Annual Report FY 2012

The Place Where Play IS Learning!

“Soaring to New Heights!”

at The Katherine and John DobbsFamily Center

MissionThe Children’s Museum of Memphis creates memorable learning experiences through the joy of play

in hands-on exhibits and programs.

A LetterFrom the Chief Executive OfficerWelcome to the very first published Annual Report for The Children’s Museum of Memphis! It has been a year of great transformation here, and we are excited to tell you what has been happening for the last fiscal year. During our 22nd year of operation we made great strides toward delivering on our mission with more community support than ever.

The most exciting news is the commitment from Katherine and John Dobbs for capital improvements and new exhibit projects over the next 10 years. During the 2011 holiday season, the museum’s Executive Committee unanimously voted to approve the partnership by accepting the largest single gift in the history of the museum. The museum’s campus was then named “The Katherine & John Dobbs Family Center” in their honor. From this partnership, the first new exhibit project in the works is the splash park to open in May 2013 (construction began in October). With the theme of a flower garden, the 8,000-square-foot waterpark teaches children about concepts related to how plants grow from a seed and photosynthesis, taking proper precautions in the sun to prevent skin cancer, and water conservation, to name a few.

Our efforts in Fiscal 2012 were recognized nationally when CMOM was voted “Best Children’s Museum” by AAA Southern Traveler magazine. On its quest to be one of only 10 children’s museums nationally to be accredited, CMOM also received its official site visit from the American Alliance of Museums. We will find out in December if we will be accredited.

The museum continues to strive to offer even more educational content in all its exhibits and programs – over the past year we have brought summer camps back, extended hours in the summer, updated FedEx and AutoZone exhibits, our marketing materials are now offered in Spanish, the blockbuster Dinosaur traveling exhibit was a smash hit, a new campground with rock climbing wall was installed, the popular Pin Wall is a hit, the Musical Seesaw is also therapeutic for children with autism, a new hospital exhibit with a giant

Board of TrusteesExecutive CommitteeRichard (Dick) Tillman, PresidentAnna McQuiston Holtzclaw, Vice PresidentLucia Heros, SecretaryAlex Taylor Wiley III, CPA, TreasurerJon Bascom, Finance & Audit ChairRonald (Ron) Kastner, Marketing & Development ChairElvira Ormseth, Education, Exhibits & Outreach ChairDr. William (Bill) Widdop, Past President

TrusteesDr. Jara BestPhillip (Phil) BlumJoe BrownMelika Burrow-DillihuntDennis Colley, Education, Exhibits & Outreach Vice ChairJoseph DandanKatherine DobbsKatina GainesCaren NicholBrett ShanamanCarey SniderWilliam TaylorKeith R. TownsendPeter WhiteRobert (Bob) Craddock, Board Attorney

FoundersMars ChildPolly GlotzbachHarriet McFaddenHarry Phillips, Sr. (deceased)

Operation Game thanks to Baptist Memorial Health Care is coming soon, and the program staff has gone from two to five employees. New projects in the pipeline include a Fire House, a laser harp, and an outdoor classroom with a giant milk bottle.

Jason’s Deli and The Village Toymaker continue to partner with us and offer excellent services to our visitors. Our annual fund raiser Cirque du CMOM continues to break records every year – and the Golf Tournament is in its 10th year. The board and staff are currently working on the museum’s next four-year Institutional Plan: “Soaring to New Heights!” for the years 2013-2016.

The results of all our efforts in Fiscal 2012 include almost 168,000 people served (up 8.3% over the previous year), lots of smiling faces and an increase in overall earned and contributed revenues, resulting in almost $414,000 at the end of the year that can serve as operating reserves and be invested back into the exhibits and programs.

We look forward to a bright year in 2013, the museum’s 23rd anniversary. The year is going to be full of surprises for all our guests and the entire community as we continue to engage imaginations and create excitement about learning!

To all our donors and partners who have supported the museum in its daily operations as well as innovative new practices, thank you! With your help, we will continue to make an impact on the children of our community.

Richard C. HackettChief Executive Officer

Paid AdmissionsMembers Groups

Birthday PartiesFree

66,594 60,856 25,036 8,975 6,434

39.7%36.2%14.9%5.3%3.8%

Recognition & AwardsThe museum was voted “Best

Children’s Museum” by AAA Southern Traveler magazine.

The Children’s Museum of Memphis won the 2012 Award of Excellence

by the Tennessee Association of Museums (TAM) for its Educational

Programming in the Safety House Mobile Learning Lab.

Attendance & Membership - Then & NowSince opening its doors on June 16, 1990, the museum has had almost 3.2 million visitors!

Fiscal 2012 Attendance Statistics

TOTAL – 167,895

Earned RevenueAdmissions MembershipBirthday Parties Facility Rentals Exhibit Rentals Football ParkingPrograms Endowment Income MiscellaneousGain (Loss) on Investments

Earned Revenue Total

Contributed SupportContributionsCirque & Golf EventsIn-Kind Contributions

Contributed Support Total

Total Revenue & Support

ExpensesProgram ServicesManagement & GeneralFund Raising

Total Expenses

Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets

$778,412$373,477$77,853$46,743$41,325$24,171$7,815$26,981$26,819($25,014)

$1,378,582

$1,120,201$296,533$122,053

$1,538,787

$2,917,369

$1,522,110$255,172$226,866

$2,004,148

$913,221

Fiscal 2012 Financials

The museum’s Endowment Fund has a current balance of $836,352. Income from the endowment is currently being re-invested back into the fund.

The annual economic impact of the museum on the local Memphis economy is $7.6 million.

Golf TournamentThe museum’s Annual Golf Tournament began in 2002 and was held at the Memphis Country Club for seven years (2002-2009). In 2010 it was moved to The Links at Galloway Golf Course. This event is run by a volunteer committee and raises money to expand outreach programs, provide free workshops for teachers, keep the exhibits operational, subsidize group visits, pay for underprivileged families to visit the museum, and provide art supplies for programs. Special thanks for the 10th Annual Golf Tournament goes to title sponsor International Paper and the committee made up of Ron Kastner, Charles (Chuck) Hamlett and Britt Daniel.

Cirque du CMOMThe museum’s annual fund raiser, Cirque du CMOM, again broke records for attendance and net income. Set in February, this year’s theme was “Night in Hollywood: A Vanity Affair!” Over 900 people dressed as Hollywood stars walked the red carpet. An online auction is tied in with the event and helps to boost income. Title sponsor for the last several years has been IBERIABANK. Chairmen were Cindy Dobbs and Janie Lowery. Planning for the February 2, 2013, party is well underway with the theme, “Rio de Janeiro: Carnival,” with chairmen JJ Keras and Jana Tayloe. See you there!

“Yes, EVERY Child!” FundWith the help of one of the founders, Harriet McFadden, the museum is re-organizing and re-energizing its Advisory Board over the next year. A special luncheon and meeting was held recently to bring together all 158 people who have served on the board over the last 22 years as well as all 52 people who have either chaired or co-chaired the annual fund raiser. One of the topics Harriet talked about was the “Yes, EVERY Child!” fund. The fund was established 22 years ago and allows school groups that cannot pay the ability to come to the museum on a field trip. It also subsidizes special memberships for families that cannot afford to pay the admission fee. Currently the fund operates in the red every year – the demand for assistance far outweighs donations. It is our hope, with the community’s help, we can turn things around.

Educational ProgramsThe museum added three additional program staff this past year. This is a reaction to the increased attendance over the last two years. The museum now offers an average of 14 public programs each week inside the museum. Special programming for school groups includes 10 outreach programs that are offered directly in the classroom; 12 special programs that may be added to a group field trip; three learning labs that may be checked-out by teachers for use on their own in their classroom; and home school programs throughout the year. The museum provides curriculum guides that are directly connected to academic standards and State Performance Indicators (SPIs) from the Tennessee Curriculum Standards to help support curriculum requirements. The museum also offers summer, spring and holiday camps as well as provides workshops and special nights out for teachers.

Exhibits with recent facelifts:• InternationalPaperTreeHouse–withLaser Harp• AutoZoneGarage• FedExGoingPlaces• SunTrustBank• CMOM-TVStation• HydeFamilyFoundationsBookatarium• IndianCommunityFundWindowstothe World• KrogerKids’Market

Additional new exhibits:• LegoCreativeConstructions• TornadoGenerator• EarthquakeTable• GiantCheckerGame• MusicalSeesaw• PinWall• CampgroundandRockClimbingWall• MidtownHomes’activitystations

New exhibits coming soon• SplashparkopensMay2013• BaptistMemorialHealthCareGrowing Healthy Hospital – complete with giant Operation Game• Smiles,Inc.,movingtoamuchbiggerspace• NeighborhoodFriendsandtheoldVanVleet Gallery transforming into a Fire House complete with a modern fire truck

Our wish list:• OutdoorClassroomwithgiantMilkBottle• MakeoveroftheWaterWORKSexhibitarea• TransformingBuildingDintoaScience,Health and Sports Center

ExhibitsYou may have noticed the museum’s exhibits change quite frequently. The philosophy behind the changes is to keep things fresh and to provide new things all the time to keep people engaged and coming back.

Institutional PlanningThe museum continues to be guided and operates under a series of long-range plans. During this year as we finished up the current goals, we were also writing a new plan with help from a consultant with the Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence. After many meetings, SWOT analysis, retreats and brainstorming, the museum’s staff and board have developed six main goals for the new plan, “Soaring to New Heights,” to take effect on January 1, 2013. The new plan will run from 2013-2016 and concentrate on:

Goal 1: By 2016, reach 250,000 visitors a year.Goal 2: Strengthen and maintain the museum’s core (internal capacity building).Goal 3: Grow financial capacity.Goal 4: Enhance programming around play-based learning.Goal 5: Evaluate and expand exhibits and attractions.Goal 6: Establish a board work plan to focus and strengthen board governance.

CMOM Institutional Plans

2006-2008 Setting a Firm Foundation for Growth

2009-2012Building for the Long Term

2013-2016Soaring to New Heights

Did you know the museum is a member of the following organizations?• AmericanAllianceofMuseums(for Accreditation)• AssociationofChildren’sMuseums• AllianceforNonprofitExcellence• GreaterMemphisChamber• MemphisConvention&VisitorsBureau• TennesseeAssociationofMuseums• TennesseeDepartmentofTourism

Museum StaffRichard (Dick) Hackett, Chief Executive Officer

Randy McKeel, Chief Financial OfficerCliff Drake, Chief Operating Officer

Felicia Peat, Director of Education & ProgramsCarrie Callaway Roberts, Director of Public Relations & Marketing

Jim Hyde, Exhibits ManagerBrad Laney, Visitor & Volunteer Services Manager

Debbie Wilkins, Special Events ManagerSharon Rogness, Member Services Coordinator

Jana Smith, Visitor Services CoordinatorAlex Smythe, Visitor Services Coordinator

Chara Mitchell, Program SpecialistMonica Sanchez, Program SpecialistKatrina Skefos, Program Specialist

Tamara Williamson, Program SpecialistKeosha Williams, Administrative Assistant & Reservationist

Ivy Taylor, Admissions CashierRena Gatewood, Gallery AssistantJohnathan Jones, Gallery AssistantAli Muhina, Information Officer

Michael Garries, MaintenanceEddie Stewart, Maintenance

Core Values• Theintersectionofplayandhands-onlearning• Apositiveimpactonthecommunity• Apositivefamilyexperience• Acomplementtoclassroomeducation• Inclusiveness• Excellentcustomerservice• Nurturingappropriatepartnershipsinthe community• Followingthebestpracticesofthechildren’s museums field Incorporated in 1987, the museum is a private, nonprofit (classified as a 501(c)(3) organization) educational children’s museum.

Children play to learn! Adults learn to play again! The place where play IS learning!

2525 Central AvenueMemphis, TN 38104

NonprofitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PaidMemphis, TN

Permit No. 1617