch Museum has an open commitment to diversity and inclusion. The type of exhibits that are coming to this Museum all show a dedication to including the residents of this community and beyond.” – Michael Burch, Parkside Community. 7
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EXHIBIT INNOVATIONS At the start of the fiscal year, Please Touch Museum refocused the City Capers gallery around the theme of Heathy Me, Healthy Family, Healthy Community with an initial investment from Bimbo Bakeries USA to create two new permanent exhibit spaces, Bimbo Bakeries USA Bistro and Boboli Pizza Kitchen. Over the next several years, PTM will continue to welcome new holistic health-inspired exhibits and experiences into Healthy Me, Healthy Family, Healthy Community.
FAMILY FESTIVALS
Year of the Global Child In May, Please Touch Museum launched the Year of the Global Child with engaging temporary exhibits and expansive programming that celebrates children, families and diverse cultures from around the globe. PTM visitors were invited to travel the world starting with an immersion into Japanese culture, from ancient times to contemporary days, through Hello from Japan!, the Museum’s first trilingual exhibit. Next, visitors hopped a train to the Island of Sodor to experience British culture through Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails. Year of the Global Child celebrations also included nearly a dozen family festivals for Eid al-Fitr, Juneteenth, Sukkot, Pride, Passover, Japanese Culture, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Outfest, Holi, and St. Patrick’s Day.
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SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBITS
67.000
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SUPPORTING CLASSROOM LEARNING Please Touch Museum supports Philadelphia educators, school administrators and parents through its commitment to provide early educational experiences built around curriculum-based practices through its exhibits, events and programming. In January of 2018, Please Touch Museum launched guided school group tours and workshops led by certified Museum educators and tailored to complement students’ classroom curriculum. “As an early childhood educator, I thoroughly enjoy taking my class on trips to the Please Touch Museum. They offer both engaging and curriculum standard-centered field trips. The guided tours are led by energetic staff who use best practice techniques to help children interact with the exhibits. I’m grateful to have such a wonderful children’s museum in the Philadelphia area.” – Martha Lamb, Philadelphia-based educator. Please Touch Museum’s temporary exhibit, Sid the Science Kid: A Super-Duper Exhibit! created opportunities for an innovative, STEM-centered, guided school group experience and the launch of a new strolling science lab program.
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Creative and Performing Arts Education Please Touch Playhouse, Philadelphia’s only year-round children’s theater, serves as first exposure to live theater for many children. This fiscal year, Please Touch Museum hosted three theater shows: There’s Something Under My Bed, The Building Show, and Yuki’s Journey, produced to connect thematically with our temporary exhibits. Overall, 410 shows were performed in our theater during FY18, serving 17,475 children and 16,430 adults for a total of 33,905 audience members. In FY18, Please Touch Museum also welcomed more than 30 different performance groups as partners – from youth performers to professional musicians, bands and storytellers.
SHOWS PERFORMED
410
AUDIENCE MEMBERS
33,905 PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM
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BACK TO NEVERLAND: OUR ANNUAL IMAGINATION BALL
Please Touch Museum welcomed 223 adult guests through the doors of Memorial Hall for “Back to Neverland,”our annual Imagination Ball fundraising gala on November 2, 2017. The Peter Pan-inspired evening reminded attendees that imagination is not just for children and that adventures await around every corner, with proceeds directly supporting PTM’s critically important work to change the lives of children as they discover the magic of learning through play. Through the presentation of awards, the gala also honored three philanthropic institutions in the region – PECO, The Albert M. Greenfield Foundation, and the Spruce Foundation.
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MEMORIAL HALL: A HISTORIC VENUE Please Touch Museum’s historic home, Memorial Hall, is a magical venue for many special events throughout the year. Brûlée Catering, the Museum’s catering partner, makes sure that every event is extraordinary and memorable. “If you want a fun and quirky yet classy and sophisticated venue, then look no further than the Please Touch Museum at the Memorial Hall. My favorite thing about this venue is that it’s already so beautiful that you don’t have to spend a lot on decor to ‘dress it up’.” — Local Bride via The Knot
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THE JOYS OF MEMBERSHIP Membership at Please Touch Museum provides an opportunity for children and their caregivers to learn and play together as often as 363 days a year. Other membership benefits include exclusive previews for new exhibits and theater shows, members-only art workshops, and a monthly members-only early Museum opening. Members’ feedback helps Please Touch Museum to create new experiences and guide our future. This year, PTM launched guided and self-guided outdoor programs in the Please Touch Garden in response to Members’ recommendations.
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NEW MEMBER FAMILIES
9,341
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FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Please Touch Museum welcomed 503,834 Museum visitors, 19% of which came to the Museum for no cost or low-cost admission.
The Museum experienced a 4% increase in earned revenue which covered 82% of our operating expenses, down from 88% in FY 2017. 85% of expense funded educational programming and exhibition initiatives. Our revenue was driven by continuing strong admissions and membership revenue. The Museum increased its focus on expanding the education component of its service offering. To effect this change, the Museum broadened its commitment to staff training and wages. Those efforts resulted in expense increases of over $700,000. Cash and marketable securities were $4,971,000 – a 2% decrease over the prior year.
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STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FY 2018
FY 2017
Revenues & Support 18% 53%
Revenue & Support $7,898,060
Museum Revenue Admissions Memberships Fees for Special Events
12%
Other Items
$4,187,977
4,068,132
1,425,251
1,365,078
949,103
840,808
95,448
109,477
180,436
197,118
32,086
54,479
1,027,759
1,107,278
7,898,060
7,742,370
Program Services
7,169,011
6,233,537
Management & General
1,127,895
1,281,750
532,369
611,307
8,829,275
8,126,594
(931,215)
(384,224)
Investment Income & Appreciation Donated Goods & Services Grants & Contributions
13%
Expenses Fundraising
Change in Net Assets Before Other Items
13%
Expenses $8,829,215
Other Items 81%
Insurance Proceeeds Interest Expense Change in Net Assets
-
101,083
(1,965)
(6,441)
(933,180)
(289,582)
35,414,681
35,704,263
$34,481,501
35,414,681
6% Net Assets (Deficit) Beginning of Year End of Year
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DONOR LIST General Operating Support Individuals Above $25,000 Anonymous Hallee & David Adelman
$24,999–$10,000 Randall Byrnes Meghan & Ben Johnson Dr. Barbara Klock & Salem Shuchman Lora Mohr Kristen & Patrick Traynor
$9,999–$5,000 Ellen Amudipe Boscia Family Foundation Chris Campbell & Bill Massa Elizabeth Cartmell & Paul Zoubek Dana & John Connors Valerie & Geoff Gross Karen Griffith Gryga Milica & Rahul Kothari Lola Lin Sara & Kevin McGowan Kate & Marty Shields Sally & Lee Stetson Richard Tewksbury, Jr. Regina Tracy Shawn & Tina Tuli Victoria Wilson 17 PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM
$4,999–$1,000 Sharon & Kevin Coghlan Debby & Robby Cohen Kathryn Galarneau Debbie & Gene Lefevre Carolyn McCulloch & A. Donald Marcia & Ronald Rubin Jennifer & Dominic Sanchez Jody Seibert Jolly & Joe Waterman
$999–$500 Craig Blackman Willo Carey & Peter A. Benoliel Carla & Robert Fox Mary Hangley James Mordy
Cynthia M. Schiff & Floyd A. Glenn Salena Seeburg Sadie Tettemer
$499–$100 George J. Ahern Anita & Erwin Andrews Ivy Barsky Marie & Robert Benz Jeffrey Bodle Richard Boucher Mike Bova Sue Brennan Ronald Burd Elinor & James Buck Richard Cohen Catherine Conahan Heather & Joseph Dahan Jane Dellheim James Fairorth
Julia & Jared Farbman Laura & Marc Feller Gabriella Marein-Efron & Evan Fieldston Jennifer Fisher Carl Fridy Julayne & Richard Frost Sunir Garg Elizabeth H. Gemmill Alice & Eri Golembo Rosalia & Jose Gonzalez Richard Gross Shelly & Patrick Guise Tonja Hudson-Macon Carol Johnson Barbara & John Johnson Corey Keith Dr. Erin Kelly Sarah Kloss Nancy D. & W. Roy Kolb
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Rena Kopelman Vicki Kramer Marilyn Kutler Adam Landau Molly & David Lenowitz Lorina Marshall-Blake Mardi Matthews Chelsea & Chris McDermott Anna Minkovich Jennifer & Andrew Newcomb Kate Cartmell O’Neil Ashley Patterson Monique R. Pittman Linda & Ed Rimmer Amanda & Christopher Rose Lee Rosengard Faye & Daniel Ross
Dan Rottenberg Daniel Sherry Stephen Small Sharon & Stephan Starr Lawrence Stern Scott K. Suko Henderson Supplee, III Monique Vigilance Evan Weiner Jolene Weaver Victoria Wilson Valerie & Roger Wood
Corporate & Foundation Support $100,000 and Above Anonymous Coca-Cola Refreshments Harmelin Media PNC PECO The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
$50,000-$99,000 Exelon Foundation
$25,000–$49,000 American Airlines Bank of America The McLean Contributionship
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$10,000–$24,999 Bloomberg Global Philanthropy & Engagement Genuardi Family Foundation PA Leadership Charter School Raynier Institute & Foundation TD Charitable Foundation
$2,500–$9,999 Bassetts Ice Cream Company Coventry Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation Dream Makerz Foundation Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation Dream Makerz Foundation Early Childhood Environments Fulton Bank Keystone First Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Pfizer, Inc. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP Power Crunch Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP Studio Institute The Tally Foundation United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
$1,000–$2,499
Imagination Ball Presenting Sponsor ($25,000) Anonymous
Wonder Sponsor ($5,000) Bank of America Bimbo Bakeries USA Dilworth Paxson LLP Federal Advocates, Inc. Harmelin Media Salveson Stetson Group, Inc. Philadelphia Phillies Vault Communications, Inc.
AllBrand Supply Event Network, Inc Overbrook Presbyterian Church Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
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Curiosity Sponsor ($2,500) Jen & Fred Fox Marjorie & Jeffrey Honickman Karen Griffith Gryga Johnson Family Fund of the Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund Meghan & Ben Johnson Cynthia & Robert Johnson Robert B. Jones Dr. Barbara Klock & Salem Shuchman Philadelphia Media Network PNC Bank, NA Tierney Kristen & Patrick Traynor Tina & Shawn Tuli Richard Vague
Friend Sponsor ($1,000) Analytical Graphics, Inc. BBD, LLP Saul Behar Elizabeth Cartmell & Paul Zoubek Ceisler Media & Issue Advocacy Fulton Bank GDI Services Inc. Nancy C. Green Robin Lincoln & Andrew Gowa Mindy & Kent Gushner Innovative Benefit Planning, LLC Keystone First The Kinser Group Rena M. Kopelman Stefanie Langer & Jeff Dittus 21 PLEASE TOUCH MUSEUM
Karen & Kevin Lucey Mike McCourt Philadelphia Eagles TGI Richard Tewksbury, Jr. Roberta &William Torian ServPro of Eastern Mainline/Bala Cynwyd/ Wynnefield Visit Philadelphia Jolly & Joe Waterman West Chester Mechanical Contractors
Year of the Global Child Sponsors 6abc American Airlines Bank of America Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Connelly Foundation Exelon Foundation The Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia PECO Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage The Philadelphia Cultural Fund
Board of Trustees: October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018
Officers Kristen Vieira Traynor, Chair Benjamin L. Johnson, Vice Chair Geoffrey Lapres, CFO and Treasurer Kate Shields, Secretary Committee Chairs Karen Griffith Gryga, Governance Committee Barbara Klock, MD., Institutional Advancement Committee Shawn Tuli, Finance Committee
The Parkside Community Advisory Council Ron Allen Michael Burch Calla Cousar Ruby Davis Evon Delee Julia Diggs Loretta Dixon Pam Evans Juanisha Everett Lorraine Gomez Cass Green
Falena Hand Monica Harmon Tina Harris Evelyn Hudson Lucinda Hudson John Jordan Charlene Mills Joe E. Nock Kelly Thomas Delcina Wilson Alice Wright
Members Ellen Amudipe Anita Garimella Andrews Christine Campbell Dana Connors William Crowder Geoff Gross Jeff Guaracino Rahul Kothari Lola F. Lin Sara C. McGowan Christopher Scarpa Richard (Dick) Tewksbury, Jr. Regina M. Tracy Victoria Wilson
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Please Touch®, Please Touch Museum®, The Children’s Museum of Philadelphia, Where Learning is Child’s Play & Science All Around Us are registered trademarks of Please Touch Museum®. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1.800. 1.800. 7 732 32 . 0999. 0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. Please Touch Museum® is a non-profit organization and is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
4231 Avenue of the Republic | Philadelphia, PA 19131 | pleasetouchmuseum.org