July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
Engaging the minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them.
A Message From Our CEO
Dear Friends and Supporters,
What an exciting year it has been for our Children's Museum! So many positive things have happened that it's hard to keep track of them all.
Early in the year, we had the pleasure of welcoming our second traveling exhibit into the Museum – The Pigeon Come to Phoenix: A Mo Willems Exhibit. Kids and adults alike loved this interactive exhibit, which was here for four months and attracted a record number of school groups during the September to January period.
In November, we received the thrilling news that Phoenix voters approved the City of Phoenix GO Bond, which allocated over $5 million to our Museum. This funding will allow us to expand our spaces and build new exhibits, enabling us to serve even more children and their families in the years ahead.
Our two major fundraising events of the year – our Gala and SandFest – were also resounding successes. The funds raised from these events support our Every Child Program, which provided free admission to over 116,000 children and their caregivers this year, a record number that underscores our commitment to accessibility.
We continue to prioritize IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) in everything we do, as evidenced by our diverse board, staff, and visitors. This commitment ensures that our Museum is a welcoming and enriching space for everyone.
The Children's Museum proudly celebrated a milestone this year by welcoming its 4.5 millionth visitor, a testament to our ongoing commitment to inspiring young minds. Additionally, we are excited to announce our participation in the Museums for All initiative, ensuring access to our enriching exhibits and programs for families from all backgrounds.
None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our generous donors. We are profoundly grateful for your contributions, which help us achieve our mission every day.
Thank you for being a part of our journey and for believing in the power of play, learning, and imagination. We look forward to another year of growth and inspiration.
With gratitude,
Kate Wells Chief Executive Officer
BIGGER AND BETTER: OUR NEXT BIG LEAP!
In November, Phoenix voters approved a $5.37 million City of Phoenix GO Bond which will allow for the expansion of our Museum spaces. The 27,000 square foot expansion will kickstart a new era of early childhood discovery focused on addressing developmental and learning gaps exacerbated by COVID. It will also allow for a unique collaboration with local artists, who will lend their creative vision to craft immersive, interactive environments within these expanded spaces.
In March & April, the Museum engaged community stakeholders in four Imagining Workshops to capture creative and new ways to utilize these new spaces. These fun, interactive workshops were attended by over 350 community members who shared with us their ideas of what these new spaces could look like and offer – an amazing opportunity for the community to have input on how the Museum will impact children for years to come.
PIGEONS, PLAYTIME, AND PHOENIX: THE DELIGHTFUL JOURNEY OF MO WILLEMS' FEATHERED FRIEND AT THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM!
In the fall of 2023, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix opened its traveling exhibit – The Pigeon Comes to Phoenix: A Mo Willems exhibit – for a 4-month run at the Museum. Co-organized by Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, the exhibit was inspired by the art and characters of children’s book author and illustrator, Mo Willems. The exhibit took children on a journey of reading, counting, storytelling, moving, navigating, and fun – all self-led with the encouragement of a quirky and silly pigeon.
Through the generosity of local sponsor, The Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation, the Museum was able to provide free field trips to the Museum to Title 1 schools during the exhibit’s 4-month exhibition. As a result, over 3,300 students were able to enjoy the Museum’s 3 floors of hands-on, educational play experiences as well as The Pigeon Comes to Phoenix exhibit at no cost to them. Additionally, each of the 3,300 students received a free Mo Willems book to take home for their personal library. This is especially important since 2 out of 3 Arizona kindergarteners do not have a children’s book at home.
In total, over 112,000 children and their adults experienced the joy, wonder, and art of this beloved children’s book author and illustrator during its run at the Museum.
A SWEET NIGHT
On November 4th, the Museum took its 335 guests on a lollipop adventure filled with sweet surprises and delicious discoveries at our 15th annual Children’s Museum Gala – Candyland. This exciting evening paid tribute to one of childhood’s most treasured board games and treated guests to dinner and dancing under the stars, a riveting live auction and a silent disco after-party. This sweet-tacular event raised over $343,000 in support of our Every Child program, helping to build stronger children, families and communities.
At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to ensuring every child, regardless of circumstance, can experience the joy, discovery, and learning that comes alive at the Museum. Our Every Child Program breaks down barriers and opens doors for children from special populations, including low-income families, kids with special needs, Title I students, Tribal members, and military and first responder families.
This fiscal year, we are proud to have welcomed 116,983 visitors through our Every Child Program, a contribution to our community valued at an incredible $1,832,570. These numbers reflect more than just attendance—they represent lives touched, barriers removed, and imaginations sparked.
We’re thrilled to share that this year we also took a major leap forward by joining the national Museums for All initiative, thanks to a generous grant from the Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation. Through this program, families eligible for SNAP benefits can access the Museum at a deeply discounted rate simply by presenting their EBT card—making unforgettable memories more accessible than ever.
Together, we’re building a space where every child feels welcome and inspired. Thank you for helping us make it possible.
A SANDY SPRING SATURDAY!
The beach returned to downtown Phoenix on March 9th for our annual SandFest event! We welcomed over 2,300 people for a day of sand play, live entertainment, outdoor activities, food trucks and professional sand sculptors! Mayor Kate Gallego helped judge the sand-sculpting competition. Thank you to our SandFest teams: Barker Pacific Group, CMoP Board of Directors, Intel, PADT, Inc., SmithGroup/Dibble/Okland, SmithGroup/McCarthy and Ryan Companies.
The Museum gratefully acknowledges Arcosa Aggregates, Otto Trucking for generously donating 175 tons of sand and its transportation. FUNergy joined the festivities again this year with beloved characters, meet & greets, and photo opportunities throughout the day. Character appearances were kindly sponsored by Legacy Traditional Schools.
OUR IDEA FELLOWS
This year we welcomed seven amazing individuals into our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) Fellows Program. This program offers semester-long, paid fellowship opportunities in finance/administration, marketing, development, and educational programming to post-secondary candidates and exceptional high school seniors impacted by systemic barriers. The Fellowship's overarching objectives are to impact the individual students through meaningful, supportive work experience and extensive networking opportunities and to benefit the Museum and the communities we serve through their diverse perspectives.
Our 2023-24 IDEA Fellows were:
Trinity Horne & Esmeralda Garcia Torres – Educational Programs Fellows
Shyra John – Visitor Experience Fellow
Corinn Olson – Exhibits Fellow
Kristen Kolessar & Alexis Rice – Marketing Fellows
Kayla Walker – Development & Educational Programs Fellow
Trinity Horne Corinn Olson
Kristen Kolessar
Shyra John
Kayla Walker
Esmeralda Garcia Torres
Alexis Rice
Financial Highlights
REVENUE & EXPENSES
*116,983 Every Child visitors - free or reduced
Board of Directors
July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
Chair
Nick Reed
Vice Chair
Kristin Windtberg
Treasurer
Scott Horn
Secretary
Donna Williams
Immediate Past Chair
Angel Jannasch-Pennell, PhD
Janel Baca
Brian Campbell
Gennaro Garcia
Samantha Funk
Ryan Hale
Lloyd Hopkins
Kory Leadon
Erica Maxwell
Allison Otu, MBA
Katherine Fairbanks
Sam Colin Seale
Jennifer Talerico
Stephanie Tribe
Nicole Wheatcroft, CPA
Dr. Terry Woodbeck
Trustees Emeritus
Tom Ambrose
Sarah Bodney
Gretchen Freeman
Lisa Handley
Terry Hanson
Sally Hurwitz, PhD
Hildy Saizow
Gayle Starr
Josie Young
Chief Executive Officer
Kate Wells
Our Donors
$100,000 & Above
Anonymous
Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation
Flinn Foundation*
Gila River Indian Community*
Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation
The William Randolph Hearst Foundations*
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
$50,000-$99,000
Anonymous
$20,000-$49,999
Access ASU / WeGrad Digital
Arizona Commission on the Arts
Arizona Complete Health
Ball Corporation
Carol Critchfield Foundation
Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation
Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture
T.W. Lewis Foundation
Talking Stick Resort & Casino Arizona
$10,000-$19,999
Anderson Advertising & Public Relations
Arizona Public Service
Dee and Steve DeTommaso
Robert Donat
Eunice and Carl Feinberg
Elizabeth M. Gordon
Lerner & Rowe Gives Back
Becky and Dan Lieberman
Margaret T. Morris Foundation
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Sanderson Lincoln
Sarah and Anthony Taylor
The Kimball Foundation
Rita and Peter Thomas
Thunderbirds Charities
U.S. Bank
$5,000-$9,999
Applied Materials Foundation
Arizona Milk Producers
Baker Tilly
Barker Pacific Group
BASIS Ed
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
BMO Harris Bank
Brighton Jones
Ann Dey
Desert Financial Credit Union
Morgane and Conrad Diven
Evolve Companies
Karen and Richard Fairbanks
Fennemore Law
Hardrock Concrete Placement Co., Inc.
Ironwood Investment Council, LLC
Jennifer and Jim Talerico
Mary Landau and Mark Tennis
Kelley and Tyler Shaw
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix gratefully acknowledges the following corporations, foundations 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.
KOI Education
Kroger Co.
Love Your School
Maricopa County Democratic Party
Mariner Foundation
Michael Mazzocco
ON Semiconductor Corporation
Osborn Maledon
Season For Sharing
TFO Family Office Partners
The David B. Jones Foundation
The June and Julian Foss Foundation
ThinkLaw
Union Pacific Foundation
Waymo
Wells Fargo
$1,000-$4,999
Anonymous
Tom Ambrose
American Express Foundation
Pat Andrew
Janel Baca
Board of Directors for SandFest
Abby Bowman
M. Blake Caldwell
Amber and Brian Campbell
Angela Cazel-Jahn
Brook Cosby
De Prada Family
Desert Diamond Casino
Executive Council Charities
Feeney Family Charities
Samantha Funk
Briseida and Gennaro Garcia
General Dentistry 4 Kids
Sarah and Ryan Hale
Kashuna and Lloyd Hopkins
Sue and Scott Horn
Sally Hurwitz
Intel Corporation
Intel Foundation
Maggie and John Keane
Abby and Kory Leadon
Legacy Traditional Schools
Ashley and Jonathan Levine
Patti and Forrest Noelck
Erica and Tony Nuara
NVE Experience Agency
DeeDee and Ken O'Connor
Allison and Essen Otu
OutSchool Inc.
PADT, Inc
Angel Jannasch-Pennell and Mike Pennell
Angie Quach
Denise and Naveen Reddy
Rebecca Heft and Nick Reed
Kevin Rhein
Gillian and Turner Rooney
Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Katherine and Darryl Sam
Colin Seale
Ravi Singh
Max Smith
SmithGroup / Dibble / Okland
Construction
SmithGroup / McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
Tempe Diablos Charities
Stephanie and Aaron Tribe
Lorraine and Ruben Trujillo
Kate and Jeff Wells
West Family Foundation
Nicole Wheatcroft
Donna and Marcus Williams
Kristin and Marc Windtberg
Terry Woodbeck
Madeline Zobel
Up to $999
Anonymous
Alejandra Alvarado
Shannon and Doug Allsworth
Ameriprise Financial
Marni Anbar
Joy Angel
Patrick Armstrong
Alex Arnold
Rachel Arthur
ASN Tile Creations LLC
Keri and Kavon Attarpour
David Bauer
Benevity
Alexander Bobinger
Emily Bolick
Phylis Bolno
Matthew Bomhoff
John Bomhoff
Yira Brimage
John Brooks
City of Phoenix
Susan Cook
Kathleen Crenshaw
Tina Critchfield Huber
Misty and Som Das
Darren Deering
Brandi and Brian Devlin
Connie Dolezal
Frederick Edwards
Charlotte Farr
Adrienne Farrell
Wendy Farrell
Ashley Craft Fiore and Steven Fiore
Adrian Fontes
Marlene Galan-Woods
Brianna Galvez
Abraham Garcia
Angela and Brian Gillespie
Brianna Godberson
Cony and Jeffrey Golner
Loretta Green
Damien Griffor
Lindsay Grizzle
Kimberli Gunn
Kathleen Gwynn
Georgie Hanlin
Shannon Horn
Lynne and G. Michael Horn
Carl Irwin
Gary Jackson
Sara Jenkins
Trish Kenagy
Dave Knight
Jaimi and Andrew Koechel
Sigrid Kuster
Susan Kuster
Monica Larsen
Caitlin Leamon
Catherine Linthicum
Sarah and Greg Littleton
Corrine Makany
Betty Martin
Erica Maxwell
Justine and Sean McGraw
Cheryl McNallan
Denisse Moreno
Ann Morton
Lyric and Gary Naquin
Audria and Tom Newbold
Michelle and Marcus Newton
Christian Oceguera
Glenn Olcerst
Nadia Ortega
Shelly Ozuna
Karina Pineda
Scott Quillen
Kevin Rardin
Shyla Richardson
Patricia Rocha
Charlie Russell
Ida Crocker-Sabbagh and Marwan Sabbagh
Hildy Saizow
Hannah Saleh-El Jada
Katherine and Daryl Sam
Shay Sanchez
Silvya Sanchez
Bonnie Schmidt
Yanira Sesniak
Charles Sholtis
Laurel Silverberg
Chris Slaughter
Melinda Sloma
Heather Snow
Grant Stanford
Mary and Kirk Strawn
Amy Strouse
Albert Sun
Bethany Taylor
Michael Taylor
Michelle and Alan Tinsley
Alexis and Errol Turner
Karen Ulinski
Merideth VanSant
Carlie Venable
Jazmyn Walker
Elaine Warner
Marion Wiener
Christopher Wurpts
FOUNDATIONS & CORPORATIONS
Anonymous
Access ASU / WeGrad Digital
American Express Foundation
Ameriprise Financial
Applied Materials Foundation
Arizona Commission on the Arts
Arizona Complete Health
Arizona Milk Producers
Arizona Public Service
ASN Tile Creations LLC
Ball Corporation
BASIS Ed
Benevity
Brighton Jones
City of Phoenix
Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation
Desert Diamond Casino
Desert Financial Credit Union
Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation
Evolve Companies
Executive Council Charities
Feeney Family Charities
Flinn Foundation*
General Dentistry 4 Kids
Gila River Indian Community*
Intel Corporation
Intel Foundation
Kroger Co.
Legacy Traditional School
Lilly Endowment Inc.
Love Your School
Margaret T. Morris Foundation
Mariner Foundation
NVE Experience Agency ON Semiconductor OutSchool Inc.
Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
Season For Sharing
T.W. Lewis Foundation
Talking Stick Resort & Casino Arizona
Tempe Diablos Charities
The David B. Jones Foundation
The June and Julian Foss Foundation
The Kemper and Ethel Marley Foundation
The Kimball Foundation
The William Randolph Hearst Foundations*
Thunderbirds Charities
U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank Foundation
Union Pacific Foundation
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust
Waymo
*Multi-Year Grant
POP ROCKS PATRON
(PRESENTING SPONSOR)
The Carol Critchfield Foundation
MELT IN YOUR MOUTH SPONSORS
Lerner & Rowe Gives Back
Sanderson Lincoln
Sarah and Anthony Taylor
DOUBLE SCOOP WITH A CHERRY ON TOP SPONSORS
Baker Tilly
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
BMO
Brighton Jones
Fennemore Law
Hardrock Concrete Placement Co., Inc.
Ironwood Investment Council, LLC
KOI Education
Mary Landau and Mark Tennis
Maricopa County Democratic Party
Michael Mazzocco
Osborn Maledon
PNC
Kelley and Tyler Shaw + Guests
Jennifer and Jim Talerico
TFO Family Office Partners
ThinkLaw
U.S. Bank
Wells Fargo
EVery Child Paddle Raise
Anonymous
Shannon and Doug Allsworth
Pat Andrew
Keri and Kavon Attarpour
Janel Baca
David Bauer
Emily Bolick
Abby Bowman
Yira Brimage
Tina Critchfield Huber
Ida Crocker-Sabbagh and Marwan
Sabbagh
Misty and Som Das
Darren Deering
Wendy Farrell
Adrian Fontes
Marlene Galan-Woods
Brianna Galvez
Angela and Brian Gillespie
Cony and Jeffrey Golner
Kimberli Gunn
Sue and Scott Horn
Gary Jackson
Maggie and John Keane
Dave Knight
Jaimi and Andrew Koechel
Abby and Kory Leadon
Caitlin Leamon
Ashley and Jonathan Levine
Becky and Dan Lieberman
Sarah and Greg Littleton
Michael Mazzocco
Justine and Sean McGraw
Lyric and Gary Naquin
Audria and Tom Newbold
Michelle and Marcus Newton
Erica and Tony Nuara
Christian Oceguera
Glenn Olcerst
Angie Quach
Scott Quillen
Kevin Rardin
Denise and Naveen Reddy
Rebecca Heft and Nick Reed
Gillian and Turner Rooney
Hannah Saleh-El Jad
Katherine and Daryl Sam
Shay Sanchez
Ravi Singh
Chris Slaughter
Mary and Kirk Strawn
Amy Strouse
Jennifer and Jim Talerico
Sarah and Anthony Taylor
Rita and Peter Thomas
Michelle and Alan Tinsley
Lorraine and Ruben Trujillo
Alexis and Errol Turner
Karen Ulinski
Merideth VanSant
Terry Woodbeck
SandFest Team Sponsors & Supporters
Barker Pacific Group, Inc.
CMoP Board of Directors
Intel Corporation
PADT, Inc.
Ryan Companies US, Inc.
SmithGroup / Dibble / Okland Construction
SmithGroup / McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
West Family Foundation
Community Partners & IN-KIND
A Flour Shop
Action Wine
Alaska Airlines
Arcosa Aggregates
Aridus Wine Company
Arizona on the Rocks
Arizona Opera
Arizona Theatre Company
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Asher Birth and Body
Janel Baca
Ballet Arizona
Bearizona Wildlife Park
Benihana, Inc.
Birdcall Restaurant
Busy Bees Babysitting
Butterfly Wonderland
Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch
Canyon Trails Ranch
Carefree Spirits Distillery
CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa
Cloth & Flame
Cobblestone Auto Spa
Costco Wholesale
Desert Bontanical Garden
Dig It Gardens
Dos Chris' Charcuterie and Bakery
Eggstasy
Enchantment Resort and Mii amo
Etta Restaurant
European Wax Centers of America
Fair Trade Cafe
Fasturtle
Foamdaddy
Franklin Floyd Wright Foundation
Galicia Fine Jewelers Scottsdale
Garage-East
GenuWine Arizona
George and Sons Asian Cuisine
George Prince
Giving Tree Café
Grand Canyon Brewery
Greenwood Brewing
Grimaldi's Pizzeria
Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Downtown
Angel Jannasch-Pennell and Michael Pennell
JAX Beverage
Susan Jones
Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix
Legacy Traditional Schools
Todd Levine
Lowell Observatory
Joey Manfre
MDSkin Bar & Lounge
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
Mingle + Graze
Nick Reed
O.H.S.O. Eatery & NanoBrewery
OdySea Aquarium
Once Upon a Tiara
Otto Trucking
OWA Parks & Resort
Palette Perfusion
Paperclip
Bobby Phelps
Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix Suns Charities
Phoenix Theatre Company
Phoenix Zoo
Dawna and Gerald Pitts
George Prince
Printing Specialists
Pucci Salon
Reformed Pilates
Reid Park Zoological Society
Rick Bronson's House of Comedy
RoadHouse Cinemas Scottsdale
Royal Palms Resort and Spa
Catalina Island Company
Serene Aesthetics
Deanna Sheedy
Siena Art Portraiture
Sit Still Salon
Spinato's Pizzeria
Sunstate Equipment Co.
Tashana Steward, NP
Sutcliffe Vineyards
Taco Chelo
Taco Guild
Jennifer and Jim Talerico
Sarah and Anthony Taylor
Mary Landau and Mark Tennis
The Beach House Kitchen & Cocktails
The Camby
The Sanctuary
The Wigwam
Thunderbirds Charities
Tiffany & Co. Scottsdale
Tiffany's Candy Co.
Total Wine & More
Trish McEvoy
True Ranch Hospitality
Errol Turner
Valley Youth Theatre
Verde Canyon Railroad
Donna Williams
Ways to Give
Thank you for choosing to make a gift to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix. Each year, your generosity allows us to offer the very best programs, exhibits and play experiences for children and their grown-ups.
To make a gift to the Museum, please choose one of the following options below:
Donate online: bit.ly/SupportCMOP
Send a check:
Please make checks payable to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and send to:
Children’s Museum of Phoenix
Attention: Development Officer
215 N. 7th Street | Phoenix, AZ 85034
Transfer Stock: CMoP accepts gifts of public traded securities. Please contact the Development Office at (602) 648-2743 for assistance and account information.
Matching Gifts: Contact your employer to see if they have a matching gift program.
PLANNED GIVING:
The Monroe Society – created to honor our legacy donors for their generous charitable provisions, wills, trusts or designations of future gifts of insurance or retirement assets. Please contact Georgie Hanlin, Director of Development at ghanlin@childmusephx.org or (602) 648-2743.
215 N 7th Street | Phoenix , AZ 85034 | (602) 253-0501
ChildrensMuseumOfPhoenix .org | MUSEODELOSNINOSDEPHOENIX.ORG
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN #86-0934323.
