Annual Report 2023-2024

Children’s Museum of Phoenix ANNUAL REPORT

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

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Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Annual Report 2024

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.

Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Annual Report 2024

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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.

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Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Annual Report 2024

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.

Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Annual Report 2024

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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

Shyra John

Corinn Olson

Kristen Kolessar

Esmeralda Garcia Torres

Trinity Horne

Kayla Walker

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Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Annual Report 2024

Alexis Rice

Board of Directors July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024

Financial Highlights

Chair Nick Reed

REVENUE & EXPENSES Revenue

Vice Chair Kristin Windtberg

Expenses

Individual Donors

$

Retail & Café (less cost of goods sold)

$

Treasurer Scott Horn

392,008

Total

$ 6, 442, 412

*116,983 Every Child visitors - free or reduced Total

$

8, 739, 683

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

Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Annual Report 2024

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Our Donors

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.

$100,000 & Above

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

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

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$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

Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Annual Report 2024

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 Up to $999 Betty Martin Anonymous Erica Maxwell Alejandra Alvarado Justine and Sean McGraw Shannon and Doug Allsworth Cheryl McNallan Ameriprise Financial Denisse Moreno Marni Anbar Ann Morton Joy Angel Lyric and Gary Naquin Patrick Armstrong Audria and Tom Newbold Alex Arnold Michelle and Marcus Newton Rachel Arthur Christian Oceguera ASN Tile Creations LLC Glenn Olcerst Keri and Kavon Attarpour Nadia Ortega David Bauer Shelly Ozuna Benevity Karina Pineda Alexander Bobinger Scott Quillen Emily Bolick Kevin Rardin Phylis Bolno Shyla Richardson Matthew Bomhoff Patricia Rocha John Bomhoff Charlie Russell Yira Brimage Ida Crocker-Sabbagh and Marwan John Brooks Sabbagh City of Phoenix Hildy Saizow Susan Cook Hannah Saleh-El Jada Kathleen Crenshaw Katherine and Daryl Sam Tina Critchfield Huber Shay Sanchez Misty and Som Das Silvya Sanchez Darren Deering Bonnie Schmidt Brandi and Brian Devlin Yanira Sesniak Connie Dolezal Charles Sholtis Frederick Edwards Laurel Silverberg Facebook Chris Slaughter Charlotte Farr Melinda Sloma Adrienne Farrell Heather Snow Wendy Farrell Ashley Craft Fiore and Steven Fiore Grant Stanford Mary and Kirk Strawn Adrian Fontes Amy Strouse Marlene Galan-Woods Albert Sun Brianna Galvez Bethany Taylor Abraham Garcia Michael Taylor Angela and Brian Gillespie Michelle and Alan Tinsley Brianna Godberson Alexis and Errol Turner Cony and Jeffrey Golner Karen Ulinski Loretta Green Merideth VanSant Damien Griffor Carlie Venable Lindsay Grizzle Jazmyn Walker Kimberli Gunn Elaine Warner Kathleen Gwynn Marion Wiener Georgie Hanlin Christopher Wurpts Shannon Horn 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

*Multi-Year Grant

Lincoln FOUNDATIONS & CORPORATIONS Sanderson Sarah and Anthony Taylor 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 Facebook 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

cmop events

POP ROCKS PATRON (PRESENTING SPONSOR)

The Carol Critchfield Foundation

MELT IN YOUR MOUTH SPONSORS Lerner & Rowe Gives Back

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

George and Sons Asian Cuisine George Prince Giving Tree Café Grand Canyon Brewery Google 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

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 Children’s Museum of Phoenix | Annual Report 2024 GenuWine Arizona

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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.