A PROPOSAL TO CREATE A MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
A Collaboration of the Belton Area Museum Association and the City of Belton, SC Abigail Burden, Executive Director Alison Darby, Educational Coordinator
100 N. Main Street Belton, SC 29627 864-338-7400 beltonmuseum@bellsouth.net beltonmuseum.com
SOUTH CAROLINA
MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY
PRESENTED BY (NAMING OPPORTUNITY FOR DONOR) SOUTH CAROLINA
MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY
UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION: BELTON AREA MUSEUM ASSOCIATION
MISSION STATEMENT of the BELTON AREA MUSEUM ASSOCIATION:
The Belton Area Museum Association’s purpose is to collect, exhibit, preserve, and interpret the artifacts, sites, antiquities, and genealogical, archival, cultural, and natural history of Belton, SC, Anderson County, SC, and the State of South Carolina.
MISSION STATEMENT of the SC MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY:
(pending approval)
The mission of the South Carolina Museum of Natural History is to inspire appreciation, understanding, and stewardship of our natural environment through exhibition, discovery, and learning.
FEATURED COLLECTIONS:
The Finley Family Taxidermy Collection of African and North American Mounts Gina Clary/Diamond Hill Mine Gemstone Collection J Ed Horton Fossil Collection Native American Artifacts from a Variety of Collectors Other prominent collections offered for display
THE VISION: In the winter and spring of 2019, several key influencers met to discuss the possibility of creating a Museum of Natural History in Belton, SC. From the discussions with various stakeholders, political partners, non-profit directors, and corporate leaders, it was determined that the timing, resources, and climate were appropriate for pursuing this vision. THE GROUP CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE:
Mr. Neil Workman, Facilitator
Rusty Burns, Anderson County Administrator
Gina Clary - Gemstones
Tim Todd - Discover Upcountry
Joe and Karen Finley - Animal Mounts
Michelle McCollum, SCNHC
J. Ed Horton - Paleontology
Glenn Brill - Anderson County Recreation
Abigail Burden, BAMA Director
Neil Paul - Anderson County CVB
Marshall Keys - BAMA President
Cindy Wilson - Anderson County Council
Alison Darby - BAMA Educational Coordinator
Ray Graham - Anderson County Council
Alan Sims - Belton City Administrator
SC Senator Mike Gambrell
Rex Maynard - Belton Alliance Member
SC Representative Jay West
Les McCall - Lake Hartwell Country
Dr. Robert Brookover - Clemson University
In October and November 2019, the Vision Team met with the City of Belton Council, the Anderson County Council, Ken Prosser (Assistant Deputy Director, SC Department of Natural Resources), Anne M. Pressley, Ph.D. (Director - Office of Standards and Learning, South Carolina Department of Education), and Sara K. Green (Executive Director, South Carolina Wildlife Federation) to solicit support and determine collaboration with these organizations. They were wholeheartedly in support of this vision and have provided letters of support for our proposal. In spring 2020, when fundraising was set to begin, the entire world shut down due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The only thing we could do was to present a small portion of the collection to the public when the Belton Museum reopened, and the display ran from September 2020 through May 2021. It was very well received by local schools and the public. The exhibit will now remain in storage until the South Carolina Museum of Natural History opens to the public.
In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught. Baba Dioum, 1968
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE SC MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
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FAR-REACHING EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS: COLLECTIONS MEET THE NEW SC CURRICULUM STANDARDS FOR SCIENCE AND STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS, AND MATHEMATICS) CURRICULUM INITIATIVES.
FAR-REACHING CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS: UNDERSTANDING OF AND APPRECIATION FOR WILDLIFE, ENDANGERED SPECIES, ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL CHANGES WILL BE ENHANCED.
3
PROMINENT AND SIGNIFICANT COLLECTIONS WILL BE PRESERVED.
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AUTHENTIC, PROMINENT, AND SIGNIFICANT COLLECTIONS WILL BE ON DISPLAY.
5
THE MUSEUM WILL BE A TOURISM DRAW TO BELTON, ANDERSON COUNTY, AND THE STATE OF SC.
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SOUTH CAROLINA WILL BENEFIT FROM HAVING SUCH A SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION ON DISPLAY AND AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION.
PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN and PROGRAM
CAPITAL PROJECT: The new SC Museum of Natural History will be built in the heart of downtown adjacent to the Anderson County Library – Belton Branch and across the street from the Historic Belton Depot. In addition, the new museum will be accessible to pedestrian traffic and the recreation spaces of the Bubble Gum Rail Trail and Leda Poore Park. As the ‘umbrella organization,’ the Belton Area Museum Association will donate the land and seek grants from foundations, state, and federal sources to support the construction of the facility. We anticipate beginning our capital campaign in July 2022 with a goal of acquiring at least 1.25 million in funding prior to breaking ground.
FUNDING: BAMA
$50,000
STATE of SC
$250,000
FOUNDATIONS
$500,000
FEDERAL GRANTS
$350,000
PERSONAL BEQUESTS
$500,000
(value of property)
CITY OF BELTON
$20,000
(Hospitality Tax)
ANDERSON COUNTY
$20,000
(Accommodations Tax)
FUNDRAISERS
$60,000
TOTAL:
$1,750,000
EXPENSES: Architectural Plans
$20,000
Site Work
$130,000
Grant Writer
$20,000
Legal Services
$10,000
Construction
$750,000
Exhibit Construction
$250,000
Salaries
$20,000
Marketing
$50,000
TOTAL:
$1,250,000
FIVE-YEAR PLAN
ADMISSION FEES and OTHER REVENUE STREAMS Within 1.5 hour driving distance of Belton, SC, there are over 1.5 million people (2020 census, population has grown significantly since). Each year, the Belton Area Museum Association serves between 10,000 – 12,000 visitors from the general public documented in our registry. With the new content of this museum and since it requires paid admission, predictions are that we can expect half of this number (5,000) in visitations each year to the SC Museum of Natural History (per evaluation by professor Robert Brookover, IV Professor of Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Clemson University). As for school children visitation, these school districts are within a 1.5 hour’s drive from Belton: Anderson County, Greenville County, Pickens County, Oconee County, Abbeville County, Laurens County and Greenwood County. The potential of 152,570 students who could easily make the SC Museum of Natural History a day or half-day field trip is astounding. Of course, this museum would not only serve these districts, and if we partner with other museums in the Greenville area such as Roper Mountain Science Center, the Upcountry History Museum, and the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, a twoday field trip would be reasonable for even those school districts on the coast. The SC State Museum had 27,700 students and teachers visit in 2018. However, their collection of Natural History specimens is not as vast as what will be the centerpiece of this new museum. It is a reasonable expectation that up to ¼ or roughly 6,000 students will visit in its first full year of operation and that will increase yearly as the museum gains a reputation for worthwhile educational exhibits and programming. By its fifth year of operation, we anticipate 13,000 students will visit the museum.
EACH VISITOR WILL BE CHARGED THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS:
$10
$5
Free
ADULTS
STUDENTS
CHILDREN UNDER 3
So, based upon half of the number of visitors usually visiting the Belton Area Museum Association and the number of school aged children who might visit on a field trip, we can expect visitation to be 11,000 people, generating at least $55,000 in revenue from admissions in year one. As admissions numbers grow, over $400,000 in entry fee revenues is anticipated over a five-year period. Furthermore, the museum will maintain public spaces both interior and exterior that will be open for birthday parties, wedding receptions, corporate meetings, etc. for a specific hourly rate. From rental experience at the Historic Belton Depot, we can expect a revenue stream of $10,000 annually for these rental spaces. There will also be a gift shop and a snack bar in which funding can be generated. These will realistically have a zero profit vs. operation costs in the first year, but subsequent years should generate an annual profit of $5,000 to $10,000 or more.
GRANT, FOUNDATION, and CORPORATE FUNDING Current requests for the SC Museum of Natural History have been granted or are being considered from the following foundations and corporate entities:
FUNDS SPENT: Belton Gun Club
$1,000 received (2018) for storage costs
Waste Connections
$5,000 received (2015) for storage costs
Pope-Brown Foundation Bill Thompson
$4,400 received (2018) for visioning costs $400 in-kind received (2019) for legal services
FUNDS IN ACCOUNT: Pope-Brown Foundation
$8,000 received (2019 grant) for architectural plans
Pope-Brown Foundation
$10,000 received (2020 grant) for seed money for building
For continued support, we will seek grants, foundation support, and corporate sponsorships. Based upon Belton Area Museum Association’s yearly support from these entities, and from this collection’s broad-based appeal, we can predict $40,000 each year and $200,000 or more over a five-year period. ATAX and HTAX funds will be applied for as well, generating public funding in the amount of $100,000 over the course of 5 years. Furthermore, our fundraising campaign contains an endowment component. In raising $1.5 million dollars for the two-year project, we anticipate the endowment portion will be $500,000. This will generate at 4.5% yearly revenue of $22,500 per year in interest, and over $125,000 in five years.
PLAN for DEFERRED MAINTENANCE Deferred maintenance will be handled through gifts to the museum, undesignated membership dues, and draws from the endowment based on the economic life of systems. It is our desire to build with green technology, creating a building that is a net-zero solar powered, water reclaiming and circulating, low-carbon footprint construction. Even though the upfront costs will be higher, building green will open us up to grants for sustainable buildings and lower the costs of operating the facility over time.
MARKETING PLAN: A comprehensive marketing plan will be created and executed as the project begins to take shape. We will be working closely with the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor on a strategy that will include web, social media, digital marketing and more. Social media marketing will take priority and will allow us to engage with students and the public even before the doors open. Prior to the facility’s opening, we will place brochures at SC Visitor’s Centers on both ends of I-85 and the I-95 corridors, purchase ads in the Upcountry SC Visitors Guide, Visit Anderson Visitors and Lake Guide, and regional magazines such as Southern Edge, Garden and Gun, SC Wildlife, Field and Stream and Southern Living magazines and ask for feature articles to be written on the new museum. The SC Department of Education has a teacher resource called EdMoto. The DOE has agreed to feature the SC Museum of Natural History as a destination for field trips. This online resource will be invaluable to advertise the existence of and programming for this new museum to educators across the state. And of course, we will use all types of online websites and social media to reach audiences. Our partners both statewide and locally including Visit Anderson, Belton Alliance, Anderson Area Chamber
of Commerce, City of Belton, Anderson County, SC Department of Natural Resources, SC Education Department, SC Agriculture Department, SC National Heritage Corridor, SCPRT, SC Wildlife Federation have all agreed to feature this new museum on their websites and social media. We anticipate that using electronic platforms will be the most costefficient way of advertising, but we also plan to market through traditional print media as well.
MARKETING BUDGET: Creation of Brochures & Marketing Plan
In Kind
Printing of Brochures
$5,000
Social Media Targeted Blasts
$1,000
Print Ads (magazines & visitors guides) Website Hosting
$40,000 $4,000
INITIAL MARKETING PLAN:
$50,000
YEAR 1-5 MARKETING PLAN:
$100,000 $1,000,000
FIVE YEAR REVENUE/EXPENSES: OPERATING BUDGET YEAR 1 INCOME:
EXPENSES:
Admission Fees
$55,000
Salaries/Payroll Taxes
$80,000
Grants
$40,000
Utilities
$10,000
Cleaning Services
$5,000
Sponsorships
$5,000
ATAX/HTAX
$25,000
Curatorial Supplies
$5,000
Rentals
$10,000
Insurance
$10,000
Interest
$22,500
Advertising
$20,000
Membership
$10,000
Inventory
$2,500
Gift Store Profit
$2,500
Office Supplies/Equip
$2,500
INCOME TOTAL:
$170,000
Exhibits
$20,000
: Programming EXPENSES TOTAL:
$15,000 $170,000
We anticipate that in years 2-5, admission income will go up as the reputation of the museum gains momentum among school groups. This will also require our salary and payroll taxes to increase. An operating budget of around $200,000 each year is anticipated to level out for years 2-5.
LETTERS of SUPPORT
To whom it may concern:
November 8, 2019
On behalf of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF), I am writing to express our support for the South Carolina Museum of Natural History in Belton. SCWF’s mission is to conserve and restore South Carolina’s wildlife and wildlife habitat through education and advocacy. Educating people of all ages about nature is a primary way to inspire future conservation efforts. In an age where electronic devices distract children and keep them indoors, we run a very real risk of those children growing into adults who have no connection to the natural world, and therefore no desire to protect our valuable natural resources and our beautiful places in South Carolina. There is a great need in our state for opportunities that connect children with nature. I have been impressed with the vision and passion of the Belton Area Museum Association president and executive director to provide such an opportunity with the creation of the South Carolina Museum of Natural History. Planned exhibits and activities will educate people of all ages about wildlife in our state as well as animals from around the world. They will also learn about the habitats that wildlife need to survive, and how we can all be better stewards of our natural resources. We at SCWF look forward to the opportunity to partner with this Museum on wildlife education programs. As we do programs around the state, we can direct people to the museum in Belton for additional learning and exploration. We would greatly value the opportunity to hold some of our educational programs at the Museum, and also to reach young Museum visitors through the distribution of Ranger Rick Magazines. These magazines are a great way to engage kids in fun and educational activities relating to wildlife. A natural history museum is something that is missing from our state currently, and I believe that the Belton Area Museum Association has the passion, determination, and connections needed to bring this project to fruition and to then train the next generation of conservationists. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance in this endeavor. Sincerely,
Sara K. Green Executive Director sara@scwf.org South Carolina Wildlife Federation 215 Pickens Street, Columbia, SC 29205 ▪ (803) 256-0670 ▪ www.scwf.org
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